May 1, 2013 | Watches & Jewelry The Latest
Bulgari’s Il Giardino Tropicale watch.
—ROBERTA NAAS, ATimelyPerspective.com
Here at BaselWorld 2013, spring is in full bloom—not only outside, but in the halls, too, as many watch brands unveil timepieces inspired by nature. One example is the stunning new Bulgari “Il Giardino Tropicale” Tourbillon timepiece. Not only does the watch beautifully depict a tropical garden on the wrist, but it also offers one of the most complicated feats in watchmaking—the tourbillon. The watch represents Bulgari’s first complication created expressly for women.
The new Il Giardino Tropicale di Bulgari celebrates nature via a hand-painted varnished dial set with gemstones that depict a luxuriant garden, complete with a colorful parrot. Exactly 61 diamonds grace the floral centers and accent the lush gardens and parrot. The vision is further enriched with a self-winding movement with tourbillion escapement supported by a sapphire crystal bridge—upon which the parrot is perched.
The dial painting uses transparent varnishes and glaze effects to add depth and shimmer. Because varnish dries rapidly, it demands quick but meticulous painting—a tricky proposition, considering anywhere from three coats of paint (for the flowers) to five (for the leaves) or even eight (for the parrot) are needed. Just 50 of this watch will ever be made.
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Founder and editor-in-chief of ATimelyPerspective.com, Roberta Naas is a veteran award-winning journalist in the watch industry with more than 25 years of experience. She was the first woman watch editor in the US market—breaking in to an “all boys network” with a pioneering spirit that would be her signature to this day. Naas brings responsible, factual—yet always timely and insightful—reporting of the watch industry to the forefront.
