Bulgari - Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retrogade with Mickey Mouse playing football 103786

Bulgari presented the Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retrograde Mickey Mouse ref.103786, a jumping hour model with retrograde minutes and date. Price €24,000

After the success of the "Smiling Mickey" timepiece unveiled in 2021, Bulgari has created another timepiece which brings Mickey Mouse at the centre of a dial where, for the first time, he shows off his skills with a football.

The new Arena Bi-Retrograde Mickey Mouse ref.103786 pays tribute to a signature offering of the Gerald Genta brand - acquired in 2000 by the Italian luxury giant - which began in the 1980s after obtaining a license from Disney to design various models decorated with the worldwide renowned Disney characters.

 

The architectural shape of the Arena case was inspired by the structure of the ancient “arenas”, hence its name. Measuring 41 mm in diameter, it is crafted from stainless steel with a polished finish and a fluted caseband that features a fast hour-adjustment corrector at 9 o’clock. Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 metres /330 feet).

At the centre of this triple complication model (retrograde date and minutes, jumping hour) is Mickey Mouse, with his mobile arm counting off the minutes. Endowed with a contagious smile and laughing eyes, the little creature introduced by Walt Disney in 1928 stands out against a dial made of mother-of-pearl, a living material expressed through a series of micro-relief effects.

Each dial is the result of 14 clichés (plates) used to create the colour pattern of the design based on the pad printing technique. Some areas of the motif are then coated with transparent lacquer in order to add brilliance, brightness and volume to very specific details. In all, more than 20 manual operations are required to bring the Mickey Mouse to life.

The red minutes track picks up the colour of Mickey Mouse’s shorts and matches the textured rubber strap. Above his left foot sits the jumping hour window. On the half-hour, a football flies over his nose. Next to his other foot, a 180° retrograde date is swept over by an openworked hand. 

This new model is powered by self-winding Manufacture Calibre BVL300 beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 42-hour power reserve.

A limited edition of only 200 timepieces, the new Bulgari Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retrogade with Mickey Mouse playing football ref. 103786 has a price of Euro 24,000. bulgari.com