Racing in style: the new Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo Special Edition chronographs

0 0 Sunday, 3 December 2023 Edit this post

Bulgari has partnered with Gran Turismo, a leading auto racing simulation game, to design two limited-edition Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo chronographs and the groundbreaking Bulgari Aluminium Vision GT concept car, thus merging the worlds of horology and virtual racing.

This collaboration comes to celebrate jointly the 25th anniversary of the sport-chic Bulgari Aluminium watch and the 10th anniversary of the Vision GT program, which opened race car development for the video game to the world's top automobile manufacturers.

The Bulgari Aluminium Vision GT Car is the first and only hypercar especially designed for Gran Turismo racing by a watchmaking brand. Incredibly realistic in its look and feel in the virtual world, the real-life model was on display during the Gran Turismo World Series Finals in Barcelona from December 1-3, 2023, hinting at a hypercar that might roar on a real track in the not-too-distant future.

The Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo Special Edition chronographs fuse the robust lightness of aluminium for its 41 mm case with the softness of rubber for the Bulgari-emblazoned bezel.

The crown and caseback are forged from lightweight titanium with a black DLC treatment, emblazoned with the 10th Anniversary Vision GT logo.

The bracelet featuring articulated rubber links connected by aluminium rods emphasises the sportiness of the watch, which is water-resistant to 100 metres / 330 feet.

The two limited editions differ in their dials: ref. 104006 with a varnished yellow dial with black counters and black hour markers/numerals (500 pieces); and ref. 103893 with a brushed anthracite dial with black counters abd yellow hour markers/numerals (1200 pieces).

Marking a first since the collection's relaunch in 2020, the Bulgari Aluminium pays homage to speed with an integrated tachymetric scale.

The hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova for improved readability in low-light conditions.

Designed, developed, and built by Bulgari’s integrated Manufacture, the “engine” is the automatic Calibre B381, operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) with a power reserve of 42 hours.

The shape and materials used for the Vision GT concept car echo the distinctive codes of the Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo Special Edition watch.

The bodywork is brushed aluminium, with carbon for the lower body and technical sections, and black rubber to protect exposed areas. Inside the cockpit, colours and materials play off each other, emphasizing the contrast between aluminium, black rubber, anthracite Alcantara, and yellow accents. The dashboard evokes the yellow dial of the new Aluminium chronographs.

The new Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo Special Edition 2023, either ref. 103893 limited to 1,200 pieces or ref. 104006 limited to 500 pieces, is priced at Euro 5,200.

Every purchaser of a Bulgari Aluminium x Gran Turismo Special Edition will receive a code enabling them to race the Bulgari hypercar in the game. bulgari.com