Bulgari has joined the top international horologists in producing a concept watch, which they featured at the recent Baselworld 2016. Baroque Access takes a look at it
Bulgari’s Diagono Magnesium Concept Watch is extremely good-looking and features an automatic movement, magnesium case plus a ceramic bezel that can double as an encrypted digital wallet. Because of an NFC chip, Bulgari’s new timepiece can store and access the owner’s personal information, including passwords, bank and credit card account details. These are then managed by the Bulgari Vault app on your smartphone.
Interestingly enough, the information is not stored on your phone; instead, it’s kept in an underground data storage center in the Swiss Alps and is only accessed when the owner unlocks the Bulgari Vault app by tapping his Diagono Magnesium 2016 watch against his smartphone. Great security measures, reminiscent of a James Bond film!
Of course this watch is much smarter and can do many other tasks, too, including unlock doors and electronic locks and activate alarm systems for both the owner’s home and car. It can also act as the owner’s boarding pass or passport – and we already know that it can become the owner’s credit card, too.
Bulgari’s new concept watch also differs from all the other luxury smart timepieces on the market, as it is the first traditional watch by a watchmaker to stay true to its horological roots whilst embracing future technology at the same time. Although a release date has not yet been set, the 2016 Diagono Magnesium concept watch, which will initially only be available in a brown case, will retail for around $5,700. This is approximately $1,140 more than the standard Bulgari timepieces.
Of course, the design for this new timepiece blends luxury with modern technology in the best way possible. Top quality materials including magnesium, ceramic and PEEK, not to mention metallic colors similar to those found on luxury cars (there’s that James Bond analogy again!) are used to hold the mechanical self-winding movement that powers this concept watch, and ensures that no charging is required.
The Diagono Magnesium actually featured at Baselworld 2015 as a pure horological masterpiece with a self-winding chronograph movement. The design, much like its concept predecessor, is masculine, elegant and sophisticated. For 2016, Bulgari then met the challenge of keeping the intrinsic qualities of its luxury mechanical watches while updating them with technological innovations. The 2016 timepiece is Swiss in every way possible, but has managed to incorporate extraordinary technological functions such as the Wrist Vault. And unlike other smart watched that require smartphones to function properly, this unique masterpiece boasts a smartphone application that requires a watch if it is to function at all.