Last year, another stunning novelty was launched by the Italian origin Swiss brand Bulgari. The legendary Diagono Scuba Collection made an impressive came back to the world of watches with its purified design and in-house movement.
As I always say, I have a sweet spot for Bulgari... Especially for the Diagono Scuba Collection which was inspired by the great architecture of Rome with its diamond cut like lines and its iconic bezel... It was a love at first sight thing between me and Diagono Scuba. I had the chance to own a number of models with different material and style options. I still own one and I simply love wearing it...
Bulgari, just like its jewellery division, is quite an old and important name in the world of luxury timepieces. Being one of the top luxury brands in the world, Bulgari managed to transfer its expertise and un-matched craftsmanship quality to its luxury watches division and launched many stunning timepieces. But, when it enters the borders of Haute Horlogerie, there is a different situation with the brand’s recognition as a traditional luxury watchmaker. The hardcore watch enthusiasts, namely Purists, don’t always seem to give Bulgari the credit it deserves. Well, maybe it’s better to say “didn’t” as the brand invested a lot of effort and money in to their luxury watchmaking side and launched extremely well designed and finished products in the last few years. However, things evolve a bit slowly when it comes to brand recognition. Considering the brand’s glorious past with the jewellery focus, I can understand why the hi-end bijouterie relation dominated the watchmaker’s image at the past.
We hosted several modern Bulgari timepieces at Horobox and each of them were solid proves to the brand’s recent evolution regarding its watchmaking side. With the support of two iconic names in the industry; Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth, Bulgari presented some serious timepieces which are more than enough to impress even the purist watch aficionados.
Within those novelties launched one after another, the most pleasing news for me was the launch of Diagono Scuba Collection after a relatively long break. I was after that watch for a while and finally we had the opportunity to shoot the new Diagono Scuba (Ref.102324 ) at the stunning Bulgari Boutique located at one of the top spots for luxury shopping in Istanbul – Zorlu Center AVM. Let’s have a close look at this re-incarnated version of a truly iconic timepiece...
The re-newed Diagono Scuba Collection hosts different versions in stainless steel, stainless steel/18K rose gold two-tone and 18K solid rose gold. What we have here is the stainless steel case model with the black rubber strap option Ref.102324.
The new Bulgari Diagono Scuba is offered in a modern 41mm diameter case made of stainless steel. The diamond cut looking sharp lines of the iconic case proves the brand’s expertise in precise finishing. We have the famous Diagono Scuba bezel on the top of the case with less lettering and slightly reduced thickness. However, the charismatic appeal is still present at full body. The bezel houses an AR coated flat sapphire crystal.
The unique lug design makes the watch a perfectly balanced and extremely comfortable wearer.
Solid caseback and simple but ergonomic winding crown are the similar parts with the previous versions.
Undoubtedly, the most visible update about the new collection is about the dials. The new dials offer quite less marking when compared to the old versions. Actually, it is a clever move to make the dials simpler than before as they match with the purified character of the face lifted appearance nicely. SuperLuminova applied sword type hands and wide round markers significantly improve the legibility of the watch at almost any occasion.
All new collection models bear the same water resistance rating as WR300M. The case is engineered so perfectly that you never expect WR300M rating from the watch’s thickness.
Another novelty about the new Diagono Scuba Collection is the in-house movement Caliber BVL 191. The 4Hz beating movement’s oscillating weight is barely audible and rotates very smoothly. Featuring Girard Perregaux modified ETA and Valjoux movements at the past models, Bulgari left no room for negative critics for the movement title by using its in-house caliber.
The rubber strap is another updated part of the new model line. Sadly, the iconic three pieces design with metal bars between the links is not available anymore... Bulgari revised the strap with a simpler, more generic looking model. The strap is also secured by a tang buckle instead of a folding clasp like the one used with the previous versions.
I must say I like every single update about the new Diagono Scuba. But when it comes to the strap, I am a bit confused as I am a great admirer of the old, unique designed strap. On the other hand, I should say that the new strap is far more comfortable than the old one thanks to its one piece design and tang buckle which I always find a tad more comfy than the cool looking folding clasp.
Well, I do not want to be biased but it’s pretty unlikely for you to hear me saying a negative comment about the new Diagono Scuba Collection as I am a long time hardcore fan for that iconic timepiece. The newest version is obviously the best and the most refined one of all times and I simply loved it. If you haven’t given it a try yet due to its jewellery relation or for any other reason, now could be the best time to do it. Your opinions may change in a flash...
