Monete Catene

MONETE CATENE HIGH JEWELRY SECRET WATCHES

In the rich creative heritage of Bulgari, the "Roman Jeweller of Time," one can find extraordinary expressions of horology as jewelry. The new Monete Catene secret watches, inspired by the innovative concept of Gemme Nummarie introduced by Nicola Bulgari in the mid 60s, truly epitomize the pinnacle of Bulgari's craftsmanship and artistry. Precious antique coins, powerful symbols of history, elevate the watch cases, as exquisite as they are sculptural, to another plane. Fashioned from gold and set with diamonds, these high jewelry timepieces flow around the wrist thanks to supple chain bracelets reminiscent of 1940s curb chains, also known as gourmettes. The Monete Catene Dual Time cuff looks back at another chapter of Bulgari history through the lens of High Jewelry, inspired by the Maison’s watch creation from the 1970s. Within these precious horological creations, discreetly pulsating, a treasure of mechanical miniaturisation: the Bulgari Piccolissimo movement.

Beyond time, a certain style

Through the ages, antique precious coins have borne witness to the greatness of Ancient Rome and Greece, quintessentially the style of Bulgari, a Maison with Roman and Greek roots. From the 1930s onwards, Bulgari would imagine refined objects - and from the 1960s also jewelry - adorned with ancient coins, an aesthetic inspired by Roman jewelry of the 1st century AD. In 1966, Nicola Bulgari, for whom these unique witnesses to history always held a particular fascination, had the idea of perpetuating this heritage with the first Monete watches. Today, Bulgari has sourced rare coins of the epoch, selecting them for their historical relevance, to cover the Monete Catene secret watches. The two coins of the Monete Catene Dual Time cuff evoke the reign of a fabled couple, that of Septimius Severus – emperor from 193 to 211 AD – and his empress, Julia Domna, who was venerated as a goddess. On the Monete Catene wristwatch: a denarius, or silver coin, bearing the effigy of Emperor Caracalla, who ruled from 198 to 217 AD. Minted during his reign, the coin expresses this emperor’s strategic genius. 

Architectural beauties

The Monete Catene timepieces unfurl their generous body, shaped from gold and diamonds, with sophistication and aesthetic mastery. Their skilfully orchestrated lines draw the casing for the coins, exceptional ancient treasures. The case of the Monete Catene wristwatch is designed with 8 facets, like the Octo Monete watches of the time. This geometry, with its powerful symbolism so dear to Bulgari, evokes the ceiling of the Maxentius Basilica in Rome.

The Monete Catene Dual Time cuff, equally refined in its design, is inspired by a rectangular watch designed for the Roman Maison in the 1970s. Two dials with hands in two distinct colors display the time in different time zones. Bulgari combines the radiance of the yellow gold – to encircle the coins – with that of rose gold, a two-tone combination characteristic of the period. Baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds and a delicate snow setting make this secret watch a marvel of jewelry-making expertise. On the sides of the case, two emerald cabochons, a Bulgari hallmark, provide the ‘keys’ to revealing the splendour of the otherwise hidden dials, enabling the owner to open the case of the watch.

The Monete Catene watches seamlessly extend into precious chain bracelets ("catene" in Italian). Their curb chain aesthetic has been part of Bulgari's creative heritage since the 1940s and was taken up in the 1960s for the first Monete jewelry. The Monete Catene Dual Time cuff counts five rows of links, alternating between yellow gold and gem-set rose gold, held in thrall by the sparkle of white gold bars graced with baguette diamonds. For the curb chain bracelet on the Monete Catene watch, Bulgari sprinkled diamonds on the rose gold.

A marvel of miniaturisation, only the Piccolissimo BVL 100 movement, created by the Bulgari Manufacture – and today the smallest round movement – could possibly have a place at the heart of the Monete Catene. A hand-wound calibre that echoes the jewelry watches of past eras, also equipped with mechanical movements. This horological masterpiece of utmost discretion allows Bulgari to weave its high jewelry and high watchmaking expertise around these gold coins, powerful symbols of antiquity, and thus draw on the richness of history to transcend time.