There are watches, and then there are whispers from the gods, bound in gold and stone, ticking in quiet wonder. The moment I laid eyes on the Bulgari new Polychroma high-jewelry watches, unveiled under the sun-drenched skies of Taormina, I knew I wasn’t simply looking at timepieces. I was staring into a dream, the kind only Bulgari dares to spin—where sapphires speak, fireflies dance, and time itself is seduced into standing still.
This is not a collection of watches that merely tell time. No. Polychroma—as its name softly suggests—is a poetic riot of color and craftsmanship, a reminder that for Bulgari, horology is not a science but a song. Rooted in the Greek words poly (many) and chroma (color), this latest chapter in Bulgari’s haute horlogerie story is an ode to joy, to beauty, to Rome’s kaleidoscopic spirit—and above all, to women who want their wrists to sing.
A Skyful of Jewels: Nuvole Preziose
One of the first pieces that blew me away was the Nuvole Preziose pendant watch—precious clouds, the name translates. But no translation prepares you for the sensation of beholding it. Inspired by the altarpiece of the Baroque church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, this timepiece defies the rigid rules of traditional watchmaking. It floats.
At its heart pulses a 6.88-carat cushion-cut yellow sapphire, luminous like the sun filtering through stained glass. A butterfly, set on a trembler, flutters ever so gently with each movement, giving the illusion that it might lift off at any second and disappear into the clouds that surround it.
But here’s the marvel—those clouds are detachable. In a moment of quiet genius, Bulgari has made them transformable into earrings. One piece, three lives: pendant, timekeeper, and jewel. I couldn’t help but smile. Isn’t that what a modern woman deserves? Jewelry that keeps up with her shape-shifting spirit.
A Watch Born of Night: Notte Stellata Diva
Then came the Notte Stellata Diva, my personal favorite—because some pieces don’t just sparkle, they haunt you. The name means Starry Night, and indeed, this watch is a love letter to the heavens. One glance and I was no longer myself. I was in Rome at midnight, walking along the Tiber, as the stars blinked their slow secrets above me.
The domed crystal dial mimics Bulgari’s famed cabochon cuts, recalling its legacy from the golden age of the 1950s. Beneath the glass, a moon set with princess-cut diamonds rises, flanked by a swirl of snow-set brilliant-cut diamonds. But it is the fireflies that arrest you: yellow diamonds and blue sapphires set on tremblers that quiver as you move, turning every wrist tilt into a light show.
It’s magic. Pure and deliberate magic.
Serpenti, Reimagined Again
Of course, it wouldn’t be Bulgari without a nod to its eternal muse: the serpent. Serpenti Aeterna, as the name suggests, refuses to fade. And yet, with every reinvention, it surprises me all over again.
These newest interpretations of the iconic Serpenti watch are more architectural than ever, crafted in 18k white gold, spiraled into a bangle cuff inspired by Art Deco geometry. Two versions are offered, both otherworldly: one is studded with diamonds and sapphires, the other with diamonds and emeralds. The sapphire variation, I must confess, feels like slipping into myth.
There’s something ancient yet futuristic about these Bulgari Polychroma watches. They don’t just adorn the wrist; they wrap it in a legend. The serpent has long stood for transformation, seduction, eternal life. With Serpenti, Bulgari has always tapped into those myths, but here, the serpent becomes a sculpture, a totem of power.
Bulgari Polychroma Watches: When Time Becomes Emotion
I often wonder what separates a watch from a jewel, and a jewel from a relic. With Polychroma, the lines dissolve. These are watches that exist in their own dimension. They do not compete with the ticking titans of Swiss minimalism or the lab-like precision of silicon escapements. They live in another world entirely—one of opulence, emotion, and visual poetry.
Bulgari isn’t afraid of extravagance. It never has been. But with these watches, that extravagance feels sacred, even intimate. I see in them not just mastery of gem-setting or mechanical savoir-faire, but an unapologetic love for storytelling. Each watch is a chapter. Each stone, a word. Each trembler, a breath.
Why Bulgari Matters Now
It’s easy to forget, in a world obsessed with complications and micro-rotors, that watches can also be sensual. That they can laugh in color. Bulgari reminds us of this, again and again—and its Polychroma watches are perhaps its most defiant reminder yet.
In a market where horology often leans masculine, muted, and technical, Bulgari dares to be feminine, emotional, and loud. And as someone who lives in both the worlds of jewelry and timekeeping, I find that incredibly refreshing. These watches aren’t just about wealth or prestige; they are about identity. They’re for women who want their jewelry to be as complex and layered as they are.
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of LVMH Watches & Bulgari’s CEO, said it best in a press release for the new collection:
“Polychroma redefines the boundaries of craftsmanship, gemology, and goldsmithing excellence, with every piece standing as a masterpiece of art, each gemstone an expression of unparalleled rarity and beauty.”
I felt that truth. I witnessed it shimmer.
A Final Thought
If you’re a collector or simply a lover of beautiful things, I urge you to seek out the Bulgari Polychroma watches. Don’t just scroll past them in a press release. See them. Touch them. Let them whisper their stories to you. Because these are not timepieces you forget—they live with you. And maybe, if you’re lucky, they even change you.
Bulgari isn’t slowing down. It’s soaring—on butterfly wings, beneath domed crystal moons, with serpents coiled in precious intent. And I, for one, am more than happy to follow where this rainbow leads.
Featured image: Bulgari
Amanda Akalonu is dedicated to weaving together the worlds of jewelry, watches, and objects through a lens of literary storytelling.
