In the mid 19th century, Sotirio Bulgari articulated a vision of elegance that has since proven capable of transcending the boundaries of both time and space. The young Sotirio sensed the new spirit of his time and, assembling his formidable arsenal of artistic and artisanal skills, left Greece for Corfu and then went on to the recently unified Italy. His enterprising spirit upset many existing schemes, anticipating practises that would become standard only much later. It is to this remarkable man – multicultural voyager ahead of his time, entrepreneur, aesthete and founder of one of the world’s most respected jewellers and watchmakers - that Bulgari dedicates, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, three watches as extraordinary as the history that began with Sotirio Bulgari.Watches characterised by a classic style reinterpreted in a contemporary key. A perfect synthesis of innovative design and manufacturing skill, they are distinguished by their sophisticated workmanship and great attention to detail. These new timepieces represent Bulgari's vision of a formal watch, featuring manufacture movements, dials finished with exclusive treatments and a unique design.

Unique as the exclusive flip-over back case, the pure bezel characterised by the absence of the Bulgari logo and the lugs. Characterised by a converging inclination they are a prominent feature in these Sotirio Bulgari. Their particular construction (they are integrated in the back case) meets the challenge of offering high shock resistance in spite of the reduced size. As testimony of the endless care for detail, the crown as been personalised (with the Sotirio Bulgari historical hallmark) as the sapphire crystal that is curved and enriched by the antireflective treatment.

The argente dial is made in house by Bulgari; the Roman numerals and faceted indexes are applied by hand. The skeleton hour and minute hands are faceted. The watch strap is made of alligator skin with an 18 cts Bulgari ardillon buckle.

The BVL 250 caliber automatic movement is made of 250 components. The watch has 55 hour power reserve, 32 rubies and 28’800 vibration/hour (4 Hz). It has a diameter of 25.60 mm and is 3.73 mm thick. The bridges and the main plate feature an exclusive design and are embellished by Côtes de Genève, diamantes and perlage treatments. The customised oscillating weight features colimaçonne treatments and its 18 cts weight is enriched by a satine circulaire treatment.

The shape of the bridges and the weight of this calibre were redesigned to highlight the creativity of the watch and reveal as much as possible of the movement with its sophisticated finishing. These testify to the sophisticated Swiss savoir-faire that went into the making of this watch and were executed in full compliance with the qualitative parameters established for haut de gamme movements.

All edges are diamantes as are the sinks around the jewels. The 18 cts gold oscillating segment is finished with a satine circulaire treatment, while the central part is colimaçonnee. The Swiss finisseurs’ standard of craftsmanship is evident by the exclusive care taken in decorating even the smallest components, such as the screw heads, which are polished.

The three commemorative editions will be available at all Bulgari stores and selected dealers starting in September of 2009.