A solid eighteen carat yellow gold Bulgari “Alveare” cuff wristwatch. This is exactly what happens when a fine jewellery house turns its attention to watchmaking. It is a gorgeous piece of jewellery that just so happens to have a wristwatch incorporated into the cuff. You get the best of both worlds: an iconic piece of jewellery and a beautiful timepiece.

Following the death of Giorgio Bulgari in 1966, the future direction of the business passed to the next generation, his sons Gianni, Paolo and Nicola. It was not an easy time domestically in Italy. The ensuing oil crisis gripping the world took a particularly heavy toll on Italy’s economy during the 1970s. The decision was made to expand the reach of the business beyond Rome and Italy.

In 1972, a new storefront was opened at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Locations in Geneva, Monte Carlo and Paris soon followed.

Not only did the business change, but so did the designs and the items being produced under the Bulgari name. From Sotirio’s creation of the brand, which was as much an antiques business as it was a producer of fine jewellery, the acquisition of fine and rare silver items contributed to the DNA of the house. Watches had featured before the next generation took over the running of the business, but they were few and far between, often powered by movements from watchmaking houses such as Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin and Movado.

The brand had already begun to gain global recognition and success with the introduction of the iconic Serpenti. As Bulgari established a more substantial watch collection in the late 1970s, Bulgari Time was established in Switzerland.

This division oversaw watch development for the brand. By the late 1980s, Bulgari was developing its technical capabilities through relationships with established Swiss watchmakers, including Girard-Perregaux. Working with experienced Swiss manufacturers allowed Bulgari to expand this increasingly important part of the business while maintaining its distinctive approach to design.

The watch we see here was part of the brand’s continued expansion and success in watchmaking. The Bulgari Alveare collection was introduced in 1988, during a particularly creative period for the Roman jewellery house. Taking its name from the Italian word for beehive, the collection was conceived around a repeating geometric motif inspired by the structure of a honeycomb.

Following the success of the Parentesi collection in 1982, Bulgari continued to explore modular jewellery, creating bold, architectural designs that combined considerable visual presence with flexibility and comfort. The Alveare became one of the house’s most distinctive expressions of this approach, appearing in necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and, from 1989, wristwatches.

The Alveare watch was introduced in 1989 as a natural extension of the jewellery collection. Its distinctive hexagonal dial echoes the geometry of the surrounding bracelet, allowing the timepiece to become an integral part of the overall design rather than a separate component. This reference, the BJ02, is crafted entirely in solid 18-carat yellow gold, with deeply sculpted and recessed links forming a substantial cuff around the wrist.

The strikingly simple black dial, with its pair of gold hands and absence of hour markers, or indeed almost any of the details found on most watches, provides a wonderful contrast to the elaborate goldwork. The repeating motifs and alternating polished surfaces create a remarkable interplay of light and shadow, giving the bracelet an almost sculptural quality.

There is something particularly appealing about Bulgari’s approach to watchmaking during this period, when the jewellery itself was often considered as important as the mechanism within. The Alveare is a wonderful example of this philosophy, where the watch becomes almost incidental to the artistry of the bracelet. Bold yet remarkably elegant, it captures the confidence and creativity of Italian jewellery design during the closing decades of the twentieth century.

A beautifully conceived piece that is as much a work of wearable sculpture as it is a functional timepiece.

This example is the cuff watch from the collection. There are several different designs and metals within the collection. The cuff is in excellent, unpolished condition, and the watch is powered by a quartz movement. These were made in relatively small production numbers, and this example is numbered 78. The rear of the case is fully signed, along with the bracelet. The case measures 17mm across.

If you are looking for a watch, but also something that is more of a jewellery piece, it is hard to think of a better house to deliver that experience. Chic, eye-catching and ever so Italian. With the renewed appreciation for Bulgari’s historical designs, these late twentieth-century pieces are gaining traction and respect among collectors.

The watch is not accompanied by its original paperwork or box.