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Bvlgari Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci Special Edition Watch
Ref. 103702
The Aluminium collection began in the early 1990s as something genuinely unusual for a Roman maison — a sports watch built not from steel but from the material of aircraft and bicycles, deliberately light, deliberately different. This Amerigo Vespucci edition, limited to 1,000 pieces, uses that same foundation to honour the Italian navy's tall ship of the same name: the 24-hour GMT flange runs in black and yellow to echo the ship's livery, and at six o'clock a detail borrowed from the Italian flag sits quietly among the indices. The engraved and numbered caseback carries the ship's motto and crest, which makes each example traceable to its place in the edition. At 68.6 grams the watch barely registers on the wrist, and because the rubber strap is threaded with articulating aluminium links — faithful to the original 1990s design — it moves with the wrist rather than sitting rigid against it. The crown and caseback are titanium with a black DLC coating, which is where the structural work happens: aluminium handles the visual lightness, titanium absorbs the wear at the points that see most contact. The BVL 192 runs on a Sellita base, which means fifty hours of reserve and straightforward servicing anywhere in the world — a practical argument for a watch that is likely to travel.
- Reference
- 103702
- Brand
- Bvlgari
- Collection
- Aluminium
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 9.70mm
- Case material
- Aluminium
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- BVL 192
- Functions
- GMT, Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Bvlgari
Sotirio Bulgari was a silversmith from a village in Epirus who arrived in Rome and opened a shop on Via Sistina in 1884, later moving to the Via Condotti address the company still occupies. The Latinised V in the logo is a deliberate reference to classical Rome, and the house has drawn on Roman architecture and coinage ever since.
Two designs define it. The Serpenti, a coiled snake bracelet watch that first appeared in the 1940s, is the piece most associated with the name. The Bvlgari Bvlgari of 1975, with the brand name doubled around the bezel in the manner of a Roman coin inscription, began as a limited run for clients and became a permanent line.
Watchmaking became serious in 2000, when Bvlgari bought Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth and with them a genuine complications capability. Since 2014 the Octo Finissimo has set a series of world records for thinness across different complications — tourbillon, minute repeater, automatic, chronograph — which is not the sort of thing a jeweller was expected to be doing.
- 1884
- Sotirio Bulgari opens his first shop in Rome
- 1975
- The Bvlgari Bvlgari, with the name doubled around the bezel
- 2000
- Acquisition of Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth brings complications in house
- 2014
- The Octo Finissimo begins a run of world records for thinness
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,538), Automatic Watches (1,867), All Black Watches (357), GMT Watches (277) and Limited Edition Watches (223).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Bvlgari Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci Special alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 103702 | N3008.07S01.G01.R01 | 2766-PC5-64001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,630 | £3,600 | £3,595 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Rubber strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | — | 56 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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