We might almost forget, but not so long ago, watch dials were limited to being white. Simple, classic, almost austere. Then, in the 2020s, watchmaking had its own little chromatic revolution: turquoise, anise green, candy pink... A wave of bright and pastel shades appeared on wrists, bringing a dose of freshness and lightness to a time that desperately needed it. And the trend is not weakening. This summer again, watches proudly sport pop colors, from sweet pastels to the most tempting shades. But amid this vibrant festival, an unexpected color is quietly resurfacing: black. Silent, sober, radical, and more elegant than ever.
Black vibrates, lives, tells a story
Long discreet, even absent from dials, black truly made its entrance in watchmaking only from the second half of the 20th century. Its significant first appearance? In military watches, where function dictates form: neutral shade, anti-reflective, practical, stealthy. Black then becomes an obvious tactical choice. With the advent of new materials like carbon, ceramic, PVD, or DLC treatments, black subsequently becomes an aesthetic language in its own right. At Bulgari, the color takes on a whole new dimension: it serves to structure lines, densify volumes, highlight every detail. In 2017, the Ultranero collection, treated in Diamond Like Carbon, provides a striking example. No question of disappearing here: black reveals, asserts, sculpts. And in this chromatic exploration, today it is the Octo Roma that embodies this radical and sophisticated vision with the most strength.
Desirability potential: one thousand out of one thousand.
Between Italian sensuality and Swiss rigor
The Octo Roma is a story of choice and audacity. From its launch in 2012, the collection takes an unconventional path, far from the well-rounded or overly angular standards. Its unique silhouette, stretched between circle and raw geometry, intrigues. To understand this octagonal case with eight sides, one must go back to the vaults of the Basilica of Maxentius, erected in the 4th century in the heart of Rome. But if the Octo Roma draws inspiration from history, it does not bask in it. Its lines break codes without trampling them. Its dial, engraved with the "Clou de Paris" motif, pays homage to Swiss watchmaking tradition. Its movement, a manufacture caliber designed and assembled in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux, embodies the most demanding mechanical rigor. It is a watch at the crossroads of cultures, establishing a dialogue between Rome and Switzerland.
Italian chic sport
This year, the Chronograph version stands out as the sport-chic piece. With its black DLC-treated steel case of 42 mm, it asserts a dynamic look while not denying the little architectural plus specific to the line. Its Start/Stop and Reset pushers integrate into the extension of the lugs for a fluid and contemporary silhouette. Inside, the BVL 399 automatic caliber drives a bicompax chronograph with balanced readability: 30 min counter at 9 o'clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, central large second at 3 o'clock, and discreet date at 4:30. Luminescent markers and hands, sunburst subdials: readability remains impeccable. The watch comes with two interchangeable straps: one in Clou de Paris textured rubber, the other in alligator leather. Full black, of course.
