Bulgari Diagono Women's Watch Review

Ping Tsai's article, "Bulgari Women’s Watch Choices Today – Part 2: The Diagono," delves into Bulgari's sportier offerings for women. She highlights how the Diagono line caters to those seeking a less dainty, more rugged timepiece, distinguishing itself through larger case sizes, robust construction, and a deliberate absence of vibrant colors often found in other ladies' collections.

Bulgari Women's Watch Choices Today - Part 2 

The Diagono

By Ping Tsai

As much of a female luxury brand that Bulgari can be, its colorful jewels and elegant watches sing to the feminine character in even the strongest and most confident of women. Luckily you don’t have to like wearing snakes and candy-like gems to enjoy the best of what Bulgari has to offer. Those of us who are less frilly may find appeal in their sportier options. Whereas the Bulgari Bulgari is a great everyday watch with its simple classic styling, the Diagono line is Bulgari’s answer to the sporty, edgier side of the female persona.

Women who dislike dainty should find a better fit with the Bulgari Diagono watches with their larger case sizes and more rugged strap and lug construction. Interesting material combinations, prominent bezels and other factors contribute to the sporty characterization of the Diagono line. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the Bulgari Ladies Diagono watch so sporty and appealing.

Bulgari Without Color

Bulgari is perhaps more known for their vividly colored gemstone jewelry than anything else. For this reason it’s a bit surprising that their Diagono watches are devoid of color, as is the case with their BVLGARI BVLGARI collection. This is not to say that they should include more color. The traditional black, white, silver and gold tones are conventional but always strong and desirable. The neutral colors also contribute to the masculine sporty look of the watch. I’m simply surprised that a light pink or lavender strap/dial didn’t make its way into the available options like in so many other big name brand ladies watch collections. I applaud Bulgari for not relying on color to diversify their ladies watch collection. Instead, they seemed to have focus on varying watch diameters, bezel design and quartz versus automatic movements.

Ladies Chronograph

Another way that Bulgari has given their Diagono collection a sporty look is through the use of the chronograph function in several models. Subdials and chrono pushers have always added to the sporty character of any watch and the Diagono is no different. Bulgari’s chronograph watches for women are well proportioned with just enough detail to make them female appropriate but not overdoing it. Diamond accents are limited to a single row bezel or simple hour markers. They’ve refrained from encrusting the entire case or dial and risk over-styling a watch. Small details such as the incorporation of rubber in the case of the DIAGONO chrono automatic watch with diamond bezel or ceramic in the new version are what make Bulgari ladies chronograph watches uniquely appealing and enjoyable to wear.

Bezel and Strap Construction

Bulgari uses a variety of materials such as rubber, ceramic, steel and gold for different parts of the watch, particularly the bezel. This helps to establish the sporty character of the Diagono watch. Several of the watches come with rubber straps and metal inserts like the male versions. Rubber is also found in the bezel of the automatic Diagonos with diamond bezels. Utilizing rubber alongside precious stones such as diamonds may seem contradictory but feminizes a watch that probably had its roots as a men’s watch first.

Some of the smaller Diagonos are simply female versions of the male counterpart which is a welcomed option by many women who admire their partner’s watch but do not have wrists that are proportionately suitable to wear it. And there are always couples who enjoy the opportunity to have matching watches with their spouse or significant other. For these reasons, I do hope that there will be female models of watches such as the Octo, Endurer and perhaps one of the classic Daniel Roths. Adapting a men’s sport watch to a female one will almost always create one that is more masculine and sporty.    

DIAGONO Chrono Automatic Watch

Last year Bulgari released the new Ladies Diagono Chrono Automatic watches with ceramic bezels. The watches are equipped with Calibre B130 self-winding movement and feature a stainless steel or rose gold case with white rubber straps and ceramic bezels and chrono pushers.

The Look of Ceramic

Ceramic does seem to be holding its popularity as a case material for watches.  Watch designers at Bulgari have taken a more selective approach with its placement using it only for the bezel of the Diagono Ceramic as they did in the Octo Bi-Retro.  The Octo Bi-Retro’s bezel is studded with screws whereas the Diagono Ceramic carries the double BVLGARI logo inscription.  I think the use of ceramic for a portion of the case as opposed to the whole thing was a smart design choice. It creates a more dynamic appearance for the watch by having contrasting colors and finishes alongside one another and giving it an overall contemporary look and feel.

Narrowing of the bezel also modernizes the watches appearance.  It looks less bulky and more refined.  The older generation of Diagono Chronographs with logo bezels was a few steps away from resembling life preservers. The wider bezels now seem outdated with the introduction of the new Diagono Chrono and last year’s new Bulgari Bulgari watches. 

Sporty Character with Luxury and Feminism

Both the men’s and ladies versions of the Diagono Ceramic are available in steel and ceramic or pink gold and ceramic. Even with the luxurious look of pink gold, diamonds and mother of pearl, the line still reflects a strong sense of sportiness and strength while at the same time retaining sophistication and modernity in style.  The watches would be a bit difficult to dress up due to the rubber strap. The ladies’ versions would be even more difficult to wear out in the evening with formal wear with the sporty white color being a factor. 

Unique Case Construction

The shape of the Diagono 2012 case is pretty standard but its construction is not.  It bears a complex construction skillfully structured with flexible lugs that bend, allowing for a tighter more comfortable fit against the skin. At 37mm, I’d say the sizing is ideal for people with wrist sizes that fit in the median range.  AP has a 37mm Royal Oak Offshore but ladies with smaller wrists such as myself have a hard time wearing that watch due to the ends of the case which extend out pretty far before connecting with the lugs.  The Diagono Ceramic has a tighter case with lugs that have greater flexibility.  The complex screw-type lug system that connects the rubber strap with the case is skillfully constructed to guarantee an ergonomic fit. I would not be surprised if the Bulgari watch achieves a much more comfortable and contoured fit than the AP Royal Oak Offshore for women in general. 

Intricate Detailing

The chronograph pushers are crafted in black or white ceramic to match the bezel.  The detail completes the look but not absolutely necessary in my opinion.  I may have even preferred that the pushers were stainless steel or pink gold to match the case material in the ladies watch in order to increase its formality slightly.  White pushers are a unique and novel feature and quite playful but in the end, slightly juvenile for an adult lady. The black pushers on the mens watch don’t seem to have the same effect. 

Movement

The 2012 Diagono Ceramic is powered by the Calibre B130 mechanical self-winding movement equipped with a chronograph module.  The watches have hour, minute and seconds hands, 3 sub-dials and a date window at 4:30.  The men’s version has a deep black dial and the ladies a white mother of pearl dial.  The layout of the dial is pretty basic and simple with the BVLGARI logo being non-overbearing.  In the ladies model, the diamonds and mother of pearl add a much needed touch of femininity to an otherwise masculine shaped watch.  Mother-of-pearl dials on white female watches are ubiquitous.  However, the Bulgari Diagono Ceramic with all its immaculate whiteness has an ethereal quality and radiance about it that could grab the attention of strangers passing by.  Depending on the particular woman, this could be a desire effect for some or a bit too much for others.

Bulgari’s Diagono collection for women in many ways reflects what the company has always focused on – luxury, superior quality construction, intelligent styling and distinctive details. In other ways it stands apart from what the brand is traditionally known for – minimal use of color and precious stones. Often brands tend to go over-the-top when it comes to designing sport watches for women but Bulgari does it with complete precision and skill. Always the masters of balance in design, they’ve created a watch that any woman would want to wear, even the dainty ones.