Bulgari

patrick_y
[PuristSPro Moderator]
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Hmm. I think that depends...

So, I'm one of the people who have been a little unlucky with the 1st gen movement. When I wear this watch as my only watch, the winding mechanism doesn't wind very well, and even on fairly active days, mine doesn't build up the reserve.
So let's say hypothetically, Bulgari comes back to me and gives me this statement:
Problem Identified: Bulgari service has identified your first generation movement has some problems with the winding as it didn't meet our own performance criteria.
Solutions: First solution: We will disassemble it, clean it, and rebuild it - a full service. This will fix the winding problem. Expect to receive your watch back in several weeks after the movement has passed quality control.
Second solution: We can provide you with the updated Second Generation movement. This movement has some key performance benefits, especially in the winding experience, and will likely improve your overall experience. The aesthetics of the movement are also slightly different. This will fix your problem and give you improved performance. Expect to have your watch back slightly sooner, a few weeks, but the watch still has to undergo quality control as a cased watch.
I definitely agree, the 1st gen movement looks nicer - the gold tone letters and the jewels and the seven interior angles (although none of the interior angles are extremely sharp)! The second generation movement however, is not significantly "cheaper" to produce. While some parts were eliminated, and we went from 7 interior angles to only 2 angles, there were some other things that did increase their costs. Bigger platinum rotor, costs more in platinum (not significant, but not insignificant neither). Went from 7 ball bearings to support rotor friction to 22 ball bearings (a somewhat significant increase in cost in both parts and assembly time). And some real performance benefits that are likely tangible if you really wear the watch often. As someone who has had a problem with the first gen, it'd be fairly pragmatic of me to opt for the second gen.
Imagine your first spouse was very pretty but not "winding correctly." And your second spouse was less pretty but functioning correctly. Now, of course, love in a spouse isn't the same as watches. But who knows, you might prefer the second spouse.