Bulgari

Esharp
1617

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Thanks Alfred - and another owner's impressions

Hi all - was just wearing mine yesterday. I bought it on bracelet, the 'regular' edition, and am pleased as punch.

This thing flies under the radar like a stealth fighter. Most of my colleagues who I work with on a daily basis and know I'm into watches, but don't know anything about them, haven't even noticed this one yet. Some who do share our hobby did notice it eventually. Just one or two friends who aren't into watches at all but who do have an eye for design have seen it and said "wow, that's cool!".

It does feel light and plasticky when you first pick it up. Wait, is this a Swatch?, you think. And then the titanium bracelet does this amazing trick of melting into the skin as it warms up to body temperature and suddenly you get it. It just slides under the cuff and you forget you have it on - super comfortable. The bracelet clasp is a thing of genius in its own right. On leather it's good, on bracelet it's phenomenal.

The case is pretty much perfect. Always interesting to look at, and proof you don't need to mix polished and brushed finishes when you have the right shape.

The movement is growing on me and the timekeeping is good. Longer power reserve off the wrist would be welcome but it is an ultra-thin and I'd rather keep the dimensions than thicken it for a bigger barrel.

Monochrome with that dial? Yes, a bit. But still very legible (no lume, obviously; not a problem for me) and there's a minimalism to it that suits me very well (I maintain my anti-date-window, no-dial-text preferences). Only drawback - hard to set the time between :32 and :43 after the hour, given the placement of the sub-seconds hand.

Works with everything from t-shirt and shorts on a beach to a suit in a boardroom, and it'd be sharp as a knife with black tie!

The blued features on the 5th Ave edition are nice too (I love blued metal) but I regret the rest of the writing and the '5' etc; and, on the grey ground of the dial, I am not sure they are necessary or add much.

This one is a keeper for me - it has actually dampened my desire for a 15202 or 5711/5712 a bit - and I have a funny feeling it may become a bit of a future classic.

Best

E.