Bvlgari Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT — A Robust And Lightweight Traveler’s Watch

Bvlgari has had a very strong start to the second half of 2022 with several excellent releases announced during Geneva Watch Days. Though the brand may be best known for its Octo Finissimo and Bvlgari Bvlgari collections, today, we’re going to take a quick look at the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT. It’s a watch that I would describe as being a more “normal-looking” timepiece from the Roman-Swiss brand. The Vespucci GMT is Bvlgari through and through, but it has the specs to make it a legitimate traveler’s companion. It is not a new model from the brand, but a redesigned one that comes in a new color. 

This GMT creation is named after the Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian training sailboat built in 1930 as a commission from the Italian Royal Navy. For almost 100 years, the Amerigo Vespucci has been used as a training vessel for young Italian Navy cadets. The ship itself was named after the famous Italian explorer and world discoverer of the same name. Vespucci was part of two exploratory missions that eventually led to the discovery of the “New World”. Interestingly enough, the New World was then named “America” after Vespucci when the continent was first added to a world map in 1507. 

Specifications of the Bvlgari Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT 

From a technical standpoint, this release would make for a trusty traveler’s watch. The case is made of aluminum and measures 40mm wide and 9.70mm thick. This makes it quite a thin GMT watch if you ask me. The crown and case back are made of titanium to keep the whole package light. The Vespucci GMT also claims 100 meters of water resistance and comes with a rubber strap and rubber bezel. Rubber is a material that is also light and resistant to heat, moisture, and shock. The hands are rhodium-plated, which means they will not tarnish over time. 

Inside the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT beats the B192 caliber based on the Sellita SW330. It beats at 28,800vph (4Hz), delivers 50 hours of power reserve, and, indicatively, has a GMT complication. I only wish it were a true GMT with a jumping local-hour hand. It would fit the theme even better and be more practical when traveling. This 24-hour hand jumps in one-hour increments, though, and will certainly suffice to tell local time until you can reset the watch. A neat detail on the solid case back is the engraved Vespucci logo and motto, which reads, “Non chi comincia, ma quel che persevera.” This roughly translates to, “Not the one who begins, but the one who perseveres.”

Unique Bvlgari design language

Besides bearing the iconic double-Bvlgari logo on the bezel, the Vespucci GMT comes with a few interesting visual details. Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock are present like they are on the Bvlgari Bvlgari models that I wrote about last month. However, the brand opted for a thicker typeface, which looks sporty when combined with matching thick hour markers. The 24-hour scale is located on the rehaut and displays a bright yellow color on the top half. While the odd hour markers on the rehaut were square on the previous version, they are now circular. I think it looks better this way. 

Furthermore, the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT comes with a few color accents that make the dial pop. We find them on the tips of the seconds and GMT hands, which match the color of the first half of the GMT scale. Looking closer, we see the colors of the Italian flag surrounding the word “GMT” at the 6 o’clock position. Compared to the version from 2021, the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT looks more cohesive. 

Final thoughts

You may never see me wearing a Bvlgari watch. If I were to, however, it would be the Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci GMT. I find that it makes the most sense of all the models and collections that the brand offers. It has solid specifications — movement, water resistance, case material — and comes with a useful complication. Rubber, aluminum, and titanium are also light and robust, which makes a lot of sense for a traveler’s watch. At the end of the day, we buy what tickles our horological taste buds, but perhaps we can agree that the Vespucci GMT is one of the most normal of all Bvlgari timepieces. 

The 2022 Amerigo Vespucci GMT is limited to 1,000 pieces and retails for €3,950. For more information, please visit the Bvlgari website.