Bulgari's birthday honours founder Sotirio

As you read this, the world's largest watch jamboree will have arrive to an end for another year. If anyone doubts that timepieces are big business, just consider him to Basel and show him the might of the Swiss enjoy industry at its annual get-together in the city's gargantuan convention centre. Believe me, it's impressive.

Almost every big identify in the game is there from Rolex and Patek Philippe down. And some with the names above the stands are rather surprising - it seems that, as with fragrance and sunglasses, everyone wants a piece of this brand-extension cake. There is even a Donald Trump line.

But when you visit the vast (and permanent) stand of Italian jewellery giant Bulgari you can see what may be achieved when a luxury goods company decides it wants to produce the quite best timepieces it can. And to celebrate its 125th anniversary Bulgari has arrive up with a real beauty. The Sotirio is named after the company's founder, who left his native Greece to end up in Rome, and he should be pretty pleased with the result. The limited edition of just 125 pieces comes in rose, yellow or white gold. The back with the case opens like a pocket observe so that you can see the highly decorated Bulgari BVL 250 movement through a sapphire crystal.

Although the company had been producing timepieces since the Twenties, it was only in 1994 that it entered the planet of serious watchmaking - a blink of an eye in Swiss time terms. But it can be already a producer of some serious movements, an impressive achievement considering that even some of probably the most famous names in the business have long since ceased making their own movements and merely assemble bought-in components. And that means Bulgari timepieces are far more than just handsome wrist candy.

The Sotirio will cost around ??¡ìo17,500, but as it can be being produced in such limited numbers the majority of the pieces that arrive on the market will be snapped up by serious collectors. But you might be sure that with this, no 1 can doubt that Bulgari has won its place in the premier watch league.

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