Preserving that familiar Diagono styling that millions of people love so much, the automatic Bvlgari Diagono Ceramic Chronograph (ref. DG42BSCVDCH in ceramic and ref. DGP42BGCVDCH in rose gold) gets facelifted with an even more elegant, thinner, visually lighter bezel that also allows for more screen real estate. The part (as well as some other elements) is crafted from an extremely scratch-resistant ceramic.
Restyling already highly successful products is like walking a minefield: you only need to make just a single wrong step in order to lose it all. Many brands do.
However, with this one Bvlgari has found just the right balance in mixing old and new designs.
Compared to the somewhat heavy-set, although smaller, Diagono Caliber 303 from the year 2010, the new model is a lot better-proportioned thanks to its thinner bezel.
Together with an increased size of the dial and new sub-dial rims, which are also a lot thinner now, the Diagono Ceramic leaves a lot better impression.
I am not sure about the real difference in weight of each timekeeper, but the new Diagono Ceramic looks like it is at least two times lighter compared to the older model.
Sporting the same matte black, sand-blasted finish, the dial perfectly matches the satin finish surface of the ceramic bezel.
All the hand-applied elements of the face (they are either rhodium-plated for the stainless steel watch or rose gold-plated for the version in rose gold) are finely crafted, polished, and facetted with the hour-markers and the bigger pair of hands featuring white-colored Superluminova C1 luminous substance.
Although not nearly as bright as the C3 compound, which is often used in sporty and diving watches, the substance is still adequate for the task and also, let’s face it, looks a lot cooler than the yellowish C3, especially on the model is steel.
According to official specs, the new Diagono Ceramic boasts the new Caliber BVL 130 automatic movement.
There is still no official info regarding the origin of this caliber. However, judging by its size of 28.60 x 16.10 mm, the jewel count, and the power reserve of 42 hours, I can safely assume that this one is based on the ubiquitous ETA 2894-2 blank caliber.
However, the BVL 130 is finished with the traditional Cotes de Geneve motif with some of its parts circular-grained and snailed.
See also: Bvlgari Diagono Chronograph GMT X-Pro
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4/5
Nighttime Legibility: 3/5
Value for Money: n/a
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Photos: Bvlgari
Bulgari Diagono Ceramic Chronograph specification
Movement: Automatic, caliber BVL 130, 28.60 x 6.10 mm, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 37
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Movement decoration: Cotes de Geneve motif, circular-grained and snailed
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Case: Stainless steel / 18-karat rose gold
Bezel: Black ceramic, satin-brushed
Crown: Ceramic-set
Shape: Round
Size: 42.00 mm
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hour markers: Luminous, hand-applied; Rhodium-plated / Rose gold-plated
Hands: Luminous, Rhodium-plated / Rose gold-plated
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Monoblock black rubber strap with steel or 18-karat rose gold inserts on pin buckle in matching metal
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Sapphire