We have all the time in the world

Life in the 21st century is fast paced. Many moan of being, “cash rich and time poor”.

Everything appears to happen in a rush. I walk down the street and our urban landscape appears to be blighted with an ever increasing number of fast food establishments.

I have never heard of a fast food outlet having a Michelin star or two. Expedience too often takes precedence over quality.

I want my food to be prepared by a chef in the next room and cooked in a conventional oven. I am not filled with joy at the prospect of a mass-produced meal being “nuked” at “power level 8” for three minutes in a 950 watt microwave.

The finest wine is matured over long periods. It is nurtured for the delectation of fortunate connoisseurs. It will have nuances to its flavour, fragrant notes to titillate the nostril hairs and a follow through to caress the oesphagus in near orgasmic delight.

With the finest things in life, patience is favoured in preference to precipitance . The loving care of the artisan differentiates a creation from an atelier over the mass produced output of an efficient production line on an industrial estate.

Nothing good ever appears to come from rushing or expedience.

I looked at this watch and it caused me to ask; “Why do I need personally need a chronograph which measures fractions of a second?” My timetable is attuned to hours and minutes. The Bulgari Endurer Chronosprint has a chronograph which records hours and minutes on one subdial.

I adore complicated wristwatches and covet tourbillons, minute repeaters and perpetual calendars. I display unbridled exuberance at pressing the pushers of chronographs which can measure small integers of time.

It is the mechanical ingenuity and inimitable illustriousness of some of the finest examples of haute horology which cause my grin to grow. A chronograph which can record time with near nano second precision, sounds like a challenge. However, I suspect some self-respecting boffin is industriously working on it in a Swiss valley somewhere.

I am a middle-aged watch collector, who seldom sprints except once a year to reach my next appointment at Baselworld. I don’t need to time seconds or fractions thereof. Bulgari have developed a watch which provides a timing function relevant to people like me.

The dial

The chronograph function utilises a subdial presented with alternating rings of silver and black. The subdial utilises nearly 50% of the dial area.

Two hands feature on the Endurer Chronosprint dial, an hour counter hand and minute counter hand. Both hands share the same axis, providing a clean uncluttered appearance to the whole of the dial.

The outer ring of the subdial is marked with Arabic numerals and indices and used for the minute counter. The larger of the two aforementioned hands navigates the silver-coloured outer ring informing the wearer of the elapsed minutes. A middle circlet, presented in a contrasting black hue, features a 12 hour chrono counter and the shorter hand eloquently informs the owner of the elapsed hours.

The axis at the centre of the subdial is surrounded with a silver coloured circle, detailed with a pattern of concentric rings. This pattern is also repeated on the middle and outer rings.

Horizontal grooves, run from west to east, in lines across the main area of the dial. The dial is black, but the profile of the grooves, plays tricks with the light, providing subtle shade variations of the undertaker's favourite tincture.

Towards the upper part of the dial is an oversized date aperture. The numerals are presented on two disc wheels. The zero shown on the date, features the name Roth. Daniel Roth’s name and “CAL 1306” also appear on an imaginary line perpendicular to the crown.

Daniel Roth was the architect of the original Endurer and he is a highly respected watchmaker and designer of world renown.

The hours and minutes are conveyed using a combination of large white batons for the hours and smaller integers marked on the chapter ring for minutes. Crisp and clean, they are user-friendly and succinctly communicate with the wearer.

The hour and minute hands are slightly offset to the upper area of the dial. This is subtle and does not detract or diminish the interpretation of the hours and minutes. The benefit of using an off-set axis is to optimise the position of the Chronosprint function and the result is elegantly refined.

The case

This a behemoth watch. The case measures 56 mm by 51 mm. It may prove too large for those of diminutive stature, but for this large framed chap, it is perfect.

The case is made of “Staybrite steel”. A treatment which is said to enhance corrosion resistance and offer exceptional polishing qualities. It has a brushed appearance.

Intricate contours intersect, capturing light and shade like a fine oil painting. The artistry of Bulgari is evident when you look at this watch. The watch is made in Switzerland but it has flourishes of the creative flair we have grown accustomed to expecting from this Italian master of elegance and style.

The crown is made of grooved PVD and steel. The knurled profile to the PVD aids operation and enhances both the tactility and overall aesthetic.

A pusher in PVD, ergonomically profiled, resides between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock. This operates the chronograph function.

The bezel reminds me of a porthole on a ship. Secured with 6 pentagonal shaped bolts, the bezel offers visual interest and looks like it would defend the inner workings of the watch from hostile seas.

The watch is available with a steel bracelet or with a rubber strap. I personally favour the rubber strap as it provides a foil for the steel finish of the case. Moreover, the rubber contains two steel inserts to reinforce the cohesion of the materials.

The movement

The Chronosprint is unusual as the chronograph function is in perpetual motion. When the wearer wishes to time an interval, they press the pusher at 07:30. This resets the chrono hands according to the flyback principle and the timing function is initiated.

The Calibre DR1306 is an exclusive movement embracing the finest finissage, typical of haute horology. Côtes de Genève motif and and circular graining are peerlessly presented on the components.

The caseback features a sapphire crystal to afford viewing of the beautiful movement within.

The power-reserve of 45 hours is remarkable because of the energy required to not only drive the hours, minutes and date but also the chronograph which is always drawing energy from the spring barrel.

Conclusion

The generous proportions may not suit everyone, but for those of us with a prop forward’s physique it works wonderfully.

My eyesight has continued to deteriorate with the onset of greying hair. The size of this dial allows me to readily see the information on the dial with youthful ease.

The mechanical integrity of this watch is not in doubt. It contains a Swiss movement and has Daniel Roth’s genes captured in many of the details.

The design prowess of Bulgari has enriched the original Endurer model and produced a remarkably attractive and characterful timepiece.

This watch makes sense to me. It does not clutter the dial with information I don’t really need, yet offers a useful complication relevant to my daily life.

Many aspects of the watch are the result of patience or attention to detail. It was not conceived or fabricated with the hurried alacrity of a burger and chips. This watch is the flavoursome fruit of the artisan's labour.

The name Endurer confused me. To endure seems to infer something negative, a tiresome situation we have to suffer or tolerate.

To own this watch is not something to endure but rather a felicitous form to savour.

This watch is for those who choose not to rush, but live in a world of time measured in hours and minutes not seconds. We have all the time in the world.

Technical specification

• Model: Bulgari Endurer Chronosprint

• Reference: BRE56BSVDCHS (on rubber strap); BRE56BSSDCHS (on steel bracelet)

• Case: Staybrite steel in brushed and polished finish; crown and Chronosprint push button in steel with black PVD treatment; dimensions 56.00 mm x 51.00 mm; thickness 14.55 mm; water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front and rear.

• Functions: Hours; minutes; large date; chronograph.

• Movement: Calibre DR 1306, self-winding; frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz); 27 jewels; power reserve 45 hours; diameter 25.60 mm; thickness 6.10 mm

• Strap: Stainless steel bracelet on deployant or rubber strap with pin buckle.