In 1940, Bulgari debuted their iconic Serpenti timepiece collection. Since then the Italian jewelry brand has expanded their watch offerings, introducing the geometric LVCEA, the bold BVLGARI BVLGARI, and hallmark B.ZERO1 watch collections. These famous and popular watches are highly coveted—and therefore extremely prone to being counterfeited.

If you’re in the market for a Bulgari watch, read this first to learn how to spot a fake.

1. Watch Markings & Warning Signs

Fake Bulgari watches can be extremely difficult to spot. However simply cross-referencing images of authentic Bulgari watches with the one in question will quickly illuminate warning signs. Start with the easy-to-spot mistake: the spelling of Bulgari. Bulgari always prints their logo as the Roman-lettered BVLGARI, never Bvlgari (in lowercase letters) or Bulgari. Then move onto finer details which are harder for counterfeiters to replicate. If there are traces of adhesive or misaligned text, these are strong warning signs your watch could be fake. Misshapen or askew hands and hour markers are also red flags your Bulgari watch is not real.

2. Seller Information and Location

Thoroughly research the watch seller. If the person is local, ask to visit their storefront or arrange a meeting to review the item in person.

If the seller is online, read their customer reviews. If the reviews are terse, vague or very similar in language, they may not be real reviews at all—possibly even penned by the seller themselves.

Also study the seller’s website and the URL specifically. The URL should not be a close misspelling of Bulgari. It is common for counterfeiters to capture traffic mis-directed from a misspelling Bulgari in their search.

Within the website, the seller’s contact information should be immediately available. And on a similar note, consider your personal correspondence with the seller; send an initial inquiry and weigh their response. If they’re pressuring you to purchase quickly, deflecting your questions, or only providing ambiguous answers, you should move on.

3. Research the Market Value

When researching your desired watch, compare the prices for the same watch model across a variety of websites. There are three factors that cause extreme variance in the price of your timepiece: the model, the year, and the item’s condition. A Bulgari watch may be an older model but in excellent condition and therefore more expensive than a newer model in a more-worn condition. Try and align your price-comparison shopping with the same make, model and overall state as the Bulgari watch you’re eyeing.

Once you have an idea of the general market value, compare the quoted price. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Counterfeiters invest a surprising amount of money and time into producing convincing Bulgari replicas, and the better the fake, the higher the price. This can often mislead potential buyers into believing they’re receiving an amazing deal.

4. An Expert Opinion

While these first three tips will only help you spot—and stay away from—a fake Bulgari watch, the only way to know with 100% certainty your watch is genuine is to seek an expert opinion. Professional appraisers can ensure your watch and all its components are authentic Bulgari.

If you have further questions regarding TrueFacet’s authentication process, contact our concierge representative here.

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Bulgari has become a luxury powerhouse with a rich history and dedication to craftsmanship and timeless design. And some Bulgari designs and items have become iconic in their own right. We take a look at the history and design of these quintessentially Bulgari collections…

1. The Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas-Motif 

The Bulgari Serpenti collection of yellow gold wristwatches debuted in the 1940s. To capture the slinking movement of a serpent, Bulgari developed their now-iconic Tubogas motif which drew upon an old Roman technique that involved twisting twine to make decorative jewelry. But the Tubogas motif earned its moniker because its modern iterations looked like the gas pipes used in the 1920s.

In Greek and Roman mythology, the serpent represents wisdom, life, strength and seductiveness. The Bulgari designs of the 1960s echoed this mythological sentiment, but also looked dangerously alluring—an appeal only further heightened by its association with actress and sex-pot Elizabeth Taylor who wore a Bulgari Tubogas bracelet while promoting her film Cleopatra.

2. The BVLGARI BVLGARI Collection 
Following the death of their father and Bulgari founder, Sotirio Voulgaris, in 1932, Constanino and Giorgio Voulgaris began updating the Bulgari brand image and logo. To honor the brand’s Italian history, Contantino and Girogio revamped the Bulgari logo to its now-iconic BVLGARI spelling. BVLGARI (still pronounced Bulgari) used the traditional Roman alphabet and, in turn, swapped out the U for the V. It was also inspired by the inscriptions of ancient Roman coins.

The Bulgari BVLGARI logo is now an integral part of the brand’s designs, proudly showcased in the pendant necklaces and stud earrings of the BVLGARI BVLGARI collection. The BVLGARI logo would also play an integral part in the design of the B.Zero1 Collection.

3. The Bulgari B.Zero1 CollectionUnveiled in 2000, the Bulgari B.Zero1 Collection beautifully combines two of Bulgari’s most-recognized designs: the Tubogas motif and the brand’s Roman BLVGARI logo. The sweeping and stark lines of the B.Zero1 Collection also draw inspiration from the Rome’s Colosseum. The unconventionally bold band emphasized form and was designed to be worn every day.

The collection is constantly refreshed and reimagined in new materials and color combinations. Most recently, Bulgari introduced the B.Zero1 Collection by architect Zaha Hadid who was known as the “Queen of the Curve” because of her undulating designs that used expressive lines to create a beautifully flowing space.

4. Elizabeth Taylor’s Bulgari “Cleopatra Mirror”
Actress Elizabeth Taylor was a fanatical fine-jewelry collector, notorious for her love of incredible diamonds, often bestowed upon her by her husbands and admirers. Taylor’s collection also included some of the most well-known Bulgari jewels. One iconic piece was the “Cleopatra Mirror.” Commissioned in 1962 by Taylor’s then-fourth husband, singer Eddie Fisher, as a 30th birthday gift, the Bulgari Cleopatra Mirror was made of turquoise and yellow gold with an Egyptian-motif. The mirror’s release coincided with the premiere of Taylor’s epic blockbuster Cleopatra.

5. The Bulgari Blue, Two-Stone Diamond and Colored Diamond Ring

In the 1970s, Bulgari designed their incredible BVLGARI Blue Diamond ring. The two-stone ring includes two triangle-shaped diamonds: one-9.87 carat colorless diamond and one hefty 10.95-carat Fancy Vivid blue diamond. Fancy Vivid blue diamonds are one of the rarest colored diamonds and it is estimated there are only about one in ten million diamonds that would compare to the Vivid blue included in the Bulgari ring.

The bold geometric setting proudly showcases these brilliant diamonds. It also marks the time in Bulgari’s brand history when the Italian-base jeweler was breaking away from following French jewelry trends and establishing their own design aesthetic. When it was put up in a Christie’s auction in 2010—and was the largest triangular-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond to ever appear at auction—the winning bid was a stunning $15.7 million USD.