These watches are beautiful, elegant, highly exclusive, and a pain to actually read. The idea is actually not that they are primarily used as watches (the wearer likely has other means for that) but that these watches are jewelry. The Bertolucci Gioco watch, nicknamed "Hypno" by Bertolucci themselves, is limited to just 5 pieces in either 18k rose or white gold. The dials are a vision of vertigo, with a twirling stepped segmentation of gold layers until you get to the mother-of-pearl face below. The curious dimensions of the case are fantastic, and make for reading the time most frustrating.

The case is on the bigger side at about 42 by 49mm in size. Certainly a wrist borne statement. The exterior of the case is set with 177 Wesselton cut diamonds equaling 3.85 carats. There is also a version with diamonds on the dial as well as on the case. The small dauphine hands on the face are either gold or rhodium plated, and the watch has an AR coated sapphire crystal with a metallization engraved "Bertolucci" on its lower edge.

Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA quartz movement, and an array of leather straps in different colors are available. The crown of the watch is located on the caseback. There is a matching gold buckle on the strap. The top-of-the-line version has 527 diamonds all over the watch. I must admit that the timepiece design is intriguing and I'd feel inclined to speak to any woman I encountered that was wearing it. Shame that with such few pieces of this watch out there, that opportunity will likely never come.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

These represent the next round of Bertolucci Serena Animations watches, called "In The Air" and "The Olive Tree." The Italian designed watches offer a smooth interpretation of luxury without a sense of worry or convention. Both watches are in steel cases and are 29mm wide by 40mm tall. The In The Air model features a delicate wind swept design on the dial, while the Olive Tree features an olive branch. The dials are curved and done in silvered opaline with silver metallic decor.

The olives on the Olive Tree are covered in 66 small diamonds, while both watches have 5 diamonds set in steel on the leather straps (black colored for In The Air, and white for the Olive Tree). The straps are varnished like patent leather, and continue the designs of the dials on their surface a bit. The straps go through the entire case and are screwed to the back of the watches. Inside the watches are ETA 256.041 Swiss quartz movements with 52 month battery lives. Surprisingly the watch has 100 meters of water resistance. Nice looking and not obscenely expensive luxury women's watches. Price should be a few thousand dollars.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

For a summer of warmth and refinement comes this charmingly designed dial on the Bertolucci Serena Garbo Lady timepiece. This is the female version of the recently released men's Serena Garbo watch line, and I appreciate the imaginative artistic elements of the timepiece. There are a few items in the lady's collection, but this model is the Serena Garbo Animation Mosaico. The dial of the watch looks like a game board. Much of the dial is silvered Opaline, with pink hues and several square cut rubies. The solitary "8" is for good luck in several Asian cultures and reminds you that it is a watch. The bezel of the timepiece is set with a large number of princess cut diamonds on the 36.5mm wide stainless steel case.

Inside the watch is a Swiss quartz movement. The hands are leaf-shaped and rhodium plated. There is an anthracite colored lacquer applied in the middle section of the hands making for an interesting look. The watch strap is white leather and done in a manner which places the strap totally through the case making for a lugless look. The design of the watch both in terms of the case, strap, and dial is luxurious but avant garde. Available soon to make a claim for your disposable income.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Last year's Bertolucci Stria watch amazed me with its ability to recreate the essence of barnacles, in a woman's luxury watch. It was about as nice as a barnacle could ever hope to be. Admittedly, watchmaker Bertolucci took influence from Mediterranean sea shells as inspiration for the precious metal and jewel formed timepieces.

This year's follow up to the Stria is the limited edition of five pieces Bertolucci Stria Luce. Using the same case shape and design, the theme behind the watch has been adjusted. This is the first time that I have seen fossil-shaped jewels on any watch. Actually, it is the first time I have seen a trilobite formed out of a peridot, or any gem for that matter. To form the look of ancient sea creatures, the gems are carved on the bottom side to resemble various carapaces and creature shells. Stones used include peridots, topazes, citrines, and amethysts (total of 14.45 carats). In between the colorful stones, 331 diamonds are set, which are used on the bezel as well (total of 1.47 carats). The 29.7mm wide case, hands, and strap buckle are crafted from 18k rose gold, while an ETA quartz movement powers the watch.

The dial is guilloche engraved mother of pearl, which apparently is tricky to do without damaging a mother of pearl based dial plate. The result is a fine sunburst pattern on the dial. One thing you can do with the watch is turn the cover on top of the dial to revolve where the porthole to the face is. This way you can view the time better as well as admire various decorations located on the face. Another unique beauty from Bertolucci.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Use of natural shapes and themes often fares well for jewelry and watch designers. Though sometimes you get tired of seeing the same flower, star, leaf, or other cliche symbols from nature transformed into luxury goods. Swiss fine watch maker Bertolucci received inspiration from ocean shore tide pools in the design of the new woman's Stria line of watches.

No luxury woman's watch is seemingly complete without a healthy portion of diamonds. Stria watches will be available with 162 or 274 count diamond studded cases and dials. Diamond free versions are also available on the rose gold or steel cases sized at a large-for-ladies 37.5mm wide case. In going with the barnacle shell theme, the dial itself is off-centered, and the sapphire crystal is domed to enhance the pyramid effect of the case shape. Guilloche engraving on the case body is meant to suggest the complex patterns seen on shell surfaces. Perhaps not a perfect emulation of natural patterns, but a nice effect.

Dials come in either black with (seriously) a "snail decor" index pattern, or in mother of pearl with a sunburst pattern engraved into the surface. The snail decor is presumably meant to mimic (with diamonds), the glistening trail of mucus left by a snail. Strap is either black or white satin. Bertolucci is really taking the mollusk theme to elegant extremes.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Bertolucci has released their latest watches. The company specializes in quartz watches that are jeweled confections often relying on a colorful spray of gemstones. My favorite of the bunch is the starfish-shaped Stella which sparkles with diamonds sapphires, garnets and amethysts. After the jump, a tour through the other new Bertolucci watches.

The beautiful Bertolucci Ouni watch is more bracelet than watch. It has a simple Swiss quartz movement and a natural mother-of-pearl dial. The bang comes from the confetti-like cluster of gems surrounding the 18K gold case. The Ouni is hand-set with diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites and spessartites in two color configurations meant to capture the colors of the Mediterranean coast. The watches sell for around $42.000.