GB Enigma / Gianni Bulgari
GB Enigma Dahl Bi-Time
A Gianni Bulgari Dahl Bi-Time made by special order for Sultan Qaboos of Oman.
- Movement
- ETA 955-series quartz + proprietary GB Enigma jumping-hour module
- Current Market Value
- $1500-2000 (without considering the Khanjar premium)
- Year
- c. 1993
- Case
- Stainless Steel
- Size
- 35 mm
- Gender
- Men / Unisex
- Acquired
- 2026
Why I bought it
I usually don't buy quartz watches, but this one was impossible for me to resist. First came the design, then the Gianni Bulgari story, and then I discovered that it was a Dahl Bi-Time, one of his most interesting jumping-hour designs. But the real surprise came later: the Omani Khanjar engraved on the caseback and, even better, the original presentation card showing that the watch was commissioned as a gift by Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Add the surprisingly sophisticated mechanical jumping-hour module sitting on top of an ETA quartz movement, and this became one of my favorite jumping hours in the collection. Beautiful, unusual, historically interesting, and being quartz, a perfect daily watch.
A Gianni Bulgari GB Enigma “Dahl” Bi-Time jumping hour from the early 1990s, serial no. 800. Powered by an ETA 955-series quartz base movement, it uses an unusual proprietary mechanical module to operate the jumping-hour display.
This example is particularly special. The caseback carries the crowned Khanjar of Oman, and the original set includes a presentation card stating that the watch was made “By Special Order of His Majesty The Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said,” with regards from the Minister of the Royal Diwan.
I don't usually buy quartz watches, but I loved the Dahl's unusual horseshoe design from the moment I saw it. After discovering the story behind it, it has become one of my favorite and, in my opinion, most beautiful jumping hours. See the Journal for more details: read more in journal