It has been ten years since Bulgari launched the Octo collection that took the world by storm and announced the Italian Jeweller’s entry into the world of Haute Horlogerie. During these ten years, the Octo collection has become a true contemporary icon that has embodied Bulgari’s two rich identities; Swiss horological excellence and an unparalleled Italian style.

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A Decade of the Octo:

First presented in Rome in July 2012, the Octo collection from Bulgari has been extensively represented via three iconic lines; Octo L’Originale (2012), Octo Finissimo (2014) and Octo Roma (2017). These expressions have revealed the brand’s mastery in blending Swiss watchmaking expertise with Italian elegance. Beginning with the Octo L’Originale that represents the geometry of perfection, the Octo Roma symbolises Bulgari’s unique take on the octagonal shape and finally, the Finissimo. This collection has redefined traditional Haute Horlogerie and showcases the brand’s own Estetica della Meccanica: the art of absolute innovation in form and substance.

Bulgari commemorates the 10th anniversary of its iconic Octo collection by unveiling a range of Octo timepieces. These include the pièce de resistance – its eight world record, the Octo Finissimo Ultra– the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, which comes in at just 1.80mm of thickness, Octo Finissimo Automatic and GMT Automatic Chronograph.

Join us as we go through each of the new releases.

Bulgari Sets A New Record With The Octo Finissimo Ultra

Starting from the most talked about piece in the new collection, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is the world’s thinnest mechanical watch. This timepiece marks Bulgari’s eighth world record in ten years! “This fabulous benchmark that we are setting today with the Octo Finissimo Ultra is in fact for me and for all the teams an apparently impossible dream come true”, notes Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari CEO. “One that guarantees that Bulgari will forever be recognised as a company that has written some of the finest pages in Swiss watchmaking. And the fact that this is an Italian house makes us particularly proud.” Opening up a whole new dimension that had not been seen before, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is a timepiece that symbolises not only the technical feat but also a mindset of innovation and originality. With a thinness of a 20-euro cent coin, this new watch has been reimagined from the movement and the caseback to the sapphire crystal.

Aptly named “ultra” expresses the brand’s record of going beyond limits; this new timepiece has been rebuilt from scratch. It sticks to the design code of the original with its monochrome style signature of sandblasted titanium set in a 40mm octagonal case structure and an integrated bracelet. Each part of the watch is completely reimagined with original ideas, a wide range of skills, multiple materials and an adaptation to a variety of new constraints. The timepiece dial hosts a seconds display on the wheel at 6 o’clock with an off-centred hours and minutes counter.

What makes this world-record thinness work is how it plays on the perception of the visible and the invisible. At a glance, the watch appears to be both a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional object. To maintain the thinness of the watch, the Octo Finissimo Ultra uses the caseback as the mainplate of the BVL Calibre 180 movement with a power reserve of 50 hours.

Another exciting aspect of the Octo Finissimo Ultra is not just the technology that one can see and touch but the fact that the timepiece is available with an exclusive NFT artwork that can be accessed via the QR code engraved on the barrel’s ratchet wheel. Each timepiece is available with an authentication and uniqueness guarantee provided by blockchain technology. It also gives each owner exclusive access to a digital universe dedicated to their watch. In this sense, the Octo Finissimo Ultra represents the transition from ultra-miniaturisation to immateriality.

Octo Finissimo Automatic and GMT Automatic Chronograph: 

Celebrating the icon of slimness and style, House of Bulgari unveils two-anniversary editions that return to the roots of the conception of the now-iconic Octo Finissimo line. Inspired by the first sketches made by Bulgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, each of the two pieces comes in a sleek 40mm model made entirely from ultralight titanium set against the black PVD-treated hands, Bulgari logo and sketchy hour markers.

The automatic version comes with an engraved small seconds counter on the dial and the Calibre BVL 138 with a 65-hour power reserve. The other GMT Automatic Chronograph comes equipped with the Calibre BVL 318 with a 55-hour power reserve.

Both watches are available as a limited edition watch of 200 pieces.

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Image Courtesy: Bulgari