Just when you thought that the race for the thinnest watch was over, Bulgari has proven that it is not willing to give up. After unveiling its Octo Finissimo Ultra, measuring 1.80mm in thinness, in March 2022, and being dethroned by Richard Mille’s 1.75mm RM UP-01 six months later, Bulgari has returned to push the envelope even further. The new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC (Ref. 104081) has a height of just 1.70mm, making it the thinnest watch in the world. The tiny measure has earned the watch a double whammy, by also making it the world's thinnest COSC chronometer.
Bulgari has achieved this by reworking the sapphire crystal on the case – the brand was able to decrease a tenth of a millimeter to achieve the new standard. Apart from this, the technical specificities of the watch largely remain the same. The watch continues to be powered by the manually wound BVL180, whose caseback serves as the mainplate, upon which the 170 components of the caliber are assembled – the watch has a power reserve of 150 hours. Thinness is further maintained by finding perfectly proportioned components that aid in the slimness of the watch. Rigidity of the watch is thanks to the mainplate being crafted from the hard and ultra-resistant tungsten carbide.
The new 40mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is crafted in sandblasted titanium. Its skeleton dial provides a look at its workings, while the hour dial is at the top right and the minute dial rests at the bottom right corner. Its winding and time-setting wheels have a satin-finish, while the ratchet in sandblasted steel is engraved with a Datamatrix, unlike the QR code seen in the 2022 Ultra - it provides all the data relating to the watch. The watch also comes with a special case with a digital display - you can place your watch in it, put in the desired time you want, and the watch is adjusted and wound to the time desired.
Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is limited to 20 pieces.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Platinum
Thinness and a COSC certification aren't the only novel aspects of the Ultra this year. Bulgari has also unveiled a new 40mm Octo Finissimo Ultra (Ref. 103832) in platinum, though this one comes with the 2022 thinness of 1.80mm. Platinum is hard to machine, which naturally proved to be a challenge, not to mention it is heavier. The case is sandblasted and features polished lugs, a satin-finish bezel and polished middle part, and the usual tungsten carbide mainplate that ensures hardness. A pop of colour comes by way of the blue PVD coating on the hour and minute regulator display counters in satin-finish brass. The bracelet, 1.50mm thin, is also satin-polished platinum with an integrated folding buckle in satin-finish titanium.
The watch is powered by the manual winding BVL180 with a 50-hour power reserve, featured for the first time in a platinum watch.
Tadao Ando x Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas
Japanese architect Tadao Ando's association with Bulgari started in 2020, and since the, the Octo Finissimo has been the canvas for minimalist designs of the creative savant. Ando has captured the essence of time through the lines of a spiral and the Mikazuki concept, representing the waxing crescent moon on two separate Finissimos. Now Ando and Bulgari have joined hands over something more opulent - the Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas. This is also the first time that the Tubogas line has had a creative collaboration.
The result is a set of four limited watches, with dials inspired by nature. Featuring green aventurine, tiger's eye, and white and pink mother of pearl, Ando has tried to capture the transience of nature with dials that change as the light hits different angles. This also connects with Ando's work as an architect - his creations are built around natural light interacting with his designs.
The execution of the watches entails precisely-cut striking fragments of the material that form a mosaic on the dial, creating a play of colours and reflections. Green aventurine represents summer (Ref. 104002), tiger's eye (Ref. 104003) autumn, white mother of pearl winter, and pink mother of pearl summer. The green aventurine is cast in steel and has a steel and yellow gold bracelet, while tiger's eye has a rose gold case and bracelet. The white mother of pearl iteration has a steel case and bracelet and comes in two bracelet sizes of small and large - Ref. 104004 (S) and Ref. 104140 (L) - and the pink mother of pearl version has a steel case and steel and rose gold bracelet, again in two sizes - Ref. 104007 (S) and Ref. 104141 (L).
All the watches are 35mm with 38 diamonds on the bezel, and run on a quartz movement. All are one twirl bracelets, and their casebacks are personalized with Tadao Ando's signature and a "Tadao Ando Limited Edition" engraving.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo line is known for its thinness, and continuing this legacy are two 40mm Octo Finissimo Tourbillons Manuals – one in rose gold (Ref. 103984) with the slimness of 1.95 mm, and the other in titanium with a DLC treatment (Ref. 103981). The rose gold version features alternating satin and polished finishes, while the titanium version features rose gold hands and chapter ring that contrasts with the black of the case and rubber strap. There is a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and the watch is powered by the BVL 268SK manufacture caliber, providing a power reserve of 52 hours.
Another version launched is the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic (Ref. 103976) whose skeleton automatic BVL 288 manufacture caliber features a microblasted blue finishes. The 40 mm platinum watch has a thinness of 4.95mm, and features both satin and polished surfaces - the flying tourbillon rests at 6 o'clock.
Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic and Octo Roma Chronograph
After its much lauded redesign into a sleeker, more modern watch last year, Bulgari has unveiled two new Octo Roma iterations that are fully black – from a steel case in DLC coating to a black lacquered dial to straps in the same colour (rubber and leather). The automatic three-hand time and date version is 41mm and the dial features the signature Clous de Paris pattern, with indices and hands filled with luminescent material, along with the "12" and "6". The watch is powered by the in-house BVL 191 movement, providing a power reserve of 42-hours.
The Octo Roma Chronograph version is slightly larger at 42mm, with a small seconds at 3 o'clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, and a 30-minute counter at 9 o'clock. The Start/Stop and Reset pushers have been carefully integrated into the case, directly extending from the lugs, to maintain the Octo Roma line’s contemporary design. The date window is at 4:30. Powering this watch is Bulgari’s in-house automatic Caliber BVL 399, offering a 42-hour power reserve.
Images: Courtesy Bulgari
Also Read :
Norqain reveals two new Wild ONE Skeleton timepieces
|
Norqain reveals two new Wild ONE Skeleton timepieces
|
Doxa presents SUB diving watches in a new size and colour
|
Doxa presents SUB diving watches in a new size and colour
|
Moser and Cie.’s new Pioneer Centre Seconds watches and a Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton
|
Moser and Cie.’s new Pioneer Centre Seconds watches and a Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton
More In news
Sign up for our newsletters to have the latest stories delivered to your inbox
