Better, bolder, brasher Bulgari Octo releases give your watch wardrobe an unconventional edge

Octo Finissimo Ultra 

Setting a ninth world record in high-end precision mechanical watchmaking, the 40mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is not just the thinnest mechanical watch ever produced but also the world’s slimmest chronometer. A mechanical watch resistant to shocks and magnetic fields has never been made so flat — at 1.7mm. Having reached the limits of movement slimness for the 1.8mm-thick Octo Finissimo Ultra collection in 2022, reducing the thickness of this watch required a rework of the case by optimising the sapphire crystal and shaving off that critical 10th of a millimetre.

The hard and ultra-resistant tungsten carbide caseback is the mainplate for the 170 components of the manually wound BVL180 manufacture caliber. The clever arrangement of the hour and minute dials, the large barrel with a 50-hour power reserve, and the escapement maximise the watch’s surface area. The two variants, in titanium and platinum with blue subdials, respectively, are limited to 20 pieces each.

Another innovative launch is the 20-piece limited-edition Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Platinum, which breaks away from the collection’s hallmark of using ultra-light titanium. Although notoriously difficult to manipulate due to the metal’s density and the precision required for the 1.8mm thickness, Bulgari achieves the seemingly impossible — a first for a platinum watch. The 40mm model boasts satin, polished, and sand-blasted finishes for the case middle and bezel, a backplate in tungsten carbide, and a platinum bracelet with a satin-polished finish. 

Octo Finissimo Tourbillon

Commemorating its 2014 feat of creating the world’s thinnest tourbillon movement and slimmest tourbillon watch, the house debuts a pair of Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual in rose gold and titanium, respectively. The former is positively radiant, while the latter has a DLC treatment and satin-black finish that offers a visual contrast with rose gold hands and a chapter ring. 

Both flaunt 40mm cases with alternating satin and polished finishes and house the 1.95mm-thin skeleton flying tourbillon movement, BVL 268SK. The manual-winding manufacture caliber is enhanced with a micro-blasted grey finish and provides a power reserve of 52 hours.

Bulgari’s mastery of tricky platinum again comes under the spotlight in the 42mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic, which features the automatic BVL 288 manufacture caliber measuring 1.95mm thick encased in the precious metal. The alluring microblasted blue finish on the openwork dial accentuates the various parts of its ultra-complex mechanism, including the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

Octo Roma Black

The house’s favourite colour, audacious black, is featured again, this time on two new additions to the sleek Bulgari Octo Roma collection: an automatic three-hand model and a chronograph, both with a date function. Both are clad in 100 per cent black DLC steel and brandish luminescent indices and hands. 

Instead of uninspiring monochromatism, the various finishes and textures on them create both light and depth, enhancing its modern and assertive octagonal shape. Despite their similarities, both cannot be more different in personality. The 41mm automatic three-hand version remains true to the original spirit of the Octo Roma, showcasing an unencumbered dial that highlights the collection’s signature Clous de Paris pattern. The proprietary BVL 191 movement, offering 42 hours of power reserve, boasts an oscillating mass finished with Cotes de Geneve graining.

The 42mm chronograph, slightly larger to allow its bicompax dial layout to shine, exudes a sportier vibe. For enhanced legibility, the three counters sport a sunburst finish. This watch is powered by the in-house automatic Caliber BVL 399, which beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 42-hour power reserve.