These Octo Finissimo timepieces are super svelte, but they are big on style and technical refinement
At the upper echelons of mechanical watchmaking, lean is always in. To put it simply, it is easier to pile a watch with extra features and complications—and some brands do so at the expense of bulking up the timepiece until it looks like a horological equivalent of a burly gym rat.
The real skill, as Bvlgari demonstrates time and again, is in imbuing a watch with mechanical marvels while keeping it as thin as possible. In fact, the Italian luxury house is quite a master at this. In the past decade, Bvlgari has broken nine world records for the world’s thinnest watches across a variety of categories, including chronograph, tourbillon, and this year, for the world’s slimmest mechanical watch.
Read on to get acquainted with Bvlgari’s latest record-holder, and other sensationally svelte creations that will slide from under your shirt cuff with minimum fuss and maximum impact.
Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC
Measuring just 1.7mm in thickness—that is about the height of two credit cards—the new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC takes the top spot for the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, beating Richard Mille’s previous record by 0.05mm.
And it isn’t simply about trimming down the components to the slimmest possible height either. In order for the watch to perform with as much robustness as any regular timepiece, Bvlgari’s watchmakers had to reconfigure its hand-wound movement’s architecture. As such, we see a lateral placement of the time displays, winding barrel and regulating components, and the re-engineering and rearrangement of parts are a massive undertaking in itself.
As the name suggests, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is also chronometer-certified, promising top-rated timekeeping precision and performance, as well as an impressive 50-hours of power reserve in spite of its slimness. Limited to 20 pieces, the watch is encased in brushed titanium with matching bracelet.
Octo Finissimo Sketch
Bvlgari fans had their first glimpse of its sketchbook-inspired watches back when the brand commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Octo Finissimo collection in 2022. The hand-drawn aesthetic that appeared on those anniversary edition models—replicating sketches of indexes and displays made by Bvlgari design chief, Fabrizio Buonamass Stigliani—makes a return this year with the Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch.
Offered in 280 pieces in steel and 70 pieces in rose gold, both models feature dials that again showcase Stigliani’s drawings—but now depicting views from the back. Bvlgari’s automatic BVL 138 caliber now appears on the dial side; the 2.3mm-thin movement drawn in bold, purposeful strokes, complete with notes on the use of materials and finishing.
That said, Bvlgari still invites you to flip the watch over to admire the movement in its full glory, beautifully decorated and paraded underneath open sapphire casebacks, and etched with “EDIZIONE LIMITATA” and “1884 – 2024” to mark Bulgari’s 140th anniversary.
Octo Finissimo Tourbillon
The first Octo Finissimo Tourbillon was launched to jaw-dropping acclaim in 2014, housing the world’s thinnest tourbillon movement measuring just 1.95mm in height. 10 years on, the enchantment remains, as Bvlgari dresses the epochal timepiece in new case materials.
The hand-wound models come in a choice of black DLC titanium and rose gold. The former oozes mystique; its matte raven-hued 40mm case framing a skeletonised movement with gold hands. Paired with a black rubber strap, the watch is also incredibly light, weighing a mere 48 grams. Powered by the same movement, the rose gold version, on the other hand, offers boss-like gravitas with its regal sheen.
An automatic version of the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in a platinum case completes the line-up. Slightly larger at 42mm, the watch’s sophisticated silver-and-blue colour scheme injects the cutting-edge tourbillon mechanism with appropriate modernity.
