BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo LAURENT GRASSO Titanium Blue Edition

 

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo MLAURENT GRASSO Titanium Blue 40mm Automatic Edition - 2024 

Northern lights, shooting stars, a solar eclipse... Everyone dreams of witnessing these exceptional natural phenomena at least once in a lifetime. What if these unique moments were always with you, just a glance away? 

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This is the vision behind the new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo, unveiled this fall: a collaboration between Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s Executive Director of Watch Design, and artist Laurent Grasso. “A watch that speaks of time not as a measurement but as a space shaped by a metaphysical concept,” says Buonamassa Stigliani. Celebrated for its minimalist, harmonious design, the Octo Finissimo – truly a Bvlgari icon – takes you on a journey to explore the cosmos through the combined talents of designer and artist.

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Draped entirely in a deep midnight blue that, from case to bracelet, subtly reflects light, the watch appears immersed in darkness, evoking the tranquillity of a post-sunset sky. At the dial’s centre, a cloud casts rainbow-like reflections, diffusing a mysterious, elusive presence. 

“I thought of iridescent clouds — unique and almost magical formations,” explains Laurent Grasso. “The particles in suspension and myriad frozen water droplets diffract light, rendering the cloud iridescent with multiple colours. I find this phenomenon fascinating and the dialogue with Fabrizio began with looking for ways of recreating it on the dial.”

The three watch hands seem to hover over the dial, as if floating in the night. Grasso’s interpretation blurs the boundaries of perception: is it reality that we see, or is it just an illusion?

Laurent Grasso, the artist who captures the invisible

Infused with an aura of mystery and magic, this watch perfectly embodies the world of Laurent Grasso, whose signature graces the back of the case. For over twenty years, this French artist has explored the unseen and intangible through videos, photographs, sculptures, and installations. Floating eyes, moving celestial bodies, haunting clouds... In his work, figures and elements converge to create disorienting, ambiguous atmospheres, leaving you to wonder where reality ends and the dream begins.

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Given his longstanding interest in science and the cosmos, it’s no surprise that the artist accepted the invitation to bring his concept to the world of watchmaking – a field intimately connected to both the stars and mechanics. Laurent Grasso sees each of his creations as a "machine" that allows him to observe the world in a new and poetic way. He views the cloud, a quintessential symbol of dreams, as both extraordinary and fleeting, suspended between the earthly and the celestial. Now screenprinted on the watch dial, the cloud, along with the moving hands, evokes one of the major themes of his artistic universe.

Octo Finissimo: A Bvlgari Icon

Launched in 2014, the Octo Finissimo watch has made its mark on the world of horology. Its success is rooted in several key features. First and foremost is the distinctive minimalist design and harmonious eight-sided shape, conceived by the talented Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. The result is a watch that instantly conveys a sense of balance. The Italian Maison takes its inspiration from the octagon, an emblematic form found on the ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome.

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Since 1884, Bvlgari has drawn inspiration from the splendour of Rome’s monuments and architectural treasures. The Eternal City has always been central to the Maison’s creative identity.

This sense of harmony is further heightened by the interplay of two elemental shapes: the circle of the dial, nestled perfectly within the octagon of the case.

True to its iconic monochrome aesthetic, the Octo Finissimo is crafted from a single material, here presented in a unique blue hue. The only disruption to this monochrome harmony is the cloud, which adds a touch of refined contrast.

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Over the past ten years, the watch has been continually refined, resulting in ever-thinner models. At the heart of this unique journey, which has led to nine world records for Bvlgari, lies the absolute precision of its design studio. These records have earned the Roman Maison numerous international awards.

The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo saga is the story of a relentless pursuit of horological finesse, from the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manuel in 2014 and the Octo Finissimo Automatic in 2017 to the COSC-certified Octo Finissimo Ultra in 2024 – each etching its name in the record books. Every new model pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.

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The result is a design that is at once strong, understated, and ultramodern, providing the perfect canvas for the imagination of artist Laurent Grasso.

Laurent Grasso x Octo Finissimo unveiled in Paris

Wearing the Laurent Grasso x Octo Finissimo isn’t just about sporting a timepiece; it’s about wearing a true work of art on your wrist. The brass dial and titanium bracelet are fully coated in a PVD treatment to give the midnight blue the most even and matte finish imaginable. This exceptional finish creates an impression of depth, brought to life by the cloud of colours applied through a screen-printing process using metallic pigments. Like a splash of paint on a blank canvas, the magic of a fleeting phenomenon is forever captured on the surface of this accessory.

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Issued in a limited edition of 200 pieces worldwide, this watch comes with its own elegant blue presentation case, matching the unique blue finish of the timepiece. Inside, you’ll find the signatures of both Laurent Grasso and the renowned Roman jeweller.

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Technical Specifications

Collection: OCTO
 
Model: OCTO Finissimo LAURENT GRASSO Blue Titanium Edition

Reference Number:  104005

Movement
Automatic Manufacture ultra-thin ultra-thin self-winding movement with micro-rotor
Calibre BVL 138 with micro-rotor, 
170 components (2.23 mm thick).
The caliber is hand-decorated with Côtes de Genève, chamfering and circular-graining.
Power reserve: 60 hours.
Frequency: 21,600 VpH  (3Hz)
Functions
Hours, minutes and petite seconds.
Case
Octogonal
40 mm titanium case with blue PVD coating (5.0 mm thick) and customized transparent caseback. Titanium-DLC screw-down crown set with a black ceramic insert.
Water-resistant to 30 meters or 3 ATM
Dial  
Skeleton dial
Brass dial with 7-pass silk-screen printing with metallic pigments and brass hands with blue PVD.
Bracelet
Titanium bracelet with blue PVD coating and integrated titanium DLC folding clasp.

    Eight patent applications
    World record for thinnest watch
    Ratchet wheel engraved with unique QR code that links to an exclusive NFT artwork

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🔰limited edition.
Exclusive Edition  ✅ of ❱❱❱  200-piece 

🔴 Retail Price: $ 22,350.00 / €22,000.00 / CHF 18'900💰

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Press Release - 2024
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BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo Tourbillon Marble Only Watch 2023

 

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo Tourbillon Marble Only Watch 2023

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 In 2014, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon began the epic run of 8 ‘thinness’ world records set by Bulgari over a period of 8 years. To celebrate the Only Watch 2023 charity auction in the most beautiful way, this iconic watch is now the subject of a unique edition made of... marble! A material dear to Bulgari, often associated with the world of art and architecture, it transforms, for this unique occasion, a watchmaking feat into an artistic masterpiece.

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•     Bulgari, renowned for its mastery of miniaturisation again demonstrates its know-how by creating a watch in marble.
•     The case of the Octo Finissimo, consisting of 110 facets, has been carefully clad with a thin layer of marble, with every care given to preserving the delicate components and achieving visual harmony. The dial, too, features a thin marble wafer (just 0.6-mm thin). The bracelet, the most delicate part, required untold hours of painstaking work: the front and sides of each link had to be set with a sliver of marble, leaving only the interior surface in black DLC titanium.
•     The green marble used for this spectacular watch, named Verde Alpi, comes from the Aosta Valley, the natural passage linking Switzerland and Italy, though the Alps. Its dominant colour in nature, evoking abundance, growth and energy, is offset with white veins, recalling the serpentines of alpine forests and snowy peaks.

Artistic expression in marble

What better material than marble to express the distinctness of Bulgari and dare the Roman brand to transform a watchmaking feat into an artistic masterpiece? The answer is obvious and refers to the history of Bulgari and its relentless drive to keep pushing boundaries and ‘set in stone’, for all eternity, artistic and technical feats. But exemplary human endeavours, too, such as the biennial Only Watch charity auction, which since 2005 has been raising funds for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

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This year again, the great cause has spurred Bulgari's designers, engineers and watchmakers on to surpass themselves and create a unique and extraordinary timepiece for the 2023 edition of the Only Watch charity auction. Truth be told, it has taken almost five years of research, of encountering obstacles, exploring different avenues and fine-tuning to finally complete this unparalleled project: a watch in marble! And yet, this feat is deeply rooted in Bulgari's history, which is inseparable from this material, sublimated by brilliant artists and craftsmen throughout the ages.

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The Venus de Milo, the Carrara Cathedral, the Taj Mahal… – from ancient Greece to Italy to Mughal architecture in India, marble has held a special place in the history of art, across continents and cultures. Italy has contributed decisively to this fixation, as the Italic Peninsula’s artists and architects who shaped this material left their eternal imprint on European culture and history can attest – just think of the cathedrals of Pisa, Siena and Florence, or Michelangelo’s David. Marble was first imported during the Roman conquests – from Numidia (today’s Tunisia), Greece and Egypt – and then extracted closer to the capital of the Empire. Only the splendid white marble from the quarries in the Apuan Alps (Carrara) would do for the main monuments of Rome 

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Throughout its history, Bulgari has been steeped in this great Roman tradition. For the Italian brand, the use of marble is a natural nod to its roots. And so it has been for almost a century. Marble was adopted by the Maison as early as 1934 when the famous architect Florestano Di Fausto expanded and renovated the Bulgari flagship boutique in the Via dei Condotti in Rome. Marble was again the main material used by star architect Peter Marino during the boutique’s refurbishment in 2014 for Bulgari’s 130th Anniversary.  

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Bulgari took a bold step in 2012, using marble as a material for a piece of jewellery, which was both unexpected and, at the same time, an artistic tribute – transporting an ancient stone long associated with enduring luxury and sculptural beauty into modernity and the industrial lines of the B.zero1 collection.

An unparalleled creative feat

In keeping with this unique history, Bulgari has taken on a far more daunting challenge: to produce a piece of fine watchmaking clad in a thin layer of marble. To meet it, the Maison chose the Octo collection: in just a decade it had become a true icon of contemporary horology, recognised by both watchmaking experts and enthusiasts of minimalist design with uncompromising engineering. The 60 or so international prizes awarded to the collection since its inception in 2012, including the Aiguille d'Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, bear witness to this. Neither round nor square, the Octo harmoniously unites two primordial shapes in one octagon – the geometry of perfection. Its eight-sided architecture is directly inspired by the geometric motifs of the Pantheon in Rome. It proclaims the collection's unwavering link to the heart of Bulgari's heritage, rooted in this Roman spirit. 

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As for the Octo Finissimo collection, it redefined the contours of traditional Haute Horlogerie, reinterpreting classic and sophisticated horological complications in a resolutely contemporary way. Just as deliberately, it symbolises Bulgari's own Estetica della Meccanica – the art of absolute innovation in form and substance – echoed in 8 world records for ‘thinness’, the first of which was set in 2014 with the hand-wound Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. This same model served as the foundation for Bulgari’s donation to the 2023 edition of the Only Watch charity auction: the first Bulgari watch in marble.

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The green marble used for this watchmaking coup – Verde Alpi – comes from the Aosta Valley, the natural passage between the Alps of Switzerland and Italy. A dominant colour in nature, green exudes a sense of abundance, growth and energy. The bright green of the rock, criss-crossed by white veins, recalls the snowy serpentines in the Alpine forests on the flanks of the Valle d'Aosta. The continuity of these irregular patterns creates a striking visual effect on the timepiece.

The unprecedented combination of marble and watchmaking finesse

Even though the art of miniaturisation is one of Bulgari's hallmark skills, it took all the brand’s know-how in this particular domain to overcome this complex challenge. Indeed, the Octo Finissimo’s case (40 mm in diameter) is composed of no fewer than 110 facets! 

 

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That many elements had to be covered with a thin veneer (0.4 - 0.5 mm) of marble, taking care not to shatter the delicate slivers and at the same time achieve a visually harmonious design. Before being affixed, the minutely thin ‘slabs’ of marble had to be machined, then smoothened and finally polished by hand. The bracelet no doubt proved the most delicate part; together with the case of the watch, the work took about 190 hours to complete.

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Here, it should be noted that each slice of marble is delicately set on each one of the bracelet’s links with a three-dimensional element covering both the top and sides of the link, leaving only the interior surface of the bracelet in black DLC titanium. 

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The dial, meanwhile, consists of a 0.6-mm wafer of marble with indices on top, and reveals the tourbillon at 6 o'clock. The caseback, fitted with a sapphire crystal sporting the Only Watch logo, offers a generous view of the BVL 268 calibre, an ultra-thin (1.95 mm) hand-wound manufacture movement with a flying tourbillon. For the occasion, Bulgari created a custom-made box which, too, is enhanced by a fine layer of marble. 

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With this Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, produced as a one-off and with no equivalent in the watchmaking world, Bulgari intends to etch the 2023 edition of Only Watch in stone for all time.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Lot 15. BVLGARI  Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Only Watch 

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Reference: 103660

Unique (one-off) piece, carrying the Only Watch logo

Case
Material: Black DLC titanium polished case and bracelet covered with green marble layer of 0.4 - 0.5mm
    Dimensions: 40 mm
    Thickness: 6.00 mm
    Rose gold crown with black ceramic insert
    Transparent caseback
Dial and hands
    Marble dial
    Rose gold plated hands
Movement
    Caliber BVL 268 hand-wound manufacture ultra-thin mechanical movement with flying tourbillon
    Thickness: 1.95 mm thick
    Power reserve of 52 hours
    Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz) frequency
    Water-resistant to 3 ATM
Functions/Indications
    Hours, minutes
    Seconds via tourbillon
Strap and buckle
Marble with a three-dimensional element covering both the top and sides of the link; interior surface of the bracelet in black DLC titanium.

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 🔰Edition
Limitation: Unique piece for Only Watch 2023

 🔴Prices    Lot 15      Estimated at CHF 150,000 - CHF 250,000 💰

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Press Release - 2022
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BVLGARI – OCTO Roma Blue Carillon Tourbillon Edition

 

BVLGARI – OCTO Roma Blue Carillon Tourbillon 44 Platinum Edition 2022

OCTO ROMA
MASTERPIECES OF SOUND

Shifting the paradigm of modern-day watchmaking, Bulgari has established itself as the Master of the Estetica della Meccanica, balancing superior savoir faire and the innovative aesthetics of ultra-thin watches to create groundbreaking timepieces. 

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This expression of the unique fusion between cutting-edge design and the technical expertise of Swiss watchmaking is an exercise of the utmost complexity which can be seen in Bulgari’s mastery of highly complicated watches, including the whole typology of chiming timepieces: 2, 3 and 4 hammers, from the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater to the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie. 

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Thanks to its unrivalled expertise in this field, now the brand explores new facets of its Estetica della Meccanica inspiration, creating new Sinfonia della Meccanica masterpieces with the one-of-a-kind Octo Roma Emerald Grande Sonnerie and the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon blue edition.

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Bulgari beautifies time by making it chime through the bejewelled embodiment of the brand’s irrepressible Italian style and elegance mingled with Swiss watchmaking expertise and the highest creative skills.  

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More than ever, the Jeweller of Time demonstrates its ability to merge and magnify the arts of jewellery, fine watchmaking and artistic expressions into striking creations that boldly proclaim their difference.

OCTO ROMA BLUE CARILLON TOURBILLON

Horological complications have for decades followed principles involving narrow codification and extreme classicism. Bulgari has always ignored these terms. Witness the new Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, in which the two traditional complications of the tourbillon and the striking mechanism speak a resolutely modern language.

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Contemporary interpretation is an integral part of the creative acts of the Maison, which applies it daily to its watchmaking developments. Such is the case with the new Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon which, while combining two essentially classic complications, redefines watchmaking tradition in a resolutely modernist approach.  

 

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This watch features a highly graphic skeletonised movement with blue bridges. The platinum case is encircled by a blued titanium caseband.

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It has been designed to amplify the sound rendition and clarity, which is the primary parameter governing the construction of a striking watch. 

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The Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon movement with three hammers, hand-wound calibre BVL428, measures 35 mm in diameter, 8.35 mm thick and comprises a total of 432 components. It is entirely manufactured in-house.

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The generous proportions of the case are designed to maximise sound propagation, enabling increased torque from the three-tone construction and greater sound power production. 

 

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In particular, the caseband is designed to maximise sound and allow it to spread as much as possible.

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It has cavities inside the design to reduce the amount of metal between the inside and outside, and three openings on the caseband that correspond to the three gongs, thus allowing the sound to exit the chamber.

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The gongs are attached directly to the body of the case for the most efficient sound transmission and the middle-case is made of titanium to ensure the clearest possible sound diffusion.  

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The back is also hollowed out and redesigned with a titanium grid that protects this resonant area and enables outward transmission of the sound.

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The gongs on the watch are hand-crafted in several stages. They are bent and formed by hand before being annealed, or hardened, at a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius, then cleaned before being reheated in a 500-degree kiln, a process that endows the metal with its crystal-clear resonance.

 

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Like some components of the striking mechanism, they are drawn out with a file, in order to refine the chords of the chime. 

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTOThe melodic sequence of this chime with three hammers striking three tones plays the note C for the hours, the notes E D C for the quarters and the note E for the minutes. The mechanism is activated by a pusher on the left side of the caseband.

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The movement is equipped with one classical barrel ensuring the power reserve of at least 75 hours for the movement at full charge, meanwhile the functioning of the sound mechanism is ensured by a spring which is contained in a barrel-shaped container drilled directly in the bridge.

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The architecture of the BVL428 calibre, the cut-out of the bridges and the positioning of the various components are original, contemporary and contrasted in order to reveal the beauty of the mechanism. 

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The hammers, gongs, tourbillon cage and perforated surfaces are made of alternating polished steels, while the finely worked mainplate and bridges feature an ALD treatment.

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The high-tech carbon-based vacuum-deposition coating is an elegant deep blue.

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Available in a 30-piece limited edition the watch has a transparent sapphire crystal caseback, is water-resistant to three atmospheres, and comes with a blue alligator leather strap secured by a platinum triple-blade folding clasp. 

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Collection: OCTO
 
Model:   OCTO ROMA Blue Carillon Tourbillon

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Reference :    103627 - Platinum

Movement    
Calibre : BVL428 calibre
 

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Diameter : 35.00 mm
Thickness : 8.35 mm
Manufacture mechanical manual winding
Minute repeater
Three-hammer carillon tourbillon and power-reserve indicator
Movement and blue-treated bridges 

 

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Power reserve : 75 hours
Frequency: 21'600 VpH (3Hz)
Jewels : 36
Case
Platinum
Openworked titanium middle-case
Diameter :  44 mm
Thickness : 12.83 mm
Crown :  White gold, set with a black ceramic insert
Pusher : White gold pusher to activate the chime
Strap
Blue alligator
Buckle :  Platinum triple-blade folding clasp 

🔰 Limited edition :    Only of ✅ 30 pieces

🔴 Price: EUR 262,295 (excl. taxes) 💰

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#SERPENTI #OCTO #OCTOROMA #OCTO  #THEJEWELEROFTIME #BVLGARIWATCHES #LVMHWATCHWEEK

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Press Release - 2022
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