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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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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.
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!
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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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Lot 15. BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Only Watch
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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 💰
www.OnlyWatch.com
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Press Release - 2022
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