Showing posts with label BVLGARI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BVLGARI. Show all posts

Sunday, August 2, 2026

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo Perpetual CalendarBlue Titanium Edition

 

BVLGARIOCTO Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Blue 40mm Titanium Edition - 2026

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The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo collection embodies the perfect union of watchmaking engineering and refined Italian aesthetics – redefining contemporary elegance through extreme thinness and, in the process, setting 10 world records.

Each piece is a work of art, distinguished by the interplay of innovative materials and bold, always-original finishes.

Bvlgari extends this iconic Octo Finissimo collection with a new interpretation of the Perpetual Calendar, offered for the first time in a monochromatic blue.

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Beyond the record

A worthy successor to the model launched in 2021 — crowned with the Aiguille d'Or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève and holder of a world record for thinness with its titanium perpetual calendar — this version maintains that record-breaking thinness while exploring new stylistic territory. 

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Having reimagined it in 2023 in carbon gold and in 2025 in rose gold, Bvlgari now presents an interpretation in striking blue titanium with a matching fine leather strap.

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At once understated and elegant, the watch proves remarkably versatile, equally suited to daily wear and more formal occasions.

The art of versatile elegance

With its blue PVD-treated titanium case, matching dial and grey rhodium-plated indices, this unprecedented variation introduces a subtle contrast that brings fresh life to this haute horlogerie classic. 

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The dial offers excellent legibility and remarkable ease of reading, despite the quantity of information displayed inherent to its complication. 

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The steel crown completes this harmony of tones with a particularly aesthetic result, all the while ensuring smooth adjustment of the perpetual calendar. The matching alligator strap completes the aesthetic cohesion.

Octo Finissimopushing the boundaries even further in 2026

The Octo Finissimo 37, with its new calibre and revised proportions, embodies the new codes of contemporary universality. More universal, it adapts to modern life, conforming naturally to every wrist, in any circumstance. 

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Developed at the workshops of Bvlgari’s Swiss watch manufacture in Le Sentier, the in-house calibre BVL 305 is a marvel of miniaturisation. 

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Measuring 36.6mm x 2.75mm, the automatic movement is comprised of 408 components and utilises a space-saving micro-rotor.

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The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in blue titanium celebrates the creation that won the Aiguille d'Or in 2021, expressing the pinnacle of horological virtuosity, characterised by technical challenges and complex finishes. 

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The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar stands out for its discreet elegance and functional clarity, ensuring ease of readability, while the bracelet or strap reinforces its understated character. Designed to adapt effortlessly to different contexts, it is a watch that transcends dress codes, combining technical mastery with everyday wearability.

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The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum, meanwhile, opens a path for pushing the limits ever further with ultra-thin watches and the use of new materials.

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Technical Specifications

Collection: OCTO
 
Model: OCTO Finissimo Perpetual Calendar 40 Titanium Edition

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Reference: 104262

Case
Material:  Sandblasted blue PVD coated titanium case
Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 5.80 mm
Polished stainless steel crown with black ceramic insert
Transparent case back
Water-resistant to 3 ATM
Dial 
Blue varnished dial with grey rhodium plated hands and silvered indexes
Movement
Calibre BVL 305 manufacture automatic winding mechanical ultra-thin movement (2,75 mm thin).

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 Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve of 60 hours
Functions
Hours, minutes
Perpetual calendar
Retrograde date
Day, month and leap year
Strap 
Blue alligator leather strap with polished titanium pin buckle.

🔰Limited Edition ✅ of ❱❱❱ 50-piece 
🔴 Retail Price: $ 76,00.00 / EUR 76,000 € / CHF 74'900💰

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Press Release - 2026
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www.facebook.com - Bulgari
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www.Bulgari.com

Saturday, April 19, 2025

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Edition

 

BVLGARIOCTO Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon 40mm Titanium Edition - 2025

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Watches and Wonders 2025

Beyond setting a new thinness record, the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon stands as a manifesto. By integrating a skeleton tourbillon into the movement of a watch with a total thickness of just 1.85 mm, the Roman jeweller’s Swiss watchmaking division demonstrates its horological expertise with watchmaking’s most emblematic complication.

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The tourbillon holds a special place in Bvlgari’s heart: it was the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon that launched the Maison’s pursuit of extreme thinness in 2014, setting in motion a decade-long odyssey that has led to ten world records and more than 60 international awards including the prestigious and highly coveted Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix “Aiguille d’Or”. Octo Finissimo has been by far the most awarded timepiece and collection of the 21 st century so far.

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Since its invention in the 18th century, the tourbillon has stood as the pinnacle of watchmaking precision. Aesthetically fascinating, its perpetual motion echoes the rhythm of a beating heart, giving soul to the timepiece. It is no coincidence that Bvlgari’s journey toward ultra-thinness began with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. In 2014, its hand-wound movement, just 1.95 mm thick, was the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon at the time.

Skeletonisation – The Art of Sculpting Transparency

Today, Bvlgari has taken skeletonisation to the next level on the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon – to maximise light diffusion throughout the movement. This approach creates striking contrasts through contemporary decorative techniques applied to key visible components: the bezel flange’s polished slope, the finely rhodium-plated tourbillon balance and inertia blocks, and the sunburst-finished, rhodium-plated tourbillon bridge – refined modern finishes that subtly enhance the watch’s mechanical artistry. 

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Each skeletonised component must have the right balance between efficiency and aesthetics, between resistance, reliability, and ornamentation. It means the margin for error is even smaller. The exposed nature of a skeleton movement demands absolute perfection in design, execution, and finishing.

The World’s Thinnest Flying Tourbillon

Drawing its power from its Roman heritage, the Octo collection by Bvlgari is part of a long architectural tradition. The octagonal shape was inspired by the coffered ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. Since its foundation in 1884, the Eternal City and the splendor of its monuments have always played a central role in the creative identity of the Maison. The Octo extracts a pure, modernist vision from this heritage, through a contemporary lens. This vision is reinforced by the monochromatic grey aesthetic of the ultra-thin Octo models. This stylistic signature underlines the desire to strive for purity and the quintessence of fine watchmaking. It forms a cohesive whole that enables Bvlgari to elevate ultra-thinness to the status of a watchmaking complication.

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It is a fact: Bvlgari’s new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is now the thinnest tourbillon watch ever. Measuring 40 mm in diameter and just 1.85 mm in thickness, it is powered by the BVF 900 tourbillon calibre. This manually wound mechanical movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Such specifications and the records they set showcase the exceptional prowess of the watchmakers and engineers at the Bvlgari Manufacture.

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By applying its expertise in finesse to the tourbillon – its most emblematic precision complication – Bvlgari expresses the essence of its watchmaking philosophy.

The idea was to create a watch that encapsulates all our expertise. It's not just about having the finest design but achieving a precise execution that tells the story of the Octo Finissimo series, while respecting the integrity of its distinctive aesthetic codes. Every detail, from the indexes to the tourbillon skeleton, bears witness to our commitment to excellence,” explains Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Executive Director of Watch Design at Bvlgari.

A Human Engineering Journey

The hallmark of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is its tungsten carbide main plate that houses the mechanical movement. Watches usually consist of a case containing the movement. For centuries, watchmakers pursued flatter profiles primarily for aesthetic elegance. Traditionally, watchmakers pursued thinness for greater elegance. This objective introduced unique challenges related to structure and stiffness. To solve this complex equation, the teams at Bvlgari developed a blend of advanced materials.

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The new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon features a bezel, case middle, and lugs crafted from microbead-frosted titanium, while the main plate is constructed from tungsten carbide. The two planar ‘crowns’ – each protruding ever so slightly from the side of the case, at left (8 o’clock) to wind the mechanism and at right (3 o’clock) to set the time – are fashioned from stainless steel and circular-grained; likewise, the ratchet, adorned with engraved geometric decorations, is rendered in circular-grained steel. For optimal legibility, the hour dial features rhodium-plated hour and minute hands set against a sand-blasted brass surface with an DLC anthracite coating - unlike its predecessors, the Octo Finissimo Ultra and Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which were regulators with two decorrelated hour and minute dials.

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Perfectly complementing the watch, the integrated microbead-frosted titanium bracelet mirrors its ultra-thin aesthetic, measuring just 1.5mm thick—including the folding clasp. Once again, Bvlgari has masterfully fused complexity and elegance to create a timepiece of exceptional finesse.

Pushing Boundaries Since 2014
The Quest for Ultra-Thin Watchmaking in 10 World Records

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A masterful demonstration of extreme finesse, the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon showcases Bvlgari's mastery of extreme thinness and represents another breakthrough in their innovative approach to watchmaking.

Each record has been a stepping stone. Setting a record isn't just about crossing barriers – it's about redefining what's possible in mechanical watchmaking. With each challenge, we've had to rethink not only traditional techniques but also how watches are designed and developed,” explains Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari.

Mobilising all the expertise of the Bvlgari Manufacture, this particularly complex project involved revisiting the traditional fundamentals of the profession to design a watch in two dimensions rather than three. This bold approach sparked fresh energy within Bvlgari’s teams, fostering unprecedented creative collaboration to tackle a challenge of this scale. Perfecting and rethinking techniques—such as returning to a two-hand display—added a deeply human touch to the entire endeavour.

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To meet these challenges, Bvlgari's R&D teams created new processes and techniques, securing eight specific patents covering innovations like the differential display, the integrated case middle and plate design, the bi-material case back, a new crystal mounting method, a novel barrel structure, the oscillator module, the modular construction, and the bracelet design.

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 Bvlgari’s pursuit of ultra-thinness began in 2014 with the hand-wound Octo Tourbillon. Since then, it has produced record-breaking innovations across multiple categories—the world’s thinnest minute repeater (3.12mm in 2016), the Octo Finissimo Automatic (2.23mm in 2017), and the thinnest perpetual calendar ever (2.75mm in 2021), which earned the prestigious Aiguille d'Or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Launched in 2012, the Octo quickly became an iconic design in modern watchmaking. Just ten years after the debut of the Octo saga, the Octo Finissimo Ultra set an absolute record with a total thickness of just 1.8 mm. The launch was celebrated with style and joy in the heart of Rome, on the Piazza della Rotonda, in front of the Pantheon. The Octo Finissimo Ultra was then awarded the Prix de l'Audace (the Audacity Prize) at the GPHG. Eight patents have been registered on the Octo Finissimo Ultra since 2022.

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With the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, Bvlgari continues its pursuit of finesse and refinement in every sense of the word. 

The ten record-breaking thin watches from Bulgari

Each of these watches was a world record holder when it was introduced. Some records were later surpassed by other manufacturers or by new Bulgari models:

2014: Octo Finissimo Tourbillon – Flattest Tourbillon: 5 mm

2016: Octo Finissimo Répétition Minutes – Thinnest automatic minute repeater: 3.12 mm

2017: Octo Finissimo Automatic – Thinnest automatic movement: 2.23 mm

2018: Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic – Thinnest automatic tourbillon: 3.95 mm

2019: Octo Finissimo Chronograph – Flattest automatic chronograph: 6.9 mm

2020: Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph – Flattest tourbillon chronograph: 7.4 mm

2021: Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar – Flattest perpetual calendar movement: 2.75 mm

2022: Octo Finissimo Ultra – thinnest mechanical watch: 1.8 mm

2024: Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC – thinnest mechanical watch and thinnest chronometer: 1.7 mm

2025: Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon – thinnest tourbillon: 1.85 mm

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Technical Specifications

Collection: OCTO
 
Model: OCTO Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Titanium Edition

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 Reference Number:  104313

 Case
    Material: Sandblasted titanium lugs, bezel and middle case. Tungsten carbide main plate.
    Dimensions: 40 mm
    Thickness: 1.85 mm
    Winding and time-setting wheels in stainless steel with circular brush finishing.
    Steel ratchet with circular brush finishing engraved with a geometric decoration.
Dial and hands
    Open worked
    Off-center dial at 2 o'clock
    Hour and minute display counter in sandblasted brass with anthracite DLC coating, polished brass hands with rhodium coating.
    Tourbillon at 5 o'clock
Movement
   
Calibre BVF 900
    Manual winding tourbillon mechanical ultra-thin movement
    Frequency: 4 Hz, 28'800 vibrations per hour
    Power reserve of 42 hours
Functions
    Hours and minutes
    Tourbillon
Strap and buckle
    Sandblasted titanium bracelet with fully integrated folding buckle, 1.50 mm thin.

🔰Limited Edition ✅ of ❱❱❱ 20-piece 
🔴 Retail Price: $ 750,00.00 / EUR 750,000 € / CHF 735'900💰

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Press Release - 2025
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www.facebook.com - Bulgari
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www.Bulgari.com

Friday, November 15, 2024

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo LAURENT GRASSO Titanium Blue Edition

 

BVLGARIOCTO 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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www.facebook.com - Bulgari
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www.Bulgari.com

Thursday, July 20, 2023

BVLGARI – OCTO Finissimo Tourbillon Marble Only Watch 2023

 

BVLGARIOCTO 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.

 Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO  

 🔰Edition
Limitation: Unique piece for Only Watch 2023

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

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www.OnlyWatch.com

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Press Release - 2022
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www.facebook.com - Bulgari
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www.Bulgari.com