Crazy Eight: Bvlgari’s latest Octo watch breaks the limits and sets a new world record Bulgari has just released the latest additions to its Octo collection, including the Finissimo Ultra, which is not only the thinnest COSC-certified chronometer watch ever made, but also the thinnest mechanical watch ever!

It wouldn’t be Geneva Watch Week without Bulgari setting a new world record for ultra-thinness. However, that’s not the only noteworthy 2024 release from the Roman brand.

That is to say: in addition to the boundary-breaking Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC watch, Bulgari also launched three new Octo Finissimo Tourbillon watches, including an upgraded Finissimo Ultra in a platinum encapsulation, and launched two ultra-black Octo Roma watches break through the design limits.

In short, it’s been a great year for Bulgari.

Octo Finissimo Ultra Swiss Official Observatory Certified Watch
Antoine Pin, Director of Bulgari’s Watchmaking Division, said: “[Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC] marks the ninth time that our engineers, watchmakers and designers have challenged the laws of physics to create a complex timepiece that is unparalleledly thin.” The new masterpiece is only 1.7mm thick, and we can't say we disagree with Mr. Pin.

After all, there's no denying that the new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC has beaten the previous winner, Richard Mille's 1.75mm thin RM UP-01 Ferrari.

To achieve this feat, Bulgari engineers reinvented the Octo Finissimo movement. To make it work, the caseback now acts as the main board on which the 170 components of the hand-wound BVL 180 in-house movement are built.

Each of these unfathomably small components is selected using a 1/10 micron optical measurement system to ensure they fit perfectly into the mechanism while exceeding the accuracy required to guarantee COSC certification (a first for the Ultra series).

Additionally, the Ultra COSC's bottom cover/mainplate is made of tungsten carbide, which has a hardness of approximately 9 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale, making it extremely durable and scratch-resistant. At the same time, the watch's display, surface area, hour and minute dials, large barrel (with a 50-hour power reserve) and escapement have been adjusted to better integrate with the bezel opening.

Octo Finissimo Ultra Platinum Edition
The Octo Finissimo Ultra collection has won 50 international awards in just 12 years, as Bulgari continues to challenge its teams through technology. Therefore, by 2024, the brand wants to reinvent the home through materials; case in point: the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Platinum.

Platinum is difficult to work with due to its density. Therefore, machining this metal to the thickness Finissimo requires is extremely challenging. But here we have a luxury watch that’s 1.8mm thick – a first for a platinum watch.

To keep things stylish, this model also features a refined satin-polished and sandblasted finish on the case middle and bezel. Additionally, to offset the weight of the platinum, the caseback/mainplate element is made of tungsten carbide, while the platinum bracelet has an integrated clasp made of titanium (tested 5,000 times to ensure reliability). This new version also features the BVL 180 in-house movement.

Octo Finissimo Tourbillon
In the 12 years since its birth, Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo series has occupied a place in the world of haute horlogerie with its technical innovation, iconic design and monochromatic aesthetics. This year, Bulgari shakes up the tree of minimalism with the launch of three new Octo Finissimo tourbillon watches.

First of all, the Octo Finissimo manual tourbillon watch uses a 40 mm titanium case, which has been treated with wear-resistant DLC, and is equipped with the world's thinnest tourbillon movement-BVL 268SK self-made flying tourbillon movement, with a power reserve of 52 hours. .

This powerful machine is also quite chic, with rose gold hands and graduated rings – a clever contrast indeed.

The next evolution is the Octo Finissimo manual tourbillon watch in rose gold. While this watch isn’t monochromatic with its black bezel, it does come with a 40mm satin-finished rose gold case, rose gold-plated hands, and a polished rose gold crown.

The transparent case back reveals the gray sandblasted BVL 268SK movement, while a brown alligator leather strap with a satin-finished rose gold pin folding clasp completes the luminous effect.

The last of the three watches is the Octo Finissimo Automatic Tourbillon. Here, design elements are given a pricey spin with a 42mm satin-finished platinum case, satin-finished platinum time-setting pushers, polished white gold crown and black ceramic inlays, as well as chic black hands.

Beneath the skeletonized dial sits the sandblasted blue BVL 288 automatic movement, while a blue alligator leather strap with a satin-finished platinum pin buckle completes this colorful version.

Octo Roma Automatic Steel DLC and Octo Roma Chronograph
The Octo Roma series was born twenty years ago. To celebrate, Bulgari launched two new black DLC steel models during Geneva Watch Week. The first is a three-hand watch and the second is a chronograph.

This gothic aesthetic has its philosophical implications. In fact, according to Bulgari, the designs are based on the idea that black is more than just the absence of color; This is a way of expressing light and depth.

The “outrenoir” finish therefore redefines the Octo Roma’s geometry by enhancing the shape, materials and surface textures of the case and bracelet. It's a bit like how artist Anish Kapoor's Vanta Black installation changes the viewer's sense of perspective by absorbing light.

For contrast (and legibility), the dials on these new Octo Romas are not DLC-treated, but instead painted black to reflect light.