Tom Austin
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Never shy to put on a showstopping set of releases, Bulgari manages to show the rest of the world how watches are done in Italy (with a bit of Swiss horological help, of course). From the stealthy all-black Octo Roma, to the red carpet-worthy Serpenti, Bulgari showcases its ability to appeal to the far ends of the watch spectrum. Not settling only to make watches that look fantastic, this year, the brand has gone one step further by producing another record breaker.Shaving off one-tenth of a millimetre has meant that the new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is the thinnest COSC-certified mechanical watch ever released, at 1.70mm thin, setting a new benchmark and adding another world record to Bulgari’s back catalogue. Additionally, the incredible, ultra-thin Octo Finissimo Ultra is now in platinum, a material which is notoriously difficult to deal with at these almost microscopic levels of thinness. Let’s delve into Bulgari’s 2024 offerings!Octo Roma Automatic Steel DLCThe Octo Roma Automatic Steel is a simple 3-handed watch with a date function, yet it is typical Bulgari, with its subtle octagonal case shape, combined with monochrome, understated Italian flair. Focusing on texture, this watch has it in droves, from the 41mm microblasted DLC coated case to the pyramid-shaped Clous de Paris dial and the textured, knurled pattern on the rubber strap.Simple as the functions may be, the Caliber BVL 191 movement is all in-house, boasting a 42-hour power reserve and beautifully decorated with bevelled edges and C?tes de Geneve finishing.BrandBulgariModelOcto Roma Automatic Steel DLCReference103927Case Dimensions41mmCase MaterialStainless steel DLC-coatedWater Resistance100m (screw-down crown)Crystal(s)Sapphire crystal and case backDialBlack Clous de ParisStrapTextured black rubber with folding clasp, interchangeable, including black alligatorMovementBVL 191, automaticPower Reserve42 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, seconds, dateAvailabilityFrom June 2024Price8,900Octo Roma Chronograph Steel DLCThe Octo Roma is released as a 42mm monochrome sports chronograph, featuring all the functions you would expect from a chronograph inside a sleek, stainless steel DLC-coated case.Legibility is the focus with the Octo Roma Chronograph, with a high-contrast dial featuring large lumed hour markers and sunburst-finished chronograph registers.Visible through the sapphire glass case back, the in-house Caliber BVL 399 chronograph movement is beautifully finished with C?tes de Geneve and hand-beveling finishes throughout.BrandBulgariModelOcto Roma ChronographReference103932Case Dimensions42mmCase MaterialStainless steel DLC-coatedWater Resistance100m (screw-down crown)Crystal(s)Sapphire crystal and case backDialBlack Clous de Paris with sunburst sub-dialsStrapTextured black rubber with folding clasp, interchangeable, including black alligatorMovementBVL 399, automaticPower Reserve42 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, seconds, date, chronographAvailabilityFrom June 2024Price10,900Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual DLCThe Octo Finissimo Tourbillon returns, this time in DLC-coated titanium, built around the impossibly thin BVL 268SK manually wound flying tourbillon movement.The stunning, record-breaking movement is exceptionally finished and skeletonised, with a sapphire case back allowing a view straight through the watch.Maintaining its slender, angular lines, the 40mm Octo Finissimo Tourbillon case comes in at just 4.85mm thick.BrandBulgariModelOcto Finissimo Tourbillon ManualReference103984Case Dimensions40mm (D) x 4.85mm (T)Case MaterialTitanium – DLC-coatedWater Resistance30mCrystal(s)Sapphire crystal and case backDialSkeletonisedStrapBlack rubber with DLC-coated titanium pin buckleMovementBVL268k, manual-winding, flying tourbillonPower Reserve52 hoursFunctionsHours, minutesAvailabilityFrom July 2024Price145,000Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual Rose GoldIf the stealthy black version isn’t enough, Bulgari has also offered the Octo Finissimo in stunning rose gold, for a more luxurious feel.Every facet of the wonderfully angular face is either polished or brushed, all in different angles and directions, offering a dynamic and unique look.Finished with a rose gold crown with ceramic insert, and brown alligator leather strap with rose gold pin buckle, every detail is taken care of in true Bulgari style.BrandBulgariModelOcto Finissimo Tourbillon ManualReference103981Case Dimensions40mm (D) x 4.85mm (T)Case MaterialRose goldWater Resistance30mCrystal(s)Sapphire crystal and case backDialSkeletonisedStrapBrown alligator? leather strap with rose gold folding pin buckleMovementBVL268k, manual-winding, flying tourbillonPower Reserve52 hoursFunctionsHours, minutesAvailabilityFrom July 2024Price175,000Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic PlatinumSqueezing even more out of the 4.95mm thick case, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic manages to fit in a fully automatic winding BVL 288K movement.This time the Octo Finissimo case is crafted from brushed and polished platinum, making this the most understated yet high-end piece in the collection.The contrasting blue movement backplate matches the blue alligator leather strap perfectly, adding some colour and highlighting the status of the platinum piece.BrandBulgariModelOcto Finissimo Tourbillon ManualReference103976Case Dimensions40mm (D) x 4.85mm (T)Case MaterialPlatinumWater Resistance30mCrystal(s)Sapphire crystal and case backDialSkeletonisedStrapBlue alligator? leather strap with platinum folding pin buckleMovementBVL288k, automatic, flying tourbillonPower Reserve52 hoursFunctionsHours, minutesAvailabilityFrom July 2024Price220,000Octo Finissimo Ultra COSCWell known for pushing boundaries, Bulgari has done it again with a new world record-breaking watch, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, a fully COSC-certified watch with a thickness of just 1.70mm.With each model limited to 20 pieces, the Ultra COSC is extremely rare, produced in both titanium or platinum, with tungsten carbide main plates making up the structure of the watch.The watches are built around the calibre BVL 180, a COSC-certified manually wound movement, which has a 50-hour power reserve and comes in at no more than 1.5mm thick.BrandBulgariModelOcto Finissimo Ultra COSCReference104081 – Titanium103832 – PlatinumCase Dimensions40mm (D) x 1.7mm (T)Case MaterialPlatinum or titaniumCrystal(s)Sapphire crystalDialGrey or blue sunburstStrapMulti-link integrated bracelet in either platinum or titanium, with titanium folding buckleMovementCalibre BVL180, manual-windingPower Reserve50 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, secondsAvailabilityFrom September 2024PriceTitanium: 600,000Platinum: 620,000Tadao Ando x Bulgari SerpentiFour new Serpenti models have arrived in collaboration between Bulgari and illustrious Japanese architect Tadao Ando. While not his first foray into Bulgari collabs, this is the first time he has been involved in the Serpenti line.Each model represents the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, with each using different materials and designs to symbolise the contrasting aspects of each season.Being a limited edition release, each watch is personalised with Tadao Ando’s signature on the case back.BrandBulgariModelTadao Ando x Bulgari SerpentiReferenceSpring: 104007 (S) 104141 (L)Summer: 104002Autumn: 104003Winter: 104004 (S) 104140 (L)Case Dimensions35mmCase MaterialSpring: stainless steel & rose goldSummer: stainless steel & yellow goldAutumn: rose goldWinter: stainless steelCrystal(s)Sapphire crystalDialSpring: Pink mother-of-pearlSummer: Green AventurineAutumn: Tiger’s eye stoneWinter: White mother-of-pearlStrap/BraceletTwirl braceletMovementQuartzFunctionsHours, minutesAvailabilitySpring: March 2025Summer: June 2024Autumn: August 2024Winter: October 2024PriceSpring: 18,100Summer: 18,500Autumn: 45,900Winter: 11,900
08.04.24