Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin Polished Steel
Bulgari’s New Octo Finissimo S: The World's Thinnest Watch With 100m Water-Resistance
Bulgari is breaking new ground again – this time with its Octo Finissimo Satin-Polished Steel that combines the thinnest time-only automatic movement with a water-resistance of 100 meters.
By Sophie Furley
Contributor
Earlier this year, Bulgari unveiled its latest Octo Finissimo Automatic – the Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin-Polished Steel. When the timepiece was released during the LVMH watch summit in Dubai in January, it was with an elegant polished black lacquer dial (read more HERE). Now it is joined by an aquatic-blue lacquer version with a sunburst finish, ideal for splashing around this summer.
Redefining The Men’s Wristwatch
I vividly remember the day I first saw the Octo. The world’s journalists had been brought to Bulgari’s home city of Rome for the unveiling of this new men’s collection. I can still recall sitting in the Complesso Monumentale Santo Spirito in Sassia (Europe's oldest hospital, dating back to the 12th century) when the Octo came up on a giant screen, and I was blown away. I remember the brand’s managing director of watches at the time, Guido Terreni, explaining how the simplest timepieces are always the most difficult to create, and yet the brand had done it. The Octo had brought a whole new aesthetic vision to the elegant men’s wristwatch.
World Records Galore
In the subsequent six years, the Octo has broken six world records for ultra-thinness and won over 50 design awards. Its success has amazed, but not surprised, everyone as the design appeals to both the seasoned watch collector as well as the trendsetting neophyte.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo S
The Octo Finissimo Automatic was first unveiled in 2017 in a titanium case with a matching integrated bracelet. This was followed in 2018 by versions in sandblasted steel and sandblasted pink gold. This new version plays with a more traditional mix of brushed and polished steel that brings another new look to this much-loved edition.
Upping The Water Resistance To 100 Meters
One improvement in this new polished-steel version is the water-resistance. The previous models were water-resistant to 30 meters, where this new version is water-resistant to 100 meters. This has been made possible by slightly increasing the case to a thickness of 6.4mm and adding a screw-down crown.
“We’re taking these record-setting timepieces from being a Supercar to a Grand Turismo – an extraordinary car that you drive every day,” shared Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. “Compared to the extreme Sportscar it’s more like an all-wheel drive, as it’s 100 meters waterproof - you have the screw crown, you can dive, swim, take a shower; it’s great for dressing up or dressing down so you can wear it from the tennis court to the board room.”
The BVL 138 Finissimo Movement
Like the previous editions, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin-Polished Steel is powered by the brand’s BVL 138 Finissimo movement. This caliber measures a mere 2.23mm thick and has a 60-hour power reserve. It is the thinnest automatic time-only timepiece in the world. Fun fact, the world record for the thinnest automatic movement is held by the 1.95mm thick BVL 288 in the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon BVL 288 (read more HERE).
Getting Sporty
Thanks to this new 100-meter water-resistance and polished steel finish, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Satin-Polished Steel has shifted the model into the rather popular sporty steel watch market, which will surely make it more in-demand than ever.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)
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