Arms-On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely Is Watchmaker’s eighth File-Skinny Luxurious Watch

It’s 10 years now since Bulgari set off on its course to grow to be the brand new king of ultra-thin mechanical watches. When the primary Octo Finissimo debuted, little did we — or anybody — know Bulgari would wish to attain greater than a one-off feat, not to mention such a sizzling streak. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely is the model’s eighth record-thin luxurious watch, and with a watch case that’s 1.80mm-thick, it marks a thinness world file for a mechanical watch.

It’s uncommon for long-established world data to be overwhelmed by a margin as nice as 10%. That, nevertheless, is what the Bulgari Octo Finissimo has pulled off by dethroning the earlier file holder, the Piaget Altiplano Final Idea. When we noticed that watch in 2018, it was so extremely skinny and fragile that we had been barely allowed to the touch it — with everybody from the model, understandably, on edge in order that none of us would inadvertently bend (borderline tear aside, like a chunk of paper) that watch.

Extremely beats Final, this time, because the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely is available in a 40mm sandblasted titanium case that’s simply 1.80 millimeters-thick.

That’s thinner not solely than the Piaget but additionally than a €0.10 coin (1.93mm) or a ¢5 coin (1.95mm). In relation to particularly skinny watches, we usually say one thing like “that is owing to the ultra-thin motion.” However this time round, it’s not only a skinny motion in a regular-constructed case. No. The structure, design, method of fabrication, and materials of each element you’ll be able to consider in a mechanical watch needed to be specifically developed to help the ultra-thin purpose and the structural integrity of the completed piece.

You see, on the time of its launch, Piaget’s “ultimate-thin” watch was precisely what the model referred to as it: an idea. It took a number of years of tweaks (together with main ones affecting the fabric used) for an annual manufacturing of three items to be made accessible to buy. In contrast, the Octo Finissimo Extremely is launched not as an idea however as a restricted version of 10 items —nonetheless bordering on high fashion manufacturing ranges, with all 10 likely being snatched up very quickly however appreciably greater than a mere idea train.

Bulgari’s workshops in Vallée de Joux and Neuchâtel labored with motion growth specialist Concepto in La Chaux-de-Fonds over the course of three years to create the Octo Finissimo Extremely. The vertically built-in Swiss-Italian watchmaker attracts the comparability to a sprinter “for whom every hundredth of a second gained represents exponential efforts.” I’d favor 0-60 acceleration occasions, however I get the place they’re going with that. Bulgari, due to this fact, needed to set up the 170 parts of the BVL Calibre 180 on the caseback instantly, eliminating the necessity for a separate (and thick) mainplate and a caseback. So, if you end up touching the caseback of the watch, you’re really touching the fragile plate that carries the motion itself — a thought scary to some, superb to others. So as to add rigidity to the construction, Bulgari developed some parts (just like the caseback/mainplate) in tungsten carbide, a very dense, laborious, and ultra-resistant mixture of carbon and tungsten. The bezel, lugs and bracelet are in light-weight titanium with a sandblasted end, as is customary for many Octo Finissimo watches.

It might be enjoyable to take a look at the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely and attempt to reverse-engineer its options to record-breaking thinness. It most likely doesn’t take a technical clarification for one to determine {that a} 1.80mm-thick watch can’t have a daily crown; it could both be too giant subsequent to the watch or too small and flimsy to permit for precise use. The entrance view gently reveals two rotating “knobs” on both facet of the case and the entire absence of a daily dial reveals their connection to numerous components of the Bulgari BVL 180 motion. To the left, the “crown” is linked to the mainspring barrel to recharge the (mighty spectacular) 50-hour energy reserve. Working frequency is 28,800 vph (4 Hertz) — once more, spectacular stuff.

In the event you’re questioning, that factor over the mainspring barrel is a QR code that hyperlinks to an NFT art work by the watch’s designer, Fabrizio Buonamassa, unique to the piece guaranteeing its authenticity and uniqueness.

Again to stuff us watch lovers usually tend to respect: The crown to the precise can be utilized to regulate the time. That is executed via a differential gear mechanism that enables time to be set with out disturbing the gear prepare. This and a complete of eight patent-pending engineering options had been required to realize the 1.50mm thickness of the BVL 180 caliber.

You’ll be able to tell us within the feedback beneath if you realize of any others, however so far as we all know, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely stands alone within the already extremely rarified phase of ultra-thin watches by that includes a steel bracelet. Comprising remarkably skinny hyperlinks in sandblasted titanium, the bracelet additionally needed to be particularly designed to go together with the ultra-thin watch case — your common luxurious watch steel bracelet is a number of occasions thicker than the whole Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely. That mentioned, do tell us if you’re one of many 10 fortunate people to personal considered one of these and if you happen to’ve managed to place it on an Oyster bracelet.

Time shows have been separated into two, with hours and minutes being proven on two subdials. It’s mind-bending to assume that, when going for 1.80mm general thickness, you’ll be able to’t even afford to have overlapping fingers over a single dial, it’s a must to set them up individually, however in the identical aircraft. The fingers are black PVD-coated for higher distinction in opposition to the grey background.

Value for the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely is €400,000, together with taxes, and you could find different ultra-thin watches on the model’s web site.