Advertorial for Bvlgari
By Michelle Bateman
Creating an iconic design requires a singular idea, the relentless focus to see it to fruition and the paring back of any extraneous elements. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo timepiece.
It’s impossible not to turn heads with a slick ceramic Octo Finissimo.
Its raison d’être — to be the slimmest self-winding watch in the world with unrivalled levels of finesse — has cemented its place in design history. The evolution of this iconic style is traced in the Octo Finissimo Saga of Materials Exhibition, which will arrive in Australia for the very first time as part of the About Time Watch Weekend coming to Sydney and Melbourne in September.
The Finissimo’s wafer-like dimensions are legendary, but to focus on them alone would be a disservice. Behind its diminutive size is a legacy of engineering, design and craftsmanship.
An exacting feat of engineering
The Finissimo is the thinnest self-winding watch in the world.
Crafting an ultra-thin self-winding movement is no straightforward task. Doing so while maintaining exacting standards of precision, reliability and power reserve is a true feat of horological engineering.
Led by Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s in-house design team has consistently pushed the Finissimo to new levels of innovation, optimising every component of the watch — from balance wheels to gears — to be as thin as possible. Micro rotors are engaged to wind the mainspring while occupying minimal space efficiently; materials like titanium and silicon are expertly harnessed to shave micrometres off the thickness.
No possibility is left unexplored in the pursuit of new records — there are nine of them to date, including the thinnest self-winding watch and thinnest self-winding tourbillon, among many other accolades.
But Bvlgari’s quest for finesse is not only about paring back. These movements often feature exquisite finishes completed by skilled craftsmen, like the intricate etchings of Côtes de Genève or the hand-filed chamfering of a component’s edge, which serve to complement the exquisite refinement of their design.
Elegant, pared-back design
Audacious style meets timeless elegance in the range.
Over the past decade, the Finissimo famiglia has expanded to include a dizzying array of metals, exotic skins and stones, drawing on Bvlgari’s storied history in jewellery design to introduce new motifs while remaining true to the Finissimo’s iconic aesthetic.
The Octo Finissimo pushes the boundaries of expression, with carbon, titanium, platinum, rose and yellow gold, ceramic and tantalum all contributing to a design palette of elevated restraint. Bvlgari is known for its dynamic interaction between audacious style and timeless elegance, and this interplay is on full display in each Finissimo timepiece.
It’s impossible not to turn heads with a slick ceramic Octo Finissimo rendered in monochromatic jet-black, or the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in high-tech carbon, its anthracite hue contrasted with the glittering rose-gold of the hour markers, baton hands and pushpiece.
With its highly contemporary aesthetic, the Finissimo has a graceful presence at any occasion, underpinned by its innate comfort on the wrist. Regardless of the materials in which it’s rendered, this is an inherently wearable timepiece.
Postcards from Rome
The Octo Finissimo Saga is a more-than-a-decade-long tale of its own, evolving from a single ultra-thin model to an entire collection of timepieces revered around the world. But behind this story, the history of Bvlgari treads an even longer path down Rome’s sampietrini alleys.
Founded in 1884, the house draws on its Roman birthplace as a source of enduring design inspiration. The city’s grandeur and opulence are reflected in its bold use of colour, precious stones and distinctive flair, and ancient architecture and motifs are frequently incorporated.
Explore the full history in the Octo Finissimo Saga of Materials Exhibition, and see an exclusive collection of Octo Finissimos, at the About Time Watch Weekend this September.