5 minute read
INFINITE ANGLES
by WatchBox
Infinite Angles BY TODD SEARLE
The moment I saw the Octo Finissimo out of the corner of my eye, everything changed. I was immediately drawn to a dusty rose gold watch with a beautiful bracelet and a sculpted case. Admittedly, I was shocked to read the name on the dial: Bulgari. It was stunning, astonishingly thin, and inherently different from other offerings on the market. I was smitten.
Clockwise from top: Octo Finissimo Steel 103297, Octo Finissimo 103286, Octo Finissimo Skeleton 103126, Octo Finissimo Titanium 102713
As a collector, I focus primarily on independent watchmakers and watches that are genuinely innovative. Independent watchmakers resonate more with me through their willingness to undertake difficult projects. I am drawn to F.P. Journe, MB&F, and H. Moser; brands that employ artistic vision and innovation to tell time in interesting ways, pushing both technical and aesthetic boundaries. And I love watches that are a little on the funkier side. I think it is safe to say that we can now add Bulgari to that list.
It should come as no surprise that when Bulgari launched the Octo Finissimo series, I didn’t pay much attention. I associated the brand with jewelry and the watches they offered weren’t really my taste. Did Bulgari warrant consideration within the realm of “innovative horology”?
But I couldn’t help myself. There was something familiar about the Octo Finissimo, something so “normal,” and yet a far cry from the watches I previously associated with the Bulgari name. The squared-off case had clearly been designed with Gérald Genta in mind, the legendary designer who not only designed the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, but also the Bulgari Bulgari watch. Genta’s influence in the Octo Finissimo series is clear.
While the Octo Finissimo was intriguing, I still didn’t know if it was a watch I could fall in love with. I was unfamiliar with Bulgari’s standards of watchmaking; did the movements technically match the outstanding design of the case and bracelet? When a colleague asked me what I thought about the collection, I began to read and study as much as I could on the Octo Finissimo series. I scoured the internet, watched YouTube videos, and absorbed all of Tim Mosso’s coverage of these watches. My preconceptions of the brand began to wear away, exposing exceptional manufacturing and craftsmanship. These watches are a wonder of modern watchmaking; technical prowess and serious complications while maintaining that ultra-thin profile and on-the-wrist comfort.
The comfort level of the bracelet is actually hard to put into words. On the wrist, the watch simply disappears. This is the highest compliment I can pay to a watch; that while I know it is on my wrist, I simply forget that I’m wearing it; and then each time I glance down and am reminded, I just have to smile. It moves with you, easily fits beneath a shirt cuff, and flows perfectly from the case. This union of the case and bracelet adds to the architectural feeling of the watch, creating infinite angles from which to study the timepiece. Oozing sportiness, the taper of the bracelet with scalloped links allows your wrist to breathe, making it not only a fantastic sport watch, but an amazing piece for hotter days.
When had Bulgari so dramatically stepped up their watch game? Enter Baselworld 2014. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Tourbillon was introduced as the world’s thinnest tourbillon. In 2016, they set the record for the thinnest ever minute repeater, at 1.95 and 3.12 millimeters thick, respectively. And they have since
achieved several world records with each addition to the line.
The first Octo I fell in love with was the Octo Finissimo Automatic Rose Gold. Paper thin and a sandblasted rose gold case and matching bracelet? Count me in! The sandblasted rose gold offers a texture and a visual appeal that I have rarely found in new watches. I adore vintage gold for its warmth and toned-down character, and Bulgari nailed it with the sandblasted finish. While it disappears under a shirt cuff and may look dressy, this is a sports watch I wouldn’t hesitate to wear with any outfit. With an automatic micro-rotor movement that comes in at just 2.23 millimeters and manages a 60-hour power reserve, I again, find myself astounded.
The next Octo Finissimo to win my affection was the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic. The skeletonization is mesmerizing, with the gears and tourbillon displayed for your viewing pleasure. What really sealed the deal was the wafer-thin profile… and then I remembered that this watch also houses a tourbillon. It is unbelievable! The thin construction of the movement relies on an automatic winding system with a peripheral oscillating weight, and the crown does not pull out, but rather uses a pusher on the case to change its function from time setting to winding. The skeletonized movement features incredible handfinishing, and makes you feel like you are truly wearing a piece of horological history.
The last of the Octo Finissimo series to win me over forever was the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater. Bulgari did something incredibly interesting with this watch. Because of it’s insane 6.85mm thin, svelte frame, Bulgari actually cut out the indices in the dial to enhance the sound of the repeater. The sound this tiny watch produces is spectacular. It is clear, crisp, and louder than most repeaters from brands with serious experience producing minute repeaters.
The Octo Finissimo series is serious watchmaking. I believe Bulgari set out to design a watch that had influences from architecture, their own jeweled history, and the watches of both Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta. What they actually created, for me, is a revolution in watchmaking. A “jewelry brand” that has created some of the world’s thinnest movements and has been recognized with GPHG awards, these geometric watches are not only aesthetically beautiful; they are technically innovative and well worth consideration.
Octo Finissimo Automatic 102912
Which of the record-breaking Octo Finissimo models leaves the greatest impression on you? Take a screenshot, check your favorite, and share!
Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual
Octo Finissimo Automatic
Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater
Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic
Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic
Send your answers to journal@thewatchbox.com or tag your posts @watchbox and #watchbox on Instagram.
