After just over three months from Bulgari’s launch of the Octo Finissimo Ultra, Richard Mille in collaboration with Ferrari decided to abruptly interrupt the celebrations of the Roman Maison, presenting the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari last night.
Mille’s watch is 0.05 mm thinner than its opponent, an achievement in itself absolutely incredible. The defeat of an all-Italian idol has certainly stirred the hearts of many fans of our Peninsula and shortly after the announcement, there was no lack of comments in favor of one or the other side.
To sum up, it seems that the technical and engineering value of what Richard Mille achieved is undeniable and recognized by all. What is missing, however, according to many, is the elegance and aesthetic balance which, as we know, is certainly not a point held in high regard by the Swiss maison, whose watches, on the contrary, aim to break predetermined stylistic schemes.
Ultimately, de gustibus non disputandum est, so in this article we will try to move away from personal considerations to provide a real “objective” comparison between two of the most disruptive watches of the last twenty years. Let’s begin!
1. Material
RM UP-01 Ferrari: Titanium
Octo Finissimo Ultra: Titanium
Here, friends of IWS (to use a quote from our Jacopo Invernizzi), we can say that it is a draw. Both manufacturers used titanium, a material now widely used in the watch industry and known for its resistance and, above all, its lightness.
If you are wondering what in this case could have been the tiebreaker towards one or the other side, it would have been the use of a completely new and innovative material for the watch industry, but clearly it is not something that we expected nor that we can remotely pretend.
2. Thickness
RM UP-01 Ferrari: 1,75 mm
Octo Finissimo Ultra: 1,80 mm
This is certainly the highlight of the whole debate. Despite being an almost imperceptible measurement to the human eye, 0.05mm is enough to unseat the Octo Finissimo Ultra and set Richard Mille first for building the thinnest watch in the world.
Of course, in absolute terms, the winner is obvious. However, looking at the other dimensions of the case the overall verdict could be different. For the moment, I only mention the fact that the thickness of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra has been achieved thanks to a case of only 40 mm in diameter. In contrast, the new RM UP-01 Ferrari features a case diameter of 51mm x 39 mm. A different challenge would have been to maintain a diameter close to 40 mm. But let’s bring this up onto the next point.
3. Case diameter
RM UP-01 Ferrari: 51 x 39 mm
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra: 40 x 40 mm
Going back to the previous point, this in my opinion is an extremely important feature in the differences between the two watches. A 51 mm case, at least for what I believe, is absolutely impractical and bulky on the wrist on the one hand, and on the other it certainly allows greater flexibility within the volume of the case which, despite its extreme thinness, results wider in volume compared to a 40 mm case with the same thickness.
Obviously, stating this, I do not mean in any way to belittle the incredible achievement accomplished by the Swiss company. However, it should be noted that keeping the case diameter close to 40 millimeters would certainly have represented a challenge and an even more impressive goal than it has already been.
4. Water resistance
RM UP-01 Ferrari: 30 meters
Octo Finissimo Ultra: None
As for water resistance, there is little to say. Bulgari, in achieving his feat, had to accept the trade off probably thinking that for a watch of this kind, water resistance was not of fundamental importance. On the contrary, Richard Mille is not caught unprepared by equipping the RM UP-01 with resistance up to 30 meters deep.
However, note that this does not mean that the watch can truly reach those depths. In practice, it means that the watch is resistant to accidental splashes, rain and sweat. For more information on the water resistance of watches, I invite you to read our guide!
5. Movement
RM UP-01 Ferrari: RMUP-01
- Winding: Manual
- Power reserve: 45 hours
- Functions: Hours, minutes, function selector
Octo Finissimo Ultra: BVL 180
- Winding: Manual
- Power reserve: 50 hours
- Functions: Hour, minutes, NFT
In this case dear friends, it is a tie. For the Richard Mille we have the RMUP-01 caliber, while for Bulgari we have the BVL 180 caliber. As is normal, both calibers are manually wound. However, the Octo Finissimo Ultra has a slightly higher power reserve than the RMUP-01. As for the functions, on the other hand, although both watches are, as is natural, equipped with time-only functions, in Richard Mille they have managed to integrate a trademark of the maison, the function selector which, albeit in its simplicity, contributes to making the caliber “richer” than his opponent’s.
Per saperne di più su entrambi i calibri vi lascio i link agli articoli di approfondimento sull’ RM UP-01 Ferrari e su Octo Finissimo Ultra.
To find out more about both calibers, I leave you the links to the in-depth articles on the RM UP-01 Ferrari and on the Octo Finissimo Ultra.
6. Availability and list price
RM UP-01 Ferrari:
- Availability: 150 units
- List price: EUR 1.700.000,00 + VAT
Octo Finissimo Ultra:
- Availability: 10 units
- List price: EUR 400.000,00 + VAT
Here dear friends, more than a race in which to find a winner, we are simply talking about different strategies. It is evident that the Octo Finissimo Ultra has a much lower price than the RM-UP 01, which certainly makes it more accessible … Although, of course, none of the watches can be said to be accessible.
One thing to note, besides the price difference, is the variation in the units that will be produced. Unlike Bulgari who only produces 10 pieces of this watch, Richard Mille has stated that he will produce 15 times as many, 150.
At this point, I wonder if Richard Mille has managed to make the production of such a watch so simple that it can allow such a higher output than its rivals or if Bulgari’s choice was not simply dictated by the desire to make the watch even more exclusive. It almost seems that if the Italian maison wanted to strengthen the exclusivity of the model by limiting production on the one hand, on the other Richard Mille is trying to achieve the same result thanks to the astronomical list price.
Final remarks
Well, friends of Italian Watch Spotter, we have reached the end of this analysis. At this point I can leave objectivity aside to express a little of my Italian pride and why not, my tastes.
While Richard Mille has certainly achieved an astonishing result on an engineering and technical level, on the other I think that the aesthetics have certainly been disadvantaged. After all, QR Code aside, I think that the greatness of Bulgari’s work was to be able to create such a thin watch without altering in any way the fundamental aesthetic standards of his most important collection.
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