Thinking with ingenuity to go beyond all limits. This is what Bulgari has been able to do once again establishing itself as one of the most innovative and iconic brands in contemporary watchmaking.
After seven world records and more than 60 international awards, Bulgari goes beyond all boundaries to create the thinnest mechanical watch in the world, the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The eighth watch in the Octo Finissimo collection managed, in fact, to surpass even the record holder in ultra-thin watchmaking, the Piaget Altiplano Ultima Concept, with an overall thickness of only 1.8 mm.
A little bit of history
To reach such a technical achievement, almost three years of development were needed and Bulgari’s ability to reveal its double identity in an extraordinary way, divided between the excellent technical skill of Swiss watchmaking and the unrivaled elegance of Italian style. .
Leading the paradigm shift necessary to create the best mechanical watch in the world was Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Executive Director of Product Creation of Bulgari, who, together with the research and development team involved in the project, was able to revolutionize not only the rules of movement design, but also to review the use of materials by adapting to different constraints dictated by ultra-miniaturization.
The technical difficulties of the development of this watch have, in fact, pushed the Bulgari Watches team to change their point of view several times, transforming constraints into opportunities that could define new physical limits.
Since its debut in 2014, the Octo Finissimo collection has maintained a modern, but at the same time essential, harmonious and elegant style capable of making every watch timeless.
The thinnest watch ever produced
The Octo Finissimo Ultra, maintains all the aesthetic standards of Octo’s nature, with an unmistakable monochrome style in sandblasted titanium and an ultra-thin octagonal case with an integrated bracelet, only 1.50 mm thick. This timepiece architecture underlines the indissoluble link between the collection and the maison’s Roman origins, drawing inspiration from the geometric motifs that decorate the arches of the Pantheon in Rome.
The arrangement of the movement also adapts to the distinctive features of the collection, keeping two separate counters for the hours and minutes and the seconds indication directly on the fourth wheel. With such a reduced thickness, it was also necessary to rethink the function of the components, with tight tolerances, and their composition.
The dial, in addition to displaying the time, invites you to discover the internal architecture by keeping other constituents in position. To take advantage of the entire surface of the watch, the components of the manually wound mechanical movement are integrated into the recesses made from the caseback and all functions are built on the same horizontal plane. Seen from the side, in fact, the watch seems to be developed on two dimensions, visible like a sheet of paper. Viewed from the front, however, it reveals a three-dimensional structure, creating a play of perception between the visible and the invisible.
Bulgari’s magnificent company holds another unique novelty of its kind: a unique QR code is engraved on the barrel, a gateway to a digital ecosystem that breaks the boundaries between the real world and the virtual one. Each owner will thus receive access to an exclusive digital space containing a world dedicated to their watch, its design and its history. Each of the ten pieces made in a limited edition will also be the safe of an exclusive NFT work of art, a guarantee of authenticity and uniqueness of the owner.
This digital dimension will only be revealed with a surprise effect when the Octo Finissimo Ultra arrives on the market.
Final remarks
This ongoing challenge in the search for innovative solutions has allowed Bulgari to present and file eight patent applications during construction, relating to the assembly of the watch glass, the structure of the barrel, the oscillator module, the differential display, the modular structure, the bracelet, the case, the metal alloy caseback and finally the Bulgari Singvlarity technology.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra celebrates 10 years of creativity, audacity and visionary thinking characteristic of the Bulgari maison, capable of breaking every rule and continually redefining the codes of contemporary high watchmaking.
Will this record be broken by any other micro-mechanical creation? Difficult to think, but not impossible to imagine!
Author: Chiara D’Addesa
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