With Dubai Watch Week kicking off today, the Oracle Time team has been on the ground in Dubai to discover all the latest releases. Unsurprisingly there is a strong focus on the regional market with plenty of special editions dedicated to the region’s biggest retailer, Seddiqi & Sons, as well as many desert themed watches. However, one of the most striking special editions we’ve seen so far is the Bulgari Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo.
The Octo Finissimo has been the canvas for a number of artistic collaborations for Bulgari over the year, working with the likes of Japanese artist Sejima in 2022. Now it’s the turn of Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej. He’s a well-known artist in the country having founded his own art gallery and created the façade on one of Dubai’s museums. The focus for his work on the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is showcasing the beauty and flowing style of the Arabic language through calligraphy.
To that end, the 40mm titanium case, bracelet and even the dial of the watch are laser engraved with calligraphy. The dynamic shapes give it an almost urban, graffiti like style that works really well with the modern, angular shape of the Octo Finissimo. As it is calligraphy, it is by necessity based on words and language – as I am not an Arabic speaker I can’t tell you if the watch is actually readable, perhaps someone can tell us in the comments below.
However, the inspiration for the design is based on an actual speech by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “The future will be for those who can imagine, design and implement it. The future does not wait, but it can be designed and built today.” It’s essentially a dedication to the forward-facing mentality of the country.
Beyond the artistic collaboration, this is the Octo Finissimo as we already know it, with a 40mm ultra-thin design housing the BVL 138 movement with 60-hour power reserve and featuring hours, minutes and small seconds. The Bulgari Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo is a limited edition of 70 pieces at €23,000 (approx. £20,300).
Price and Specs:
More details at Bulgari.
