Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo must be pretty annoying for any brand wanting to compete in the ultra-slim category. Every watch in the sub-collection is a record-breaker, all the way up to their superlative Minute Repeater, arguably the finest watch in the Italian jeweller’s collection.
It first debuted in 2016 under plenty of fanfare dressed in lightweight titanium. It was – and still is – a seriously cool piece and fit the faceted, Gerald Genta design flawlessly. Now Bulgari is taking a slightly different approach and upping the ante with the kind of previous metal you expect to see around a high complication like this: rose gold.
There are no half measures here; case and dial both are entirely rose gold, broken only by the crystals front and back and slits in the dial. Those slits, incidentally, are there to help amplify the sound of the watch’s chime and from personal experience work pretty darn well.
The case is still incredibly modern of course, though as much thanks to the sandblasted matte finish as the signature Octo shape. Paired with the dial it’s a monochromatic flash of contemporary luxury.
The in-house 326 calibre hand-wound movement itself boasts a not-too-shabby 42-hour power reserve and an ‘all or nothing’ safety device to protect the otherwise delicate complication. It’ll weight a good bit more on the wrist than the titanium edition, but given how thin the watch is (it measures in at just 6.9mm, a little thicker than the previous 6.85) it won’t be heavy.
It will however turn heads, especially when it chimes.
Price & Specs:
Model Name: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Sandblasted Rose Gold
Ref: 103279
Case/Dial: 40mm diameter x 6.90mm thickness, rose gold
Water resistance: 30m
Movement: In-house Bulgari caliber BVL 362
Power Reserve: 42h
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Functions: Hours, minutes, minute repeater
Strap: Brown matte alligator with 18k rose gold ardillon buckle
Price: $170,000
More details at Bulgari’s website.
