Making its Watches and Wonder debut this year, Bvlgari are here to set records and push the boundaries of watchmaking.
Bvlgari have held many achievements in their pursuit of svelteness. 2014’s release of the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon set the world record for the thinnest tourbillon movement; a complication regarded as the pinnacle of watchmaking. Since then the Octo model line has gone on to win over 60 international awards. But why stop there?
BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
This new BVF 900 manual wound, flying tourbillon movement is now the thinnest of its kind in the world. An astounding achievement and the 10th world record now held by the brand. The case that houses this movement is just 40mm in diameter and a mind boggling 1.85mm thick! That’s the case thickness, not just the movement thickness! It manages to achieve this slender profile while also maintaining a 42hr power reserve.
To achieve this thinness, the brand has implemented new construction techniques and secured eight specific patents including the differential display, integrated case middle and plate design, bi-material case back, a new crystal mounting method, a novel barrel structure, the oscillator module, the modular construction and the bracelet design. An impressive achievement for he R&D team and watchmakers at Bvlgari.
The skeletonisation allows the wearer to see the complexity of the movement, while also complimenting the contemporary design of the case and bracelet. The movement is elegantly decorated with refined modern finishes that aid in its mechanical artistry.
The material choices are equally as impressive, complimenting to the modern styling and innovative problem solving. Microbead-frosted titanium is used for the lugs, case middle, and bezel ensuring the watch is light-weight and well balanced. And the main plate that houses the mechanical movement is crafted from tungsten carbide, solving the challenges of structure and stiffness presented when engineering ultra-thin movements.
The movement is also COSC certified, proving that accuracy can still be achieved with experimental construction techniques and materials.
The two unusual planar ‘crowns’ located at 8 o’clock (to wind the movement) and 3 o’clock (to set the time) and are made of circular-grained stainless steel. And the ratchet is also stainless steel with a circular brush finishing, and engraved with geometric decoration.
For improved legibility and longevity, the hour and minute hands are rhodium plated and set on a sand-blasted brass dial with a DLC anthracite coating.
The sandblasted titanium bracelet maintains the Octo’s design and so will be extremely comfortable, but now lighter and will not show scratching as much as polished steel.
This is truly another masterpiece from the Maison, pushing the innovation of watchmaking and refinement further into the modern age.
