Bulgari Sets Another Record with the Thinnest Mechanical Watch Ever Made

Bulgari has set another record as it unveils the new 1.80mm Octo Finissimo Ultra. Currently, the Octo Finissimo collection has topped seven records of thinness since its creation in 2014 – headlined by the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon powered by calibre BVL 268 having the thinnest Tourbillon movement at 1.95mm with a 5.00mm case. With this record-breaking streak of Bulgari’s ultra-thin watches, its 2021 Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar has received the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève’s Aiguille d’Or award. 

Now, Bulgari has grabbed the record of the thinnest mechanical watch from Piaget’s 2.00mm Altiplano Ultimate Concept. It has teamed up with movement designer and producer Concepto in La Chaux-de-Fonds and created the Octo Finissimo Ultra with a signature matt monochromatic grey look – and is 10% thinner than the former champ and is almost as thin as a 1.75mm quarter dollar coin. 

The Italian luxury brand utilizes a 40mm case that has an integrated bracelet with an “invisible” folding clasp to match the thinness of the case – presenting a mechanism on full display with an amazingly thin profile. It has two separate counters for the hours and minutes with the seconds’ display placed directly on the fourth wheel at 6 o’clock – leading to an 8-shaped display.

The timepiece uses ultra-rigid tungsten carbide for its caseback and main plate, while the case middle and the bezel are made of sandblasted titanium. The caseback and the case middle are bonded together and its movement components are directly machined into the caseback. The bezel is screwed from the back connected with the 0.30mm ultra-thin crystal resting on two silicone pads. 

To build functions in the same horizontal plane, Bvlgari has used two horizontal knobs on each side of the case to control winding and time setting. The time setting knob is protected to prevent unintentional actions. It has also redesigned the barrel to feature an oversized diameter that can maintain a substantial power reserve of 50 hours and a 4 Hz frequency. 

Bulgari has a total of eight patent applications for the new Octo watch – including the Bvlgari Singvlarity technology.

The timepieces are engraved with a QR code on the barrel – dedicated for a digital ecosystem to be unveiled in the release of the first Octo Finissimo Ultra. 

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Ref 103611 is priced at € 400,000 EUR with a limited edition of 10 pieces to recognize the 10th-anniversary of Octo. All ten owners will receive an exclusive NFT artwork that guarantees the authenticity of the units. 

For more information, visit www.bulgari.com.

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