Page 48 - BFM F/W 2024

Extremely Fine
The new BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days Titanium is an ultra-thin watch with a big presence
FINISSIMO, WHICH MEANS “EXTREMELY FINE” IN ITALIAN, IS A FITTING
moniker for a watch whose defining element is its gracefully slender form. With an angular, architectural case and bracelet made from titanium, a skeletonized dial, and an ultra-slim 5.95 mm profile, however, the new BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days Titanium would be an arresting timepiece by any name. It’s no less impressive on the inside, thanks to the ultra-slim calibre BVL 199 SK, a new hand-wound manufacture movement that boasts an exceptional eight-day power reserve despite being just 2.50 mm thick. As extraordinary as the newest addition to the BVLGARI Octo Finissimo collection is, it’s just the latest in a decade-long run of spectacular watches that have earned BVLGARI a place among the world’s most respected watch brands.
The new BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days Titanium is the successor to no less than eight world record-breaking watches released since the introduction of the Octo Finissimo in 2014. Its legacy, however, goes back even further to the golden era of watch design in the 1970s and the mind of pioneering watch designer Gérald Genta.
The first iteration of the Octo Finissimo, the 2014 Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual, represented a new paradigm for BVLGARI as a watchmaker. As the thinnest tourbillon watch ever made, with a case measuring an incredible
5 mm thick, it smashed a nearly-30-year-old record. The brand’s history stretches back to the 1880s, but for much of this time BVLGARI had been known more for its jewellery than its watches. That all changed with the Octo Finissimo, which proved to the world that BVLGARI had major ambitions as a watchmaker. More record-breaking designs would follow, including the world’s thinnest minute-repeater (the 2016 Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater), the world’s thinnest automatic watch (the 2017 Octo Finissimo Automatic), and the world’s thinnest tourbillon chronograph (the 2020 Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic).
The new BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days Titanium is a clear descendant of these record-breaking creations, carrying forward their evocative architectural lines while adding new features and functionality. Its skeletonized dial is clean and contemporary, with just hours, minutes, and a gauge-shaped power-reserve indicator following the curvature of the small seconds counter at seven-thirty. Then, of course, there’s the case. Measuring 40 mm across, its slim profile makes it suited to a wide range of wrists while its matte finish makes it versatile enough to pair with anything from casual to formal wear, and easily slip under the cuff of a dress shirt. Not that you’d want to hide it. As a member of one of the most prestigious families in watchmaking, this is a watch that demands to be admired.
48 BFM / FW24 PORTFOLIO
EXTREMELY FINE: TEXT BY JEREMY FREED.