With the introduction of the new Octo Finissimo Ultra, Bulgari is raising (or actually slimming) the bar once again when it comes to ultra-thin watches. While this is a very impressive accomplishment, the true trailblazer is the Octo Finissimo Ultra-Thin, the first one in the series, launched in 2014. This manual wind watch was powered by caliber BVL 128, which is 2.23 mm thick. While this is indeed thicker than the new Octo Finissimo Ultra in its case, it still counts as an incredible accomplishment. It put Bulgari immediately in the ranks of brands like Piaget, Blancpain, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Pigue, which all have quite a heritage when it comes to ultra-thin movements.

While followed by the equally impressive Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in 2016, I want to focus on what happened a year later when Bulgari introduced the Octo Finissimo Automatic. This is the watch that made ultra-thin cool again, by giving a contemporary twist to Gerald Genta’s original Roma design. Bulgari was able to add a micro-rotor to caliber BVL 128 without increasing its height. One of the most brilliant things they did was make the watch out of titanium. Suddenly, there was a unique sense of lightness that underscores the thinness of the watch. Bulgari even went through the effort of making a matching bracelet with the watch. Thin and supple, it follows the shape of the wrist perfectly, making it one of the most comfortable watches to wear currently available.
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