Bulgari unveils new Octo Finissimo Ultra watch with an astonishing thickness of just 1.80mm

Apr 6, 2022

Far more than the world's thinnest mechanical watch, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is. It goes beyond the record itself. It represents a mindset and the power to reinvent and redefine the traditional codes of Haute Horlogerie. It is also the ultimate stage in a unique challenge and exploration, opening the door to entirely new dimensions.

At an astonishing 1.80mm thick, that's as thin as a 20-cent coin. Not only is the movement thinner, but the entire watch, from the case back to the top of the sapphire crystal, is also thinner. This record-breaking watch is the eighth in the Octo Finissimo collection, and Bvlgari has broken new ground that will have a profound impact on modern Haute Horlogerie.



Antoine Pin, Managing Director of Bvlgari Watches, reflected:

"'Can we do it?' Three years ago, when this question was asked, our team immediately responded: 'How do we proceed?' The ability to take on challenges is in Bvlgari's DNA. The word 'Ultra' embodies the idea of pushing boundaries and taking bold steps, a concept we cherish within our company."


An eighth world record to add to our proud heritage. A prime example of how the journey is just as important as the destination. Without Bvlgari's long-standing expertise, the Octo Finissimo Ultra would never have been born. Furthermore, no one would have even considered attempting something so out of the ordinary. This requires boldness and confidence, the driving force behind the ultimate ambition: to create the world's thinnest, most reliable, and most robust mechanical watch.

While the technical expertise gained so far is essential, it is not enough. Our designers, engineers, and artisans realized the scale of the challenge and started from scratch. You cannot create the world's best mechanical watch by relying solely on existing concepts. You need to forget everything, start again, consider a complete paradigm shift.

Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, Executive Director of Product Creation at Bvlgari, said:

"This eighth record attempt was the most challenging of all, requiring us to break convention not only in the design of the movement, but also in the case, case back, bracelet, and folding clasp. Achieving such thinness not only required rethinking our thinking, but also utilizing a variety of skills, experimenting with multiple materials, and adapting to many new constraints. In this sense, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is truly a complication born from a field rich in possibilities, such as ultra-miniaturization."




The Octo Finissimo Ultra had to build on all the collection's codes while also starting from a refined and elegant design—this was both an additional element and a constraint set by the R&D team involved in this project. These codes are particularly expressed in the monochrome style of the iconic sandblasted titanium, its 40 mm octagonal case, and its integrated bracelet, which is as thin as the watch itself. The seconds display on a wheel at 6 o'clock is off-center relative to the two regulator-style hour and minute displays, another characteristic of the collection.



This world-class thinness also stimulates the perception of what is visible and what is invisible. The Octo Finissimo Ultra appears both flat and three-dimensional. When viewed from the front, it exudes volume, allowing the depth of the mechanism to be experienced. At the same time, the various components pulsate, offering a truly three-dimensional vision. Viewed from the side, the incredibly thin watch becomes a two-dimensional object. Wearing the Octo Finissimo Ultra creates a truly unique and undeniable wearing experience.


Featuring a QR code engraved on the barrel's ratchet wheel, the Octo Finissimo Ultra breaks new ground in modern haute horlogerie. Scanning the code opens up a new dimension, leading to a unique and timeless experience. Limited to just 10 pieces, each Octo Finissimo Ultra comes with an exclusive NFT artwork, which uses blockchain technology to guarantee the authenticity and uniqueness of each watch, granting owners access to a dedicated digital universe. In this sense, the Octo Finissimo Ultra collection reflects the transition from miniaturization to immaterialization.

The Octo Finissimo Ultra defies the laws of physics. To achieve this thinness, everything had to be redesigned from scratch, and innovative solutions had to be found, resulting in eight patent applications. This uncharted territory required three years of research and development by Bvlgari's technical teams in the Vallée de Joux and Neuchâtel, as well as the innovative movement development specialists in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Octo Finissimo Ultra is the culmination of the many challenges and technologies developed to create the world's thinnest mechanical watch. Whatever the future holds, there is no doubt that this watch will leave its mark in the history of modern Haute Horlogerie.

Just as a sprinter must make extraordinary efforts to shave off a hundredth of a second, the quest for new records must always surpass itself. Similarly, reducing the thickness of a watch by one or even two millimeters requires highly ingenious methods. For this reason, the Octo Finissimo Ultra uses the caseback as the main plate, housing the 170-component BVL180 caliber. The volume of the bracelet links also had to be completely redesigned. They perfectly complement the 1.80mm case, while remaining half the thickness of the previous Octo Finissimo bracelet. Furthermore, the folding clasp had to be designed according to new parameters. To achieve the overall rigidity required for a 40mm diameter, 1.80mm thick watch, the caseband, bezel, titanium lugs, and caseback/main plate were all crafted from tungsten carbide, a material combining carbon and tungsten for its high density, hardness, and durability. Additionally, to maximize the full surface area of the watch, we've added the hour and minute dials, a large barrel with a 50-hour power reserve, and a slightly modified escapement to simplify the circular shape of the bezel opening.



You can't ignore the laws of physics. Figuring out how to fit all the components of a mechanical watch into a thickness of just 1.80mm requires considering laws of physics that go beyond conventional wisdom in the watch industry. When all the components of a regular watch are essential for a watch this thin, we have to rethink not only how we design and manufacture them within these limitations, but also their functions. And while a regular watch has one component that performs one function, an ultra-miniaturized watch ideally has some components that perform up to four. For example, the dial case not only displays the time, but also holds the other components in place. Another challenge we had to solve was the winding and time-setting crown.


Given the need to fit a thickness of 1.80mm, a traditional vertical crown would be too small to operate properly. Therefore, we positioned the winding and time-setting crowns horizontally, making them easier to operate even when the watch is worn on the wrist. Using the same techniques, all functions are positioned on the same horizontal plane, achieving unprecedented thinness. It also features a differential gear mechanism, a unique innovation that allows the time to be set without disturbing the gear train. The eight aforementioned patents have been filed.


Octo Finissimo Ultra is a bridge between the real and virtual worlds, the past and the future.
An extraordinary mechanical watch that connects to a new dimension.


The Octo Finissimo Ultra is more than just a watch on the wrist; it is a global ecosystem that opens up new worlds. Its mechanisms defy the laws of physics and extend into non-physical realms. A QR code engraved on the barrel's ratchet wheel opens a world dedicated to the owner's watch, its design, and its history. This dedicated space offers interviews, making-of segments, a virtual 3D tour of the movement, and an exploration of visible and invisible concepts related to the watch. Ten future owners of an Octo Finissimo Ultra will each receive an exclusive NFT artwork, guaranteeing the watch's authenticity and link to its owner. The world's thinnest watch will become a treasured repository for this unique work of art, a timeless document guaranteed by the creation's eighth patent, Bvlgari Singvlarity technology. In keeping with the usual surprises of the NFT world, the full scope of this digital ecosystem will be revealed in the coming months when the first Octo Finissimo Ultra watches hit the market. Following its overwhelming success in the physical world, the Octo Finissimo Ultra and its mechanical ingenuity bring the greatest watchmaking of all time to the digital world of NFTs and blockchain.



【Product Overview】


Product Number: SAP103611
Price: 52,217,000 yen (tax included, estimated price)
Case: Diameter 40mm, thickness 1.80mm
Bi-material case (made of two types of material):
- Sandblasted titanium lugs, bezel, and caseband Anthracite DLC-coated main plate and case back
Dial: Black PVD-coated hands
Movement: BVL180 ultra-thin mechanical manufacture movement, manual winding
Diameter: 35.00 mm, height: 1.50 mm
Functions: Hour counter, minute counter, seconds wheel with black PVD indicator
Sandblasted stainless steel timesetting wheel
Sandblasted stainless steel winding wheel
Sandblasted stainless steel ratchet wheel engraved with a unique QR code linking to the NFT art dedicated to each watch
Vibration frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: Approximately 50 hours
Bracelet: Ultra-thin titanium strap with stainless steel folding buckle
Water resistance: Limited to 10 m Limited to 10 pieces
Limited quantity: 10 pieces

Contact:
Bvlgari Japan
03-6362-0100
https://www.bulgari.com/ja-jp/



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