What will be the expression of time that lies beyond the pinnacle of sophistication?

Through its collaboration with Japanese architect Tadao Ando and the release of the "Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Limited Edition Model," Bvlgari has achieved a fusion of ultimate design and time.

Photo Kazumi Kurigami
Architect Ando has gained international acclaim for his buildings, which creatively combine concrete and glass with light. These three elements are common to Ando's architecture, and he is eternally pursuing absolute purity, or essence. Ando's work has become part of the history of contemporary architecture. Notable works include the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas, USA; the Church of the Light in Osaka; and 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in Tokyo. In the first limited edition Octo Finissimo watch, born from a collaboration between Bvlgari and Ando, Ando, inspired by the pure design of the Octo Finissimo, likened the spiral vortex engraved on the dial to a black hole, expressing the birth of time. For this second model, Ando, an architect by trade, expresses the theme of time through the concept of a crescent moon. While continuing to focus on time as his main theme, he takes a different approach to expressing it.

The moon changes from a crescent moon, the first stage of its phases, to a full moon. The waxing and waning of the moon symbolizes the transience of time. The Earth casts a partial shadow on the moon, making only the crescent moon appear shining. Since the dawn of civilization, the moon has always been used to represent time, serving as a clock and calendar for both humanity and the natural world. In Japanese culture, the kanji character "tsuki" (moon), which refers to both the moon in the sky and the moon on the calendar, is used to describe events related to time. Within the spiral that depicts the night sky, the crescent moon represents hope at night and embodies a hopeful future. This limited edition model, crafted in collaboration with Tadao Ando, expresses the theme of "time" in a minimalist way on indigo lacquer. A spiral representing time swirls out from the base of the second hand, and a gold crescent moon is placed at the 5 o'clock position. With these two essential graphic elements, Tadao Ando expresses his vision of "time." His signature is laser-printed on the see-through caseback. His work is expressed through shape, size, materials, and spatial design. There are clear parallels between his architecture and the Octo Finissimo collection. Tadao Ando commented on this creation as follows:


"The crescent moon (waxing quarter moon) appears in the first stage of transition from new moon to full moon, symbolizing the fleeting passage of time. When the Earth's shadow falls on the moon's surface, receiving light from the sun, the overlapping of two circles creates the crescent moon.

Since the dawn of civilization, the moon has been a symbol of the cycle of time. It has been recognized as eternal time and a calendar enjoyed by all of humanity and nature. The moon has been an indispensable part of all civilizations. In Japanese culture, too, the kanji for "moon" (tsuki) intertwines the "moon" floating in the sky and the "moon" on the calendar.

The crescent moon in the spiral representing the night sky is a light that gives humanity hope in the darkness. It is a symbol of evolution toward a prosperous future. When the circle of the moon and the circle of the clock face overlap, a new kind of watch was born. It is our hope that this watch will remain deeply etched in the hearts of all who wear it."

Tadao Ando


About Tadao Ando
Architect. Born in Osaka. Self-taught in architecture, he founded Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in 1969.
His representative works include the Rokko Housing Complex, Church of the Light, FABRICA (Benetton Art School), Pulitzer Museum of Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Chichu Art Museum, Omotesando Hills (Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments Redevelopment Project), Punta della Dogana, Shanghai Poly Grand Theater, and Clark Art Institute. He received the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize in 1979 for his "Sumiyoshi Row Houses," the Alvar Aalto Prize in 1985, the Gold Medal of the French Academy of Architecture in 1989, the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1993, the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, the Praemium Imperiale in 1996, the AIA Gold Medal and Kyoto Prize in 2002, the Person of Cultural Merit in 2003, the UIA (International Union of Architects) Gold Medal in 2005, the Légion d'Honneur (Chevalier), the John F. Kennedy Center Gold Medal in 2010, and the Order of Culture. He also received the Richard Neutra Prize in 2012, the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013, the Grande Ufficiale de la Star de l'Ordre des Stars in 2015, and the Isamu Noguchi Prize in 2016. He has served as a visiting professor at Yale, Columbia, and Harvard. He has been a professor at the University of Tokyo since 1997 and a professor emeritus since 2003.


Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Limited edition / "Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Limited Edition Model"
Product code and price: SAP103534 / 2,178,000 yen (tax included)
Movement: BVL138 mechanical manufacture movement, automatic winding, ultra-thin caliber with platinum micro-rotor and small seconds, hour and minute displays, small seconds at 7 o'clock, Côtes de Genève decoration
Beveled bridges, circular-grained main plate, 2.23mm thick, 36.60mm diameter, 21,600 vph, 60-hour power reserve, 36 jewels
Dial: Blue lacquer dial with spiral pattern and yellow gold crescent moon by Tadao Ando
Case: 40mm diameter, 5.15mm thick, sand-blasted black ceramic case, bezel and crown, custom see-through case back laser-printed with Tadao Ando's signature
Bracelet: Sand-blasted black ceramic bracelet with folding buckle
Water resistance: 30m
Release date: April 2021 (Japan first)
Limited edition: 160 pieces worldwide

Contact: Bvlgari Japan 03-6362-0100


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