Bulgari, the renowned Roman jeweller and watchmaker, has shattered another record. The company unveiled its latest marvel, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, at the 2024 Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva, Switzerland. This groundbreaking timepiece boasts an unprecedented 1.70mm thickness, making it the slimmest mechanical watch ever created that’s resistant to shocks and magnetism.
This achievement marks Bulgari’s ninth world record in the Octo Finissimo line within a decade. The brand has been pushing the boundaries of thinness in the ultra-competitive world of high-end watchmaking, where rivals like Richard Mille and Piaget are constantly innovating.
This coin-thin masterpiece is the result of a collaborative effort between Bulgari and Concepto Watch Factory, a Swiss specialist in intricate mechanisms. Engineers managed to shave off an additional 0.1mm from the previous record-holder, the 2022 Octo Finissimo Ultra, by meticulously reworking the case.
The 170 components of the BVL180 manufacture calibre, a manually wound movement, now reside within a slim case crafted from a combination of sandblasted titanium or platinum and ultra-resistant tungsten carbide for the back and main plate, ensuring durability despite the extreme thinness.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC boasts several remarkable features. The hour and minute dials, the large barrel with a 50-hour power reserve, and the escapement all play off the circular geometry of the bezel opening. The sandblasted titanium bracelet is even thinner than the case itself, measuring a mere 1.5mm.
While Bulgari experimented with connected timepieces in the past, including the 2022 Octo Finissimo Ultra with an NFT-unlocking QR code, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC takes a different approach. It features a Datamatrix code on the back that unlocks access to online storytelling content.
This ultra-exclusive timepiece is limited to a mere 20 pieces, with a price tag of 600,000 Euros for the titanium version and 620,000 Euros for the platinum. Each watch comes with a dedicated setting and winding case equipped with a digital display.
