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Representing an infinite playground for the watch Maison’s R&D department, the Octo Finissimo has set a new record. On nine occasions, engineers, watchmakers and designers have succeeded in defying the laws of physics to create complex timepieces in dimensions that are more than just efficient. Revealed this spring, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC pushes existing limits even further by measuring just 1.7mm thick, thinner than a 0.10 euro coin.
Setting a ninth world record, this timepiece is not only the thinnest mechanical watch resistant to shocks and magnetic fields ever produced, but also and above all the world’s thinnest COSC-certified chronometer. It stems from a demanding process and a constant desire to challenge the achievements and certainties of traditional Haute Horlogerie, so as to usher in a new era for this age-old expertise.
To save the one-tenth of a millimetre separating the Octo Finissimo Ultra from the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, Bulgari reworked the case. From the gears to the sapphire crystal, the engineers patiently succeeded – touch by touch and evolution by evolution – in shaving off the hundredths of a millimetre required to guarantee the new record. The components were selected using 1/10th of a micron optical measuring systems, so as to be able to select the components closest to the perfect size. The greatest challenge was to optimise the balance so as to obtain chronometer certification from the COSC, an additional requirement and a first for the Ultra line.
In terms of overall construction, the case back serves as a plate on which the 170 components of the hand-wound BVL180 Manufacture movement are integrated. Another problem to be solved for a timepiece measuring 40mm in diameter and just 1.70mm thick was the rigidity required for the whole assembly, which was achieved by designing the back/plate element in particularly dense, hard and ultra-resistant tungsten carbide. In addition, so as to make the most of the entire surface of the watch, the hours and minutes dials, the large barrel – which stores 50 hours of power reserve – and the escapement all play on the circular geometry of the bezel opening, somewhat disrupting it.
An exceptional watch requires an exceptional container: with the presentation box dedicated to the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, Bulgari reinvents the experience of setting and winding a watch. If collectors wish to dispense with traditional methods, they can place their watch in the dedicated box, equipped with a digital screen. They then set the desired time and start the adjustment cycle by pressing a button. In just a few seconds, the watch is perfectly adjusted and wound with impeccable precision. This box acts like a watchmaker in your own home.
Laying a new milestone in watchmaking history, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is issued in a 20-piece limited edition.
May 16, 2024