SpotlightLightweight And Gilded: Bulgari Present Two New Octo Finissimo Watches In Carbon And Gold
Bulgari release the Octo Finissimo Automatic and the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in a marbled carbon case and strap with rose-gold accents, and showcase their extremely tiny Piccolissimo BVL 100 mechanical movement in gorgeous new Serpenti Misteriosi secret watches
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Italian watchmaker and jeweller Bulgari unveiled two stunning new Octo Finissimo CarbonGold timepieces in carbon and gold at the Geneva Watch Days trade convention this week. These ultra-slim and ultra-light releases follow the brand’s new Octo Roma watches presented in March this year, and the captivating Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Marble ‘Only Watch’ showcased just last month. The brand also presented two new iterations of the Serpenti Misteriosi high jewellery secret watches in white gold and diamonds, and rose gold paired with black lacquer. Following their ‘extraordinary duality of nature’ theme, Bulgari meld colours, shapes and materials to renew their most iconic collections, making them even more new-age and relevant.
Octo Finissimo CarbonGold
Among the slimmest mechanical watches in the world, Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo line has explored materials such as platinum, titanium, rose and yellow gold, and ceramic. Now, the maison combine the lightweight and futuristic carbon with a luxurious and age-old rose gold to present beautifully-marbled black-grey carbon watches with gorgeous muted pink-gold highlights.
The first of the new releases, the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic features the iconic eight-sided case with a 40mm width and thickness of 6.9mm, and an octagonal bezel with a rounded addition in carbon. The dial and integrated bracelet are also made from the same material, offering the watch a beautifully-streaked aesthetic. Slim, elongated hour markers, skeletonised dauphine hands, a small-seconds sub-dial between six and nine o’clock, and the branding just under 12 o’clock stand out in contrast in their rich rose gold effect. The crown at three o’clock is also in the same rosy shade of gilt, with a black ceramic insert to offset it. The exhibition caseback reveals the automatic calibre BVL 138, powered by a platinum micro-rotor, which offers a 60-hour power reserve.
The Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar timepiece—the titanium version of which won the Aiguille d’Or award in 2021, the highest prize at the GPHGs—is beautifully presented in the same anthracite carbon case, dial and strap, with rose gold highlights. Only, this watch looks more stunning for all the activity on the dial, with the day, date, month, and retrograde leap year sub-dials highlighted in rose gold. The sapphire crystal caseback offers a view of the automatic calibre BVL 305, which is just 2.75mm thick, and offers a power reserve of 60 hours. The 40mm-wide case, with its height of 7.6mm, is water-resistant up to 100m, making this not just beautiful in its marbling but also a very versatile and functional timepiece.
Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery Secret Watches
Probably the best-recognised Bulgari creation is their Serpenti watch, whose coils around a wrist stand out even across a room. Bulgari release two new reincarnations of their serpentine timepiece, the first of which is in white gold set with 116 diamonds measuring 32.91 carat, with two pear-shaped emeralds for the snake’s eyes. Hidden inside the reptile’s menacing mouth is a dial also paved with diamonds, and with green timekeeping hands that match its reptilian eyes. Inside, is Bulgari’s ultra-small Piccolissimo manual-winding mechanical movement, the calibre BVL 100, which is only 2.5mm thick, and offers a 30-hour power reserve. This BVL 100 calibre is among the smallest movements available today, and is wound by a crown located under the snake’s head.
The second Serpenti Misteriosi secret watch is in a striking rose gold with black lacquered scales on the coiling bracelet, tastefully interspersed with diamonds. Interestingly, the black lacquering on these scales is achieved by a technique inspired by the enamelling done by Egyptians in 2000 BC. Given the watch’s history, and its connection with Egyptian queen Cleopatra—played by famous Bulgari patron Elizabeth Taylor in the 1960s—this lacquering technique is symbolic of the maison’s quest to combine age-old crafts with modern savoir-faire. The overall effect of this timepiece in rose gold and black that doubles as jewellery is extraordinary, to say the least. A diamond-paved dial features green timekeeping hands that match the black snake’s mesmerising emerald eyes. This timepiece is powered by the BVL 100 calibre, but like every Misteriosi secret watch, the detachable case and movement can be exchanged for one with a quartz movement.
Monete Catene
Bulgari also released two versions of their Monete Catene high jewellery secret watches, featuring a historical coin and a delicate chain strap, and named for ‘coin’ (monete), and ‘chain’ (catene).
The Monete Catene High Jewellery secret watch features a silver coin with the head of Roman emperor Caracalla, who ruled between 198 and 217 AD. The coin covers a hidden, diamond-studded watch face on a rose-gold, diamond studded case and chain-bracelet. The Monete Catene Dual-Time cuff timepiece houses two coins with the effigies of the first black Roman emperor Septimius Severus, and his empress Julia Domna, who was deified and widely worshipped as a goddess, with two jewel encrusted dials hidden under these coins. These jewellery watches are powered by the brand’s Piccolissimo BVL 100 calibre.
What’s most fascinating about these new releases is how Bulgari have managed to fuse age-old techniques and materials with modern watchmaking know-how—a combination that renowned watchmakers who are also savvy with high jewellery would know only too well.
