Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Compact Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater 37mm
Downsized in diameter, still undefeated as the world’s thinnest minute repeater.
Bulgari returns to Watches & Wonders this year with several re-editions of its Octo Finissimo Automatic, in more compact 37mm case sizes and powered by the new BVF micro-rotor automatic movement. Somewhat surreptitiously, though, Bulgari has also slipped in an Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in a 37mm case. The more compact sibling of the 2016 record-breaking 40mm Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, the 37mm newcomer retains the same case thickness of 6.85mm and is equipped with the same manual-winding BVL 362 movement. And that makes the Octo Finissimo 37mm, as well as its 40mm brother, the world’s thinnest minute repeater watches ever created.
It’s a paradox, but by downsizing from 40mm to 37mm, the appeal of the watch broadens considerably. The logic being that more compact case dimensions make high complications available to a wider range of unisex wrists. It’s also not the first time the 3.12mm ultra-thin BVL 362 has been incorporated into smaller cases. In fact, we’ve seen the BVL 362 inside the women’s 37mm high jewellery Diva Finissima and the gem-set Divina Mosaica.
As a member of the Octo Finissimo dynasty, the classic sandblasted titanium case exhibits its powerful geometry and raw industrial vibe. Borrowing from classical Roman architectural features, filtered through a contemporary lens, the powerful, stepped octagonal case of the family is instantly recognisable and among the most relevant contemporary designs in the watch scene today. Like the larger 40mm model, the 37mm case has the same 6.85mm case height. If it weren’t for the pusher on the left side of the case that activates the minute repeater complication, you would never guess there was such a sophisticated chiming complication below deck.
Using titanium for the case and dial ensures lightness and optimal sound diffusion without the added weight of gold or platinum. The deliberately thin, light case, hollowed out internally, ensures that vibrations from the gongs are transmitted. The incisions on the dial – the Arabic numeral 12, the indices and the small seconds sub-dial – are designed to optimise sound transmission by letting sound waves from the gongs escape more easily. Since the gongs are attached directly to the case, the titanium case becomes the main resonator.
Visible on the caseback, manual-winding BVL 362 reveals its traditional two-hammer minute repeater architecture. With 362 components and a height of just 3.12mm (thinner than a British one-pound coin), this miniaturised masterpiece operates at 21,600vph and delivers a 42-hour power reserve.
Each link of the sanblasted titanium bracelet, reminiscent of tank treads, is individually made and assembled by hand. It is secured to the wrist by an integrated folding buckle with push buttons. Price will be EUR 195,000. More information at bulgari.com.
