Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The All-Blue Titanium Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Laurent Grasso Edition
French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso interprets time as a dreamy, evanescent cloud captured on the dial of the Octo Finissimo Automatic for eternity.
Ten years ago, Bulgari’s launch of the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon spearheaded the Italian brand’s march across the watchmaking landscape, razing records in the battle for ultra-thin movements/watches. Currently the holder of nine world records, the Octo Finissimo’s incredible mechanical feats are matched by the formidable geometry of its case, securing it a seat in the pantheon of iconic contemporary design. The Octo Finissimo Automatic is the most straightforward model in the lineup and has been the recipient of collaborations with several architects and artists since its launch in 2017 – including Tadao Ando, Kazuyo Sejima or Mo Coppoletta. The latest collaboration is with French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso, who has created a dreamy, iridescent cloud for the dial of the all-blue PVD titanium Octo Finissimo Automatic.
Laurent Grasso (1972) plays with ambiguity and mystery, challenging our perceptions of reality. Fascinated with electromagnetic energy and paranormal phenomena, Grasso’s artwork explores the unseen and intangible. Floating eyes, moving celestial bodies, and haunting clouds are all part of his metaphorical language, where surreal perspectives and disquieting juxtapositions question the very foundation of our concepts of time and space.
Given his interest in science, watchmaking’s profound connection to the cosmos is a natural fit for Grasso. Clouds are a recurring metaphor in Grasso’s universe. Suspended between the earthly and celestial, clouds are a quintessential symbol of dreams. His vision for the dial was a cloud formation casting rainbow-like reflections. “The particles in suspension,” explains Grasso, “and myriad frozen droplets diffract light, rendering the cloud iridescent with multiple colours.”
Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari’s Executive Director of Product Creation, is one of the most esteemed names in watchmaking design today. Mixing classical Roman architectural motifs with edgy, avant-garde design, his Octo Finissimo is regarded as a contemporary icon. The Automatic version of this family has enjoyed collaborations with Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Tadao Ando. On a more radical note, tattoo artist Mo Coppoletta covered the case, dial and bracelet with laser-engraved tattoos.
The collaboration with Grasso starts with the evocative midnight blue colour selected for the watch. The 40mm sandblasted titanium case, with a thickness of just 5mm, has a matte blue PVD coating that extends to the bracelet and dial (a DLC coating would have been preferred, though). Lightweight, ultra-thin and as ethereal as you get in the watchmaking world, the case is a fitting receptacle for the artwork on the dial.
Using metallic pigments, Grasso’s cloud formation is screen-printed in the lower half of the blue PVD-coated dial. With no markers and no branding, the only elements on the dial are the three blue PVD-coated hands that float over the sunset-tinged cloud.
The exhibition caseback is decorated with the silhouette of Grasso’s cloud and the artist’s signature while revealing different components of the remarkable ultra-thin BVL 138 automatic movement developed and manufactured at the Bulgari manufacturer in Le Sentier. Measuring 36.6mm across with a thickness of just 2.23mm, the circular opening on the right exposes the platinum 950 micro-rotor, delivering energy to the barrel for the 60-hour power reserve. The movement is hand-decorated with Geneva stripes, circular graining and bevelled angles.
The Octo Finissimo x Laurent Grasso is limited to 200 pieces worldwide and comes in a blue presentation case matching the blue finish of the watch. The price is CHF 18,900 or EUR 22,000. For more information, please visit bulgari.com.
