The Delightful Warmth of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Rose Gold

 After setting ten world records with its Octo Finissimo range in eleven years, Bulgari’s dominance in the ultra-slim arena is incontestable. The seventh ultra-thin model, the Octo Finissimo Perpetual, conquered the market in 2021. A highly prized complication, the perpetual calendar is powered by an impressively slim movement with a thickness of just 2.75mm. However, Bulgari did not rest on its laurels of ultra-thinness alone and, in the capable hands of Fabrizio Buonamassa, created an icon of contemporary Italian design. First released in titanium, Bulgari treats its calendar watch to a warm rose gold case.

While matte titanium is the metal most closely associated with the Octo Finissimo, Bulgari has no qualms about experimenting with different case materials to great effect. Since its debut, the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar has been available in darker, more technical materials, such as tantalum and carbon composite.

The latest wardrobe change, in 18k rose gold, lends the 40m watch a much warmer, more luxurious appeal, and, unlike lightweight titanium, adds a substantial amount of heft. Just 5.8mm thick, the case belies its complex stacked octagonal architecture and 110 facets. The microbead-frosted finish gives the watch a contemporary edge, toning down the Midas factor associated with gold watches polished to a high sheen.

One of the key traits of the Octo Finissimo collection is its sleek, monochromatic style with dials often matching the colour of the case material. The new Perpetual Calendar features a rose gold dial with dark brown displays, hands, and indices. The layout pays homage to the stylistic imprint of Gerald Genta, a brand Bulgari acquired in 2000. In honour of Genta’s retrograde displays, the QP uses retrograde indications for the date dominating the top half of the dial and the leap years tucked in at the bottom; the days of the week and months are positioned in the lower half of the dial. To ensure the odd numbers and markers of the date can be read correctly, the hour and minute hands are skeletonised.

As a sophisticated perpetual calendar, the movement can compute the exact length of the month (28, 30 or 31 days) and, when February has 29 days, automatically takes into account leap years. If kept wound, the Octo Finissimo will not need any adjustment until February 2100. Developed at the manufacture in Le Sentier, the in-house calibre BVL 305 is a marvel of miniaturisation. Measuring 36.6mm x 2.75mm, the automatic movement is comprised of 408 components and utilises a space-saving micro-rotor.

Derived from the Octo Finissimo Automatic calibre BVL 138, it shares the same regulating organ, gear train, barrel with 60-hour power reserve and winding mechanism as the automatic. However, the perpetual calendar was not added on as a module; it is completely integrated into the movement. Revealed on the caseback, you can see the gold micro-rotor, the balance wheel, and the gold bridges, decorated with Côtes de Genève.

Compounding the monochromatic look, the integrated bracelet and triple-blade folding buckle are crafted entirely in rose gold and sandblasted. The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in rose gold comes with a price tag of EUR 98,000 (excl. tax).

For more information, please visit Bulgari.com.