Hands On With The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph Record-Setting Watch

The new Octo Finissimo Chronograph measures a scant 3.3 mm (1/8^th of an inch)  in thinness—about the thickness of two basic letter envelopes stacked. The integrated movement is the flattest automatic chronograph on the market today. It represents the fifth world record unveiled by the brand in the Octo Finissimo line in the past five years.

The manufactured integrated movement—BVL 318—is equipped with a peripheral rotor to keep the thickness to a minimum. In addition to offering the chronograph function, the watch also has a GMT function wherein the wearer can set the local time with the press of a button at 9 o’clock.  The home time is displayed on the subdial at 3 o’clock using a graduated 24 hour day/night scale. The running seconds are displayed in the subdial at 9 o’clock. The chronograph minutes counter is positioned at 6 o’clock for easy reading.

According to Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, “Entirely developed by our watchmasters in our LeSentier Movements Manufacture…it represents a  quantum leap in terms of thinness in the field of chronographs, which, let’s never forget it, represent in watchmaking one of the most difficult and sophisticated complications.”

The first Octo Finissimo world record watch was the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater that was released in 2016 as the world’s thinnest repeater. In 2017, Bulgari released the Octo Finissimo Automatic watch at Baselworld as the then-thinnest Automatic timepiece. Last year at Baselworld, Bulgari unveiled two world firsts:  Octo Finissimo Automatic Tourbillon, which retailed for $118,000, and  the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater that set the record for the thinnest repeater wrist watch for women.”

(A portion of this article by Roberta Naas originally appeared on Forbes.com)