Why the New Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Should Be Your Next Everyday Watch

Words by Eleanor Hibberd

Bvlgari’s record-breaking Octo Finissimo finds a new sartorial angle in its latest 37mm release, with a renewed focus on elegance and wearability.

Last year, Bvlgari joined the illustrious line-up at Watches and Wonders Geneva for the first time and, in true Italian fashion, made a confident entrance when it introduced the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon – a watch so slim that, at 1.85mm, it set the brand’s 10th world record for ultra-thin watchmaking.

It’s no mystery why the house chose such a piece for its debut at the prestigious fair. The first release of the Octo Finissimo 40mm in 2014 left an indelible stamp on the watch world, and revolutionised Bvlgari’s place in the industry forever. As the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch at the time, it showcased the kind of innovation and incredible craft that placed it up there with the greats. In the years that have followed, the collection has continued to set records with each evolution – even winning the industry’s most coveted award, the Aiguille d’Or, in 2021.

If the 40mm version was defined by technical challenges and complex finishes, the ambitions behind the Octo Finissimo 37mm were driven by you – the wearer. As a more lifestyle-friendly expression, its revised proportions are designed to fit into a modern life, slipping onto any wrist, anywhere, in every situation. Anyone who takes pride in their sartorial choices knows that cut, structure and shaping in Italian tailoring are equally as important as the choice of materials. The same principles apply in watchmaking. A Roman house through and through, Bvlgari channels its heritage into the design through architectural edges, curves and volumes that evoke the columns and domes of its timeless city. Classical codes, interpreted with ease and elegance.

Of course, none of that is to say that the house has been slacking on its technical advances. Seemingly small changes represent huge leaps in the watchmaking world, and the new Octo Finissimo 37mm marks a subtle but significant evolution from the model first introduced in 2014. While it preserves the watch's core essence, it introduces a smaller diameter (reduced from 40mm), redefining both its internal construction and external impression. Powered by an ultra-efficient micro-rotor which drives a high-energy barrel, it delivers greater energy in a slimmer architecture – translating to a sleeker profile and improved ergonomics on the wrist. The movement, despite being 0.12mm thicker than the one in the 40mm version, actually achieves a 20 per cent reduction in volume – made possible by developments on the Piccolissimo and Solotempo movements, which power Bvlgari's iconic Serpenti watches.

As ever, the collection’s newest member is the product of a brand that thrives on the impossible. An entirely new development, it weighs in at just 65 grams. Now how’s that for wearability?