In April 2024, at a new product exhibition held at a hotel in Geneva at the same time as Watches & Wonders, Bulgari unveiled the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which broke the world's record for thinnest watch, once again taking the top spot in the world of thin watches.
Edited & Text by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2024 issue of Kronos Japan]
The highlights of the new releases are proof of the manufacturer's maturity
CEO of the Bvlgari Group. Born in France in 1959. After earning an MBA from business school, he worked for P&G and a consulting firm before becoming CEO of TAG Heuer. With his outstanding skills, he grew the company to the fourth largest in the industry. He assumed his current position in 2013. By improving the quality of the interior and exterior and promoting a "thin" concept, he has put Bvlgari back on a growth trajectory. Since 2020, he has hosted the Geneva Watch Days, a watch trade fair.
After the previous record of the Octo Finissimo Ultra, released in 22, was broken just a few months later, Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, head of watch design at Bvlgari, said in an interview with this magazine that "we are not aiming for the world's thinnest record." Therefore, it was a bit surprising that Bvlgari once again achieved the world's thinnest record with this year's new model, but it also made me feel that it was to be expected. At the new model exhibition in Geneva, Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the group, said the following while naming the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC as the highlight of this year's new models:
"In setting a new world record for thinnest watch, we didn't just aim for a thin watch. We aimed to create the world's thinnest watch, using 120 fewer parts than our competitors, while also being thinner, simpler, and more precise."
As a result, while the Octo Finissimo Ultra, released in 22, had a case thickness of 1.8mm, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, released in 24, achieved a slimmer case of 1.7mm, a reduction of 0.1mm. Of course, this succeeded in breaking the previous record of 1.75mm held by another company by 0.05mm, achieving a remarkable world record for thinnest timepiece. However, a look at the new lineup makes it clear that Bvlgari was not just aiming for the world's thinnest record.
"With a case thickness of 1.7mm, this new watch is not only the thinnest in the world, but also the thinnest wristwatch to be COSC-certified as an official Swiss chronometer," says Babin. In addition to achieving Bulgari's ninth world record, this model also achieves high precision and is a symbol of Bulgari's current watchmaking. Manual winding (Cal. BVL180). 21 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Ti case (40mm diameter, 1.7mm thick). Limited to 20 pieces worldwide. Price upon request. Scheduled for release in September 2024.
"We've achieved high precision while also making it thinner. The model that achieved the world's thinnest record has been certified by COSC, which is proof of this. In addition, this year we have released a platinum model that pursues a purer aesthetic. This has the same 1.8mm case thickness as the 22 model, but it has a brighter shine that the titanium model doesn't have, and I also like this one." (Baban)
Titanium is known to be a difficult material to process, but platinum is also difficult to cut due to its inherent toughness. The technological prowess required to achieve a thickness of 1.8mm using platinum is impressive, but the fact that the 1.7mm thickness was not aimed for in order to achieve aesthetics shows a commitment to not simply pursuing records.
Bvlgari once declared that a thin watch is itself a complication. While achieving this pinnacle, the new model is not just about records, but also combines precision and beauty. The highlight of this year's new releases is a testament to Bvlgari's maturity as a manufacturer.
