Five things you need to know about Bvlgari: The technology that set a world record for the thinnest case

Bvlgari is a jewelry brand founded in 1884. Its founder, Sotirio Bvlgari, created a unique style inspired by classicism that gained popularity. While the company is known as a high jeweler, it began to seriously pursue watchmaking in the 1970s and is now a prominent manufacturer. Here are five things you should know about Bvlgari.

Bvlgari watches combine Italian design with Swiss technology

　The brand's founder, Sotirio Bulgari (1857-1932), was born in Epirus, a city on the Ionian coast of Greece under the Ottoman Empire. A silversmith, he traveled to Italy and opened his first jewelry shop in Rome in 1884.

　In the early 1920s, Bvlgari added women's watches to its lineup. Today, Bvlgari is known as a jewelry and watch manufacturer, with its primary focus on jewelry. However, its watch division has become increasingly important. While headquartered in Rome, Bvlgari manufactures its watches in its own workshop, Bvlgari Time, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

　It is not widely known that Bvlgari produces watches with complex functions such as tourbillons and minute repeaters in its own workshops. Bvlgari creates everything from movements to cases and dials there. With the Octo Finissimo, Bvlgari has developed an ultra-thin wristwatch that has held several world records. In recent years, the company has also expanded its women's watch line, including the snake-motif Serpenti, the round Lucea, and the jewelry watches Diva Dream and Allegra.

　In 2020, the company relaunched its once successful brand, Bvlgari Aluminium. The company now offers watches, jewelry, perfumes, and leather accessories, and also operates several Bvlgari hotels.

The Octo Finissimo series continues to break world records for ultra-thin cases

　The Octo Finissimo Ultra, released in March 2022, was the world's thinnest mechanical watch for approximately three months, with a case thickness of just 1.8mm. It took over the world record from Piaget's Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which had held the record for several years with a case thickness of 2mm. This marks the eighth world record set by Bvlgari with the Octo Finissimo since 2014.

　Among the world records set are the thinnest perpetual calendar (5.8mm thick) "Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar", the thinnest automatic chronograph (6.9mm thick) "Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic", the thinnest tourbillon (7.40mm thick) "Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic", and the thinnest minute repeater (6.85mm thick) "Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater".

　In June 2022, Richard Mille released the RM UP-01 Ferrari, which is just 1.75mm thick, breaking the previous record held by the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The RM UP-01 Ferrari still holds the top spot today.

Complex mechanism manufacturing capabilities

　In 2000, Bvlgari acquired the watch brands Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth and their joint workshop in Le Sentier, where Bvlgari develops its own movements and produces complicated watches, including striking and repeating watches.

A collection celebrating the origins of the Roman Empire

　Bulgari is celebrating the origins of the Roman Empire with a collection featuring Imperial coins, titled "Octo Monete," featuring a hinged cover adorned with an authentic antique coin from 340-350 AD.

　The coin features the portrait of either Roman Emperor Constantine I or Constantius II. The 18K red gold case is both transparent and powered by the caliber BVL 268 SK, the world's thinnest tourbillon movement, measuring just 1.95mm thick.

A design that stands out from other brands

　Unlike German and Swiss brands, Bulgari watches are characterized by their unique Italian-influenced design, such as the Octo Finissimo Automatic, which won the Best of the Best award at the Red Dot Design Awards in 2018.

　The design was created by Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, Senior Director of the Bulgari Watch Design Center, who has led Bulgari's watch design department for many years.

Bvlgari's most complicated watch, presented as a unique piece

　The most complicated Bvlgari watch is the unique Octo Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar, which combines a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, tourbillon, and grande and petite sonnerie movements, which require the utmost in watchmaking skill.

　Equipped with four hammers, the automatic movement, caliber BVL5307, strikes the hours, quarter-hours, and minutes on demand. The sandblasted 44mm diameter 18K rose gold case is water resistant to 30m. It was unveiled in Rome in July 2018 and sold to an Asian collector at the end of the same month.