In simply six years, Bulgari has taken the Octo Finissimo assortment from an alluring new collection to an absolute phenom that has made breaking data appear to be a enjoyable interest. Eventually depend, the Octo Finissimo broke data for thinnest automated watch, thinnest tourbillon (automated or guide), thinnest minute repeater, and, finally 12 months’s Baselworld (pour one out), the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT formally turned the world’s thinnest mechanical chronograph at simply 6.9mm-thin. Now, debuting at Geneva Watch Days, Bulgari dropped one more record-breaker with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automated.
Certain, “thinnest tourbillon chronograph” isn’t a really crowded area, however lots of the huge names have a number of of their roster, and their specs add some context to how spectacular the Bulgari’s three.5mm-thick caliber BVL 388 in a wafer-thin 7.4mm-thick case actually is. Vacheron Constantin’s new Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph that was launched in April for Watches & Wonders measures 11.7mm-thick. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked clocks in at 13.2mm-thick. There are others I can cite right here, however all of them are on this thickness vary, which isn’t even near the 7.4mm that Bulgari has achieved.
The 42mm-wide, 7.4mm-thick sandblasted titanium case is water resistant to 30M and is pure Octo Finissimo, with its architectural design and angles. For those who look on the aspect of the case you’ll discover two pushers, which is curious as a result of, on prime of every part else, that is truly a monopusher chronograph. The gripped pusher at 2 o’clock prompts, stops, and resets the chronograph, whereas the graceful four o’clock pusher serves the novel objective of switching the crown’s performance between hand-winding and time setting.
The brand new caliber BVL 388 is an ultra-thin skeletonized automated motion that foregoes the standard oscillating or micro-rotor for a peripheral rotor, which was additionally utilized in 2018’s BVL 288 for the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automated. Not like the BVL 288, nonetheless, the BVL 388 will not be a flying tourbillon. The chronograph mechanism can also be new and never a lot is borrowed from the BVL 318 present in final 12 months’s Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT. That includes a horizontal clutch and column wheel, the BVL 388 additionally takes some really inventive steps to guarantee its slim profile. Notably, the clutch lever by the column wheel is integrated across the tourbillon itself slightly than the mechanism being constructed above it, which might naturally add thickness.
The BVL 388 operates at 21,600 vph and has a 52-hour energy reserve. By rethinking the everyday layered strategy to constructing a motion, Bulgari has created one other technical masterpiece that doesn’t must depend on breaking any data to impress.
Whereas the caseback view of the motion is an absolute stunner, the dial is the place the “skeletonized” a part of the watch comes into play. The dial association performs with symmetry with the operating seconds and chronograph sub-dials at three and 9 o’clock, the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and a view of the mainspring barrel at 12 o’clock. Every little thing performs into the matte-gray monochromatic shade scheme, and it’s amusing to see skeletonization of one thing that has already been pared down a lot. Aside from a small bit proper underneath the operating seconds subdial, there isn’t any actual property that might afford to be seen by means of fully.
I do know lots of people clamor for an Octo Finissimo in a smaller case dimension than 42mm, however thinness and a smaller footprint appears fairly a bit to ask, at the least from the very particular items just like the Tourbillon Chronograph. It took two years to design the caliber BVL 388, leading to a exceptional motion that measures 38.2mm-wide and three.5mm-thick. When contemplating this, it’s unreasonable and unrealistic to anticipate a 40mm case. Possibly with the time-only variants, although?
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automated is a piece of horological ingenuity and artwork, and as such it’s not a mass-production piece. There is just one variant, approaching the sandblasted titanium bracelet with folding clasp, and it will likely be restricted to 50 items with a worth of $142,000. You’ll be able to study extra at bulgari.com.
