February 18, 2019
February, 2019
The great polymath of Renaissance era, Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with saying “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, continues to inspire intrinsic designs and creations even today, including luxury timepieces.
Driven by the same genius, Bulgari is known to combine unique Italian design with exceptional mechanisms in crafting iconic pieces that have caught attention of connoisseurs time and again. ‘Vishawatch’ hit at the Maison’s Delhi boutique nestled in a plush shopping mall in search of some distinctive watches that qualify to a collector’s wish list in our view.
With women’s jewellery and watches at the centre stage, the store has some amazing mens watches stacked in a cosy corner. There are some interesting pieces on the show under two collections — Octo and Bvlgari.Bvlgari. To our sheer delight, we found a world record holder in the lot — Octo Finissimo. Here is a glimpse into this simple yet one of the most sophisticated luxury watches.
After presenting the thinnest Tourbillon watch and movement at Baselworld in 2014 and thinnest minute repeater in 2016, Bulgari surprised friends and foes with this stunning world’s thinnest automatic watch in 2017.
Crafted in sandblasted Titanium, Octo Finissimo automatic watch lays a new milestone in the world of horological complications. This exceptional piece features a total thickness of just 5.15 mm with a self-winding movement just 2.23 mm thick for a 40 mm diameter. The choice of material is primarily for technical reasons as it chimes very well.
The seed of imagination was sown a few years ago when Bulgari team set out to create something contemporary in the ultra thin category of watches. As per critics this watch is a piece of art designed with Italian aesthetics for the most “elegant men of current times.” The watch is so thin that it can hide and slide under the shirt no matter how tight. This one is for private pleasure if your like!
Considering the fact that a lot of tension and stress may be put by the owner while wearing due to the modern lifestyle, this piece is very robust inspite of its slim profile. The buckle is so seamless that it disappears into the bracelet. The bracelet itself is comprised of many short links that fold around the wrist very smoothly avoiding any pinching of skin or pulling of hair.
The estimated 55-hour power reserve is not negligible on an ultra thin watch which is powered with calibre BVL 138, which is a self winding ultra-thin (2.23 mm) movement with off-centre small seconds and platinum micro-rotor. It can also be manually set, however, make sure that you do not over-wind the watch, not even accidentally.
Finissimo is the backbone of male watches for Bulgari and is reportedly contributing almost 50 percent to the timepieces business with a fast growth rate. It is dressy and super-slim watch with a water resistance of upto 30 meters, sufficient for security against accidental splashing while washing hands or perhaps if you are inadvertently caught in a rainstorm.
In terms of wearing comfort, there’s really nothing as comfortable as this one.
It can goes well with both formal and casual wear making the wearer look absolutely fabulous. In a restrained luxurious avatar, this one is certainly a serious competitor to AP’s Royal Oak Extra-Thin and Patek’s Nautilus according to experts. To add this world-record holder to the collection, in India you will have to shell out Rs 8.85 lakh for one with alligator leather strap and Rs 9.57 lakh in full titanium.
