When Less Is More

Bulgari's latest timepiece didn't just break another record for the brand but also precipitated a new set of perspectives and attitudes for its team's work in ultra-thin watchmaking

- Jamie Tan

Among Bulgari's new watches this year, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is the undisputed highlight. At just 1.80 mm thick, the timepiece broke yet another record in ultra-thin watchmaking for the brand upon its release the eighth such record since 2014, by the way-and bookends the first decade of the Octo line, which was established in 2012. The watch can rightly be interpreted as the culmination of Bulgari's design and technical savoir-faire, of course. It is, however, also important to recognise that this is but the latest chapter in the brand's chosen specialisation of ultra-thin watchmaking and that the saga is far from complete. In this exclusive interview, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, executive director of product creation at Bulgari, shares his insights on the Octo Finissimo Ultra and its place in the larger scheme of things for the brand.

The Octo Finissimo's silhouette is defined by an octagonal dial framed by a circular bezel, all set within an octagonal case. The Octo Finissimo Ultra breaks this "rule" though, by interrupting these shapes. How did this come about?

The idea of the Octo Finissimo has always been about the interplay between the octagon and the circle. In the Octo Finissimo Ultra, however, the constraints were completely different. The idea was to develop a movement to create the thinnest mechanical watch on the market and this needed a different way of thinking.