When Bulgari dropped the proverbial microphone with the release of the Octo Finissimo one week before Watches and Wonders in Geneva in March, the watch world was aghast. Stealing the thunder from the biggest event in the Swiss watch industry, the Octo not only represented arguably the best model to date – the eighth iteration since 2014 – but it was a watchmaking feat that introduced a new world record: the world’s thinnest mechanical watch at a logic-defying 1.8mm, edging out the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept by 0.20mm.

Since its creation in 2014, the Octo Finissimo has paved the way for contemporary Haute Horlogerie to exist – and thrive – pushing the boundaries of watchmaking technicality while defining a whole new style. It’s innovation at the highest calibre (excuse the pun). It’s the watch that most watch pundits will talk about at gatherings, and one that most will refer to when speaking of the mastery of watchmaking.

Everything about this watch is fully realised; it’s absolutely beautiful. From the 1.50mm integrated bracelet that defines ‘sports chic’ to the incredible design aesthetic that Bulgari’s Design Director Fabrizio Buonamassa described as wanting to achieve something completely unlike anything else that had ever existed. It’s the coming together of different watchmaking feats that make this timepiece truly exceptional.

If you’re deliberating whether to drop the cash for this limited edition timepiece (10 available), perhaps it’s the link to the Metaverse that might excite you. You will find a unique QR code engraved on the stainless steel ratchet that links to an exclusive NFT artwork, bridging the mechanical world with that of a digital dimension. With the release of the Octo Finissimo Ultra, the world will not only come to terms with the thinnest watch in the world, but it will wait on tenterhooks for what could possibly come next. Seemingly, for Bulgari, the possibilities are endless.

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THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE EIGHTH EDITION OF ICON PRINT MAGAZINE. ORDER YOUR COPY HERE.