World’s Thinnest Watch: The $400k Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Comes With an NFT
Ten years into the Octo collection, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra enters the ring as the world’s thinnest watch — holding the eighth title of “world’s thinnest” to be claimed by the Octo line over the last decade. 1.8mm thick, with a movement thickness of 1.5mm and a 40mm case diameter, Bvlgari once again pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in mechanical watchmaking. Watching the tit for tat battle between the two reigning champs in the category (Bvlgari and Piaget) has been a spectator sport akin to watching Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battle for F1 podiums. While Bvlgari is a decade into the ultra thin scene, slender watches are Piaget’s bread and butter. When the latter dropped their production reference Altiplano Ultimate 900p with a 2mm thick case in 2020, many presumed that was the end of the line, and as far as mechanical watchmaking could venture. But, Jean-Christophe Babin is equal parts competitive and ambitious, and not one to ever accept anything beyond pole position.
Before we get to the mechanical complexity, we’ll address the elephant in the room, as noted in our headline. While not the first watchmaker to begin to dabble in the Metaverse/NFT space, this is technically the first time we’re seeing something that’s integrated directly into a movement component. The large gear in the top left quadrant of the dial (the mainspring barrel, if you’re wondering) is laser-etched with a QR code that is linked to an exclusive NFT artwork and a dedicated digital universe for each of the 10 pieces being created this year. To be frank, we aren’t sure that we see the clear intersection between the NFT space and haute horlogerie at this level, but this peculiar QR code execution adds its own layer of quirky personality to the timepiece nonetheless.
Once you get past the partially skeletonized caliber, the separate hour and minute indications, and the open balance wheel, you might find yourself wondering where the winding crown might be hiding. After all, each of Bvlgari’s previous record holders were still fitted with a conventional crown. Making a crown proportionally suited to its wafer-thin case profile is effectively impossible, not to mention something that would be especially cumbersome. Instead, a pair of gears are integrated into the caseback — one for winding, and one for time setting. Relatively speaking, these are not any sort of groundbreaking practices, but ones applied out of necessity.
Another point of consideration here is how much of the modest thickness of the watch is taken up by the movement itself. With its time indication subdials sunken into the movement itself, the tallest points of the caliber are its bridges and the mainspring ratchet wheel. From top to bottom (there is no backside of the movement, as the mainplate acts as a “caseback”, of sorts), the caliber measures 1.5mm thick, meaning that the sapphire crystal and surrounding case protecting said caliber occupy 0.3mm of thickness — the approximate thickness of three sheets of paper.
When getting into this uncharted territory of watchmaking, there’s obvious room for questions surrounding rigidity, stability, and reliability, but remember we’re talking about a champion challenger from the LVMH group and no mere small upstart independent. As always, ample R&D time has been applied to the development of the Octo Finissimo Ultra, leading to a handful of interesting innovations for the caliber. Aside from its eight pending patents, the mainplate of the caliber was crafted from tungsten carbide — a material twice as rigid as stainless steel and rather difficult to machine. This provides the baseline rigidity required to support a mechanical caliber of this nature, whereas the slim sapphire crystal, which is wedged into a frame that acts as its bezel, provides the upper sealing structure.
Technical mastery of watchmaking aside, what continues to set Bvlgari apart from the pack with these record breaking watches is the completeness of their design, and the fact that the entire line is incredibly contemporary and wearable. From the simple Octo Finissimo Automatic through to this groundbreaking $400,000 USD Ultra, these watches are made to be worn and appreciated, rather than to live in a showcase highlighting the brand’s technical expertise. This is the art of Bvlgari, and this is why the brand will continue to dominate the category.
See more of the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra here.
