8 Apr 2024
For the average person, world records in the watch industry mean nothing. The thinnest, most complex, most accurate, fastest, or slowest frequency — what is the difference? Watches should be beautiful and functional. On the one hand, this is a completely fair stance. Still, on the other hand, the watch industry has always been about technology, breakthroughs in engineering, and incredible achievements in design. Through world records, the geniuses of watchmaking can demonstrate complex mechanisms and meticulously crafted cases they can create.
The thinnest watches in the world — a title that various brands have been chasing for decades. Richard Mille, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and other manufacturers strive each year to create refined cases that hide multifaceted complications. However, Bulgari remains the leader in producing such models.
In 2022, the Italians introduced the Octo Finissimo Ultra watch, with a thickness of just 1.8 mm. At that time, the Octo collection was celebrating its 10th anniversary, and this was a significant achievement for Bulgari, indicating that the brand can work not only with aesthetics but also with highly complex technologies. The case and dial of the watch are made of titanium, and only 10 pieces were made available for sale. Currently, the market value of this model exceeds $400,000.
Octo Finissimo Ultra, 2022
And although Piaget, with the Altiplano model, had been chasing Bulgari for many years, in the end, in 2023, Richard Mille managed to break the record, always betting on a brilliant engineering approach. It must be acknowledged that there are few brands in the world capable of competing with Richard Mille in terms of materials and components. Last year's Richard Mille RM UP-01 model was created in collaboration with the automotive company Ferrari. The thickness of the titanium-made watch is only 1.75 mm. It is noteworthy that this model weighs 2.82 grams. They are so lightweight that you could easily forget that you are wearing a watch on your wrist, the value of which is $1,750,000.
RM UP-01 Ferrari
But Bulgari, like all Italians, is persistent and tenacious. They don't like to part with world records and glory, so in 2024, the brand once again broke the world record, reclaiming the title of the manufacturer creating the thinnest watches in the world. At the largest salon for the industry Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Bulgari unveiled the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, with a thickness of an incredible 1.70 mm. These watches are literally thinner than a coin. Additionally, the model is scratch-resistant, shock-resistant, and resistant to magnetic interference. It is the thinnest chronometer in the world, certified by COSC.
Octo Finissimo Ultra, 2024
When Bulgari developed the Octo Finissimo Ultra, they had already created the thinnest movement possible, so to break the record again, the masters had to find another way to reduce the thickness of the case. As a result, engineers managed to eliminate a critical tenth of a millimetre by optimising the sapphire glass. The caseback serves as the main plate on which 170 components of the in-house BVL180 calibre with manual winding are assembled. It is made of ultra-durable tungsten carbide. The 40 mm diameter case is predictably made of titanium — the lightest and strongest metal in the world.
Octo Finissimo Ultra, 2024
On the dial of the Octo Finissimo Ultra 2022, there was a QR code embedded with a link about the history of the watch's creation. At that time, many experts and journalists criticised Bulgari for placing the QR code on the ratchet wheel. They said it was a cool feature, but using the back of the watch for such technology would be better. This year, the brand caters to customers and connoisseurs. The story of creating the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC is embedded in a miniature Datamatrix code on the back.
Octo Finissimo Ultra, 2024
The manufacturer also reimagined the process of adjusting and winding the watch. To set the time on the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, you need to place the model in a special case with a digital display, program the desired time, and start the adjustment cycle with a button press. If you prefer traditional adjustment methods, they are, of course, also available.
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