Coming back to the Octo, Guido Terreni specifies that the range has been considerably reinforced in 2014 with the 38mm automatic Solotempo, the chronograph, the ultra-thin small seconds model, and the tourbillon setting a new slimness record (see following page). “Until now, men with a powerful personality were won over by the Italian-style masculinity of Bvlgari watches; now a new clientele is also taking an interest in the technical content that is consistently presented with a powerful design.”
Octo’s seductive power lies in its sophistication. The watch is both a precision timepiece and an architectural creation that pays lively tribute to Italian creative genius. Italian architecture channels the art of designing spaces and structures to make life pleasant ; it achieves this by wedding utility to beauty, rationalism to aestheticism and functionality to pleasure. It laid the foundations for modern urban civilizations. One side is a finely fashioned case with a hundred and ten different facets for a thousand surprises. So the eye wanders over the ridges and flat surfaces, discovering how the material was worked, cut from a solid piece, the shing or more satin-brushed surfaces. Its remarkable shape is unlike any other in the world of fine watchmaking, since the watch is octagonal (hence “Octo”) and crowned with a round bezel. On another side, in much the same way as an entrance hall orders the arrangement of the rooms and gives an overview of how they are organized, the Octo’s octagonal dial opening draws the eye further into the structure, inspired by the Maxence Basilica. Every facet of the Octo watch points the way to the dials’ extremely refined features, created by the same pursuit of simplicity and flawlessness wrought through generations of fine workmanship and sophistication. Only 2.23 mm thick, the Octo Finissimo’s extra-thin Finissimo caliber, was developed and manufactured in-house, conceived and designed with the potential for further developments in mind. It indicates the status of the 70-hour power reserve on the back of the watch. Housed in a 40-mm platinum case only 5 mm thick, radiating a serene simplicity enhanced by the perfection of its polished black lacquered dial, Octo Finissimo belongs to the category of classic, elegant watches that display hours and minutes, and adds a small off-center seconds hand between 7 and 8 o’clock. Also a 2014 new release, the new Octo Velocissimo transcends pure function to acquire a broader dimension that’s charged with aesthetic and emotional overtones. The ultimate urban watch, Octo Velocissimo is made for strong personalities. This technically oriented thoroughbred creation also displays uncommon style. It wears the face of a chronograph made in pure classic watchmaking tradition. This remarkable architectural creation has a motor to match : the exceptional new Velocissimo caliber, an integrated high-frequency chronograph movement (36,000 vibrations/hour) equipped with a column wheel and a silicon escapement. The Octo line is now making full use of all the means of seduction and sophistication at its disposal to assert itself as a timepiece with character, intended for assertive men who care about a lifestyle that balances the aesthetic and the technical.
As a member of the iconic Octo family, Octo Finissimo Tourbillon embodies the expression of Italian genius and the best of Swiss watchmaking expertise, yielding a bundle of inventive solutions. The quest for thinness has been one of the watchmaker’s goals for a long time, and Bvlgari has reached a new milestone in the development of ultra-thin watches with a major complication : its 1.95-mm-thick movement makes this flying tourbillon simply the slimmest on the market – no others even come close – and the thinnest ever made. The design of this in-house movement had to incorporate right from the start several solutions to reduce the overall thickness. The starting point was the tourbillon cage, a decisive factor in the construction process. It is 1.95 mm thick, a fact that shaped the rest of the structure. Once incorporated into the plate, the cage determined the thickness of the entire movement. To make it as flat as possible, the use of ball bearings for the moving parts was devised : seven ball bearings are positioned on the basic movement, while the tourbillon cage has a cartridge bearing that allows it to pivot. Furthermore, the regulator assembly was eliminated, since timing is now adjusted on the balance wheel directly, which also helped make the movement even thinner. The barrel is kept in position and guided by three ball bearings on its periphery, allowing the height of its spring to be doubled and yielding a significant 55 hours power reserve. The caliber’s finishes are completely in keeping with its exceptional nature, down to the last detail: the plate and bridges are beveled and decorated with Côtes de Genève, the gears are bevelled and circular satin-brushed, screw heads and slots are beveled and the ends are polished. For Guido Terreni, “Without exaggerating the achievement, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon represents a big step forward in the ongoing quest for thin watch complications.”
Bvlgari’s rich history in the field of high jewelry shapes the Brand’s sensitivity to exquisite luxury. It makes it possible to capture an idea or an aura, to recreate it into something that can be touched, caressed, cherished: this is the Bvlgari magic. By linking luce, the Italian for “light,” with lux in Latin, Bvlgari captured the power of luminosity in Lvcea, a new timepiece for women. With a collection of 12 different styles, Lvcea ranges from a classic steel version to the luxury of pink gold and pavé diamonds. This dense creative offer also obviously includes a rich marriage of steel and pink gold. Various models showcase their preciousness with diamonds to sparkle on every hour, or with the shimmering glow of mother-of-pearl. Others give center-stage to Ancient Rome, with sundial Roman numerals XII and VI to mark the time. This dense range of new creations on a single theme pays a strong tribute to the subtle and rich female personality. Like a mirror, Lvcea expresses femininity as well as strength, and addresses a charismatic woman with an exceptional personality. Opting for Lvcea relates to a very personal choice aiming to express authenticity, thanks to the contrast of the shapes, with a sober round case allied with an architectural bracelet. For Guido Terreni, the Lvcea heralds a new aesthetic direction while remaining in tune with the Bvlgari DNA: “Inspired by the Serpenti cult bracelet which exudes extraordinary aesthetic power, that of the Lvcea makes it suitable for daily wear. As does the crown that pays tribute to the colorful precious stones for which Bvlgari is recognized the world over.” It is indeed the watch chosen by brand ambassadress, singer and top model Carla Bruni.
Octo Velossimo
Case : 18K pink gold or solid steel, screw-locked crown in 18K pink gold or steel with ceramic inlay, transparent sapphire crystal caseback, 30m water-resistant Diameter : 41,5mm Movement : self-winding mechanical movement (Velocissimo caliber with El Primero base, 50h power reserve) Functions : hours, minutes, central sweep seconds hand, chronograph, date Dial : polished black lacquered Strap/Bracelet : alligator or steel with deployant buckle
Octo Solotempo
Case : solid steel (or 18K pink gold), screw-locked crown in 18K pink gold or steel with ceramic inlay, transparent sapphire crystal caseback, 30m water-resistant Diameter : 38mm Movement : self-winding mechanical movement (in-house Solotempo caliber with 42h power reserve), bidirectional oscillating weight mounted on ceramic ball bearings, Côtes de Genève, snailed and sandblasted finish, bevelled and polished bridge rims, circular satin-brushed wheels, burnished pivots, chamfered pivot- and screw-holes, polished convex screw heads Functions : hours, minutes and seconds, date (instant date change with stop-seconds device) Dial : white or black lacquered Strap/Bracelet : alligator or steel (or gold) with deployant buckle
Octo Finissimo
Case : polished and satin-brushed platinum, 5mm thick, platinum crown with ceramic inlay, transparent sapphire crystal caseback, 30m water-resistant Diameter : 40mm Movement : ultra-thin hand-wound mechanical movement (Octo Finissimo caliber, 2.23 mm thick, 70h power reserve), Circular-grained mainplate, vertical Côtes de Genève Functions : hours, minutes, small off-center seconds, power reserve on the back Dial : polished black lacquered, facetted and rhodium hands Strap : Black alligator leather with platinum pin buckle
Octo Finissimo Tourbillon
Case : polished and satin-brushed platinum, 5mm thick, platinum crown with ceramic inlay, transparent sapphire crystal caseback, 30m water-resistant Diameter : 40mm Movement : ultra-thin hand-wound mechanical movement (Finissimo Tourbillon caliber, 1.95 mm thick, 55h power reserve), 249 parts, 1.95 mm thick tourbillon carriage mounted on a peripherally-driven ultra-thin ball-bearing mechanism, variable-inertia balance requiring no index-assembly, high-end finishing with bevelling and Côtes de Genève Functions : hours, minutes, 1mn flying tourbillon Dial : polished black lacquered, facetted and rhodium hands Strap : Black alligator leather strap with platinum pin buckle
Lvcea
Case : Steel case and 18K pink gold (approx. 8.11 g) bezel, 18K pink gold crown and cabochon-cut pink stone set with a diamond, water-resistant to 30 m. Sizes : 33mm (also available in 28mm) Movement : self-winding mechanical movement (Caliber B77, 42h power reserve) Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, date Dial : white mother-of-pearl dial, brilliant-cut diamond hour-markers ; pink gold-plated hands Strap : bracelet with alternating 18K pink gold (approx. 8.9 g) and steel links, triple-blade folding clasp
Lvcea
Case : 18K pink gold case and crown (approx. 30.68 g) set with 43 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.204cts), cabochon-cut pink stone set with a diamond, water-resistant to 30 m Sizes : 33mm (also available in 28mm) Movement : self-winding mechanical movement (Caliber B77, 42h power reserve) Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, date Dial : black with sunburst guilloché motif ; pink gold-plated hands, hourmarkers and Roman numerals Bracelet : 18K pink gold Bracelet set with 117 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.989 cts), triple-blade folding clasp in 18K pink gold (approx. 86.30 g)
