Watch of the Week: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Sandblasted Rose Gold

Bulgari has spoiled us over the last few years with ultra-thin delicacies that they presented within the Octo Finissimo collection. One of the highlights in this line-up is, without a doubt, the minute repeater. It has a natural attraction to watch connoisseurs because of its complex mechanism, but also due to the sound it makes. Many brands have invested significant resources in improving the vibrance and tone when the hammers hit the gongs, but Bulgari also focussed on the dimensions of the movement itself. Through clever engineering, they succeeded in making it only 3.12mm thick, which is as astonishing as it is record-breaking.

Making an ultra-thin movement is one thing, but to show off its exceptional qualities, you also need to keep the overall height of the watch down. Bulgari also achieved that, as its total thickness is a very modest 6.90mm. Despite this, have they been able to fit it with a transparent caseback through which the marvelous manual wind movement can be admired in all its glory. The watch gets a new dimension when you hear it. Making such a thin caliber also means that the hammers can transfer less energy to the gongs, with as a result set less air in motion. While this should have made a negative impact on the audible quality of the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater is this not at all the case, and is the sound quite loud and vibrant.

Where most minute repeaters feature a classic design, is the Octo Finissimo downright modern. Its origin can be traced back to the brilliant mind of Gerald Genta, who penned down the first generations of the Octo, which were released by the brand that bore his name before Bulgari acquired it in 2000. While rose gold is a very classic material, giving it a sandblasted finish makes all the difference. It provides the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater a very contemporary look. This is surprising as Bulgari matched it with a brown matte alligator strap. Such a combination is very traditional, yet the shape and finish of the Octo Finissimo give it a different direction. This proves that this extraordinary watch excels not only by its movement but that even its design is capable of challenging and changing preset notions.