On the occasion of Bulgari’s 140th anniversary, a trio of limited editions will be joining the ranks of the Maison’s award-winning Octo Finissimo watch series. What sets these new editions apart from other former Octo Finissimo references is the dial. The dials are adorned with technical illustrations of its equipped movement, offering a trompe l’oeil-like skeletonized effect.
Inspired by the prominent practice of technical sketches from the Renaissance period, Bulgari takes the schizzi far beyond a draft or a developmental process, incorporating the spirit into the final product all the while paying homage to its Italian roots. The drawings are by Bulgari’s product creation executive director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, who brought his lively style to the dials with natural and spontaneous strokes.
Two of the limited editions are automatics, dubbed the Octo Finissimo Automatique BVL 138 Sketch. It’ll be offered in rose gold as a limited edition of 70, whereas the steel versions will be produced in 280 examples. Inside the 40mm-wide watch case beats the in-house BVL 138 caliber with a 60-hour-power-reserve. The rose gold variant is set to retail at €51,000 EUR (around $55,812 USD), while the steel version has a price tag of €17,800 EUR (around $19,479 USD).
As for the third model, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT BVL 318 Sketch, Bulgari has yet to unveil official visuals for the final product. Instead, the Maison had teased its design with only a technical drawing. As revealed in the official teaser, the Chronograph GMT reference will spotlight an annotated illustration of the movement, alongside three subdials. This model will become encased in steel and powered by the ultra-slim BCl 318 Manufacture movement. Priced at €20,800 EUR ( around $22,763 USD), the watch will be released in a limited run of 140 individually numbered pieces. More information will be revealed on Bulgari's official website.
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