WatchProSite Moderator Patrick_y reviews the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic – a watch he has worn for approximately five years as his primary watch – replacing his beloved Patek Philippe Nautilus.  

A New Icon

It’s now 2025 and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is definitely the icon of the first quarter of this century (technically the quarter is not over, so I may be slightly premature, but I’m going to assume that risk).  The Octo (not the Octo Finissimo) was designed by Gerald Genta’s eponymous brand in the 1980s.  The Octo Finissimo is designed by Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, an incredible designer and the head of design at Bulgari Watches.  We sometimes see Journe as the Breguet of today, in the same analogy we can say Buonamassa is arguably the Genta of today!  

Gerald Genta designed a lot of special watches, many with special octagonal design cues.  Photo from Bulgari.



The octagon and circle shape is inspired from Roman architecture.  Photo by Bulgari.

The Gerald Genta Octo model.  Photo from Bulgari.

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, hard at work.  He generally takes all of his sketches - even if it's on your napkin!  It's an honor to see this man work and happy to sacrifice my napkin for the cause (I'm joking, you can always ask for another napkin)!  Photo from Bulgari.

Introducing the Gerald Genta of Today

I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting Buonamassa all over the world.  The cultured individual has a numerous amount of passions and interests; motorcycles, fountain pens, design, art, cars, Japanese design, architecture, Japanese denim, cooking, and more.  He is an amalgamation of so many different cultures and experiences and yet he’s at home, rested, impeccably dressed, and content everywhere I see him.  A true cosmopolite.  Even on my best days, I look like a weary and disheveled traveler suffering from jet-lag compared to him in a perfectly tailored blazer.  But he’s not just a quirky designer, the man can sketch and draw like no other.  Buonamassa sketches designs so quickly and deftly that you can just feel his experience and creativity.  It’s almost inspiring; after meeting Buonamassa several times thinking his talent rubbed off on me I even tried to channel my own Buonamassa – but failed miserably - I can't sketch.  Here's a link where you can see me try to emulate Buonamassa...   www.watchprosite.com  

Your moderator is not very good at making sketches.  But your moderator here is trying to sketch a woodpecker automaton minute repeater.  Photo by the author.  

It's Not Just A Beautiful Sketch, But a Cumulation of Engineering and Design

An excellent designer is nothing if his creations can’t be achieved.  Thus, the designer also has to have a practical engineering knowledge to be able to put his design to work.  Buonamassa designed numerous iterations of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo – some even with complications – and worked closely with his movement engineering department to achieve his visions.  We have to give credit to both Buonamassa and his amazing team of movement designers – as it is a team effort to help realize a designer’s vision.  But this designer is definitely asking for the impossible sometimes – Buonamassa asked his movement team to design a minute repeater to be around 3.25 mm thick.  Any thicker, the case proportions would be off – he’d have to increase the thickness of the case which would negatively affect his crown proportions, the button would have to be thicker and thus larger and stick out more (risking accidental button depression).  His movement design team rose to the challenge; first creating a movement that was too thick and then working on reduction.  Each 10^th of a millimeter reduction brought on new issues and challenges, and the final tenths of a millimeter reductions were incredibly difficult.  Minute repeaters have little spinning regulators with weights to achieve a certain speed and pace – the mass on the weights were so small and thin that it was difficult to design them to be effective.  So difficult that certain designs could be achieved in the computer, but not always in reality (theory vs reality).  Secondly, Bulgari being a large brand, the reliability standards are higher than a small boutique brand – clients understand if a Bugatti isn’t perfectly reliable, but clients are less understanding when it comes to large brands.  The result cumulated in the 3.12 mm thick caliber BVL 362 minute repeater!  The thinnest minute repeater in the world.  It even sounds good!  Fabrizio Buonamassa would not only ask his team to do this once, but at least eight times each time making a world record:

1.        In 2014, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual Wind with caliber BVL 268, the thinnest tourbillon in the world at 1.95 mm thick.

2.        In 2016, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater with caliber BVL 362, the thinnest minute repeater at only 3.12 mm thick.  

3.        In 2017, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Automatic with caliber BVL 138, at 2.23 mm.  This record has since been broken by another brand, but it is still an amazing achievement. 

4.        In 2018, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic with caliber BVL 288 at 3.95 mm thick.  It features a peripheral winding rotor.  

5.        In 2019, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, just 3.30 mm thick thanks to the BVL 318 caliber.  This is a true column wheel chronograph (as opposed to a cam system) and also has a peripheral winding system.

6.        In 2020, Bulgari came out with the super impressive Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic!  The names just get longer with each record.  This BVL 388 caliber is only 3.50 mm thin!  

7.        In 2021, Bulgari came out with the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, the BVL 305 caliber has a micro rotor in this movement and is only 2.75mm thick.  

8.        In 2022, Bulgari debuted the Octo Finissimo Ultra.  Ultra thin at just 1.8mm thick fully cased!  The BVL 180.  The record didn’t last forever, Richard Mille technically made a watch that is 1.75mm thick, but the Mille does not have its own crown and requires a special external tool.  

9.        In 2024, Bulgari reiterated the above with as the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC with COSC certification!  

Each one of these creations are stupendous and career defining in their own.  But the team has created so many incredible pieces and record holders in just a short time of only a dozen years or so.  Bravo to the Bulgari team!

The Perpetual Calendar movement for the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar and the steel and titanium versions of the perpetual calendar.  Notice the steel case has more than 100 facets and some are polished and some are brushed.  Imagine polishing and brushing all of those angles.  Bulgari has more than a dozen jigs for the polishing and brushing for the perpetual calendar steel case alone!  And the sandblasted titanium case is very cool as well.  Tough choice.

My Impressions of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Titanium Over the Past Five Years

As mentioned above, I’ve been wearing the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Titanium over the past five years and this is coming from wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712/1A for nearly 10 years prior to that.  Despite having other watches I’ve been wearing the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic almost daily.  And sometimes I wear the Octo Finissimo Automatic watch for three weeks straight!  Here are some things I really like about the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in Titanium:

1.        + The design and the color.  The grey color of the titanium is very easy to match with clothes – I now realize why so many Cucinelli sweaters have grey edging.  The design goes well with business formal attire, casual attire, and makes the watch extremely versatile.  

2.        + The matte texture.  The lack of relfection also makes the watch perfect as a travel watch as it makes the watch more inconspicuous.  If you live in a dangerous city known for watch and jewelry crime, this is a watch that won’t likely get you in trouble.  

3.        + The scratch resistance.  Expanding on the above point, it’s much harder to see small scratches on the matte texture (big scratches still show).  Grade 5 Titanium is around 350 vickers in hardness, so it’s also not extremely easy to scratch.  Compare that with 316L stainless steel which varies from around 175 vickers in hardness. 

4.        + The watch is very accurate – especially for an ultra thin movement.  Extra Thin (watch movements under 4mm) movements are already known to be less accurate due to fact that ultra thin watches are difficult to regulate.  Ultra thin (movements under 3mm) watch movements are even more difficult to regulate.  Considering this watch has a movement depth of just 2.23 mm and is definitely an ultra thin movement, the accuracy performance of this watch is just incredible in reality.  At the four year old mark, the watch is off by less than 30 seconds after two weeks of continuous use.  I have a brand new Chopard LUC movement with COSC certification (a thicker movement at 3.30 mm) and this Bulgari is much more accurate than my brand new Chopard.  I won’t bore you with timegraphs of the Bulgari, but it far exceeds my expectations in accuracy.  

5.        + The comfort and lightness of the watch.  The lightweight titanium makes this watch very comfortable watch once you start wearing it.  Feels like you’re wearing nothing at all!  

6.        + The movement is actually well decorated.  At this price category, very few movements are well decorated.  The movement finishing really is among the best in the category (Blancpain 50 Fathoms with the 1315 caliber is another watch with finishing that punches above its pricepoint).  The movement is already haute horlogerie due to the thinness of the movement.  The high level of decoration is a cherry on the cake.  While it wouldn’t qualify for the Geneva Seal – it’s not made in Geneva and there are some wire springs instead of bar springs – it is a well decorated movement.  Finishing ultra thin movement plates is slightly different than normal thickness plates as there’s a real fear of distorting the shape of the plate.  The upper-end finishing of the Octo Finissimo Automatic makes it one of the best values in the industry.  

7.        + The movement architecture is special.  The movement is unusually wide.  It’s extremely thin, but it also uses ruby spacers.  This is a very expensive manufacturing method (artificial rubies aren’t the cheapest movement parts) and the first version of the BVL 138 has a lot of these spacer rubies.  The second version of the BVL 138 has reduced some of these spacer rubies to simplify production.  

8.        + The Bulgari Octo Finissimo is a rarity among the public.  I rarely see one.  A lot of people own a Bulgari Octo Finissimo – but it seems to be a secondary watch more than a primary.  Go to Art Basels, Concours d’Elegances, the breakfast room at resort hotels, charity fundraisers, and other major social events and you often see Nautilii and Royal Oaks.  The watch does find owners among watch industry experts.  Many watch company executives outside of Bulgari own the Octo Finissimo in addition to some journalists.  

9.        + The Clasp.  The clasp blades are sunken into the bracelet, this detail allows for a better flow, a wider contact on your wrist (more stability and more comfort), and more elegance.  

10.  + The details.  Like the clasp, the case details, the facets of the case, the crown, the onyx flat cabochon on the crown, so many parts of the design were just done extremely well.  You can really tell that this was a designer’s watch.  

11.  + Watch has been a good performer.  So far no major issues.  I try not to put my watch down near a speaker and to keep it away from cell phones (to avoid magnetism) and so far no major issues.  

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic has no major unexpected problems.  In every way, the watch has performed above my expectations – and these are the expectations of a Patek Philippe owner – my Octo Finissimo even exceeds my expectations in the accuracy department.  

As a professional watch critic who complains more than anyone (our French readers have often said I complain more than the French – I’m still waiting for my honorary French citizenship) here are some things I see potential improvement:

1.        - The winding system isn’t the most efficient.  This is common among watches with micro rotors – they don’t always wind perfectly.  I own multiple watches with micro rotors and they all don’t wind well, so this is not a surprise.  I’ve worn the Bulgari on active days where I’m talking 19,000 steps a day, I go to bed at around 9PM and when I wake up at 6AM I notice the watch had stopped around 2AM at night – despite having a very active day.  Bulgari has made technical revisions to the BVL 138 and has a whole new winding system with an even bigger platinum winding rotor (more platinum is always better, it’s also an increase in costs to Bulgari too)!  Hopefully the revised movement that came out a couple years ago has fixed this very minor problem!  

2.       -  In the summer, the bracelet is sometimes a little tight, as my wrist expands in the summer.  It’d be nice if Bulgari were to incorporate a quick adjustment system to the bracelet.  This is not a common request by customers as they buy watches (the most common request is automatic, seconds hand, date complication, sapphire crystal with scratch resistance, and waterproof case), but among experienced and frequent watch buyers of bracelet watches, we’re looking for bracelets with fine adjustment without tools.  I understand that this idea may be even more difficult given the thin design. of this watch.

3.        - I have a screw that seems to loosen in my bracelet clasp area.  It happens frequently – every week if I wear the watch every day that week.  I have to tighten it with my fingernail if I’m out of the house or I tighten it with a screwdriver at home.  This is minor.  But a lot of titanium variants have this problem.  I use a red (1.2mm) or grey (1.4mm) top screwdriver to tighten the screw.  Photo below.

4.        - Water resistance isn’t perfect.  On an extremely hot humid summer day in humid Tokyo (an unusually hot and humid day especially considering it was technically already fall since it was mid-September), I had some cloudiness inside my watch because of moisture penetration.  It dried out on its own, but it took nearly a week of sitting in a dry air conditioned room.  To be fair to Bulgari, this can happen to any watch with a 30M water resistance rating.

5.        - Bracelet held with friction fit pins.  This is my only watch that has pins.  I have a slight preference for screws.  Screws are more expensive to the manufacturer more than friction fit pins.  Even the Patek Philippe Nautilus has even gone away from screws to friction fit pins - so I'm being super picky here by mentioning this.  

6.        - The bracelet clasp.  The bracelet clasp utilizes a friction fit system.  Almost all friction fit systems do suffer from some wear and after 5 years of daily use, this one has a tiny amount of play in it.  It’s hardly noticeable and is much better than say a Patek Philippe Lady’s 24 model (for the first 15 years since its debut in 1999, steel bracelet versions of the Patek Philippe 24 had a terrible friction fit system that would wear out in the first year).  If Bulgari updated this clasp to a lever locking system (which might not be achievable considering the thinness parameters they have to work with), the clasp locking mechanism would be perfect every time.  This is a very minor point – even the Patek Philippe Nautilus uses a friction fit system (although some models are now moving away to a locking system).

7.        The Sharp Corner.  There’s one area on the top right lug that has a sharp corner in the titanium variant (this sharpness is less pronounced in steel variants and ceramic variants).  It does hit my wristbone and it can be uncomfortable.  The first two days of wearing the watch was painful – but I acclimated after less than a week.  Nowadays, if I don’t wear my Octo Finissimo for a month (I sometimes have to review watches from other brands) and go back to it, I notice the sharp corner.  Photo below.

There are four screws on the clasp and they sometimes work themselves loose.  

The sharp corner in the lug sometimes hits your wristbone and can make the watch uncomfortable.  You get used to it after the first two or three days.  

I want to stress, these seven points are me being overly critical and the watch is generally perfect.  I also want to stress that I’ve only worn the first edition of the BVL 138 caliber at length.  I have not worn the updated BVL 138 caliber for three weeks at a time.  Bulgari’s newest version of this watch, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S in stainless steel with the updated movement would address many of my recommendations.  

 

Is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo a perfect watch?  It’s very close to perfect I’d say.  The perfect watch (perfection is defined as nothing left to be improved) is a Rolex – there’s virtually no room for improvement, it winds efficiently, it’s accurate, it’s waterproof to 100M, you can get a date complication, the bracelet uses screws, the lever-locking bracelet clasp is perfect, but it’s not haute horlogerie.  A Toyota Prius might be the perfect car, but it’s hardly the passionate car-lover’s choice.  The Bulgari’s overweight strengths definitely outweigh all of its minor potential improvement areas.

 

My Most Frequently Recommended Watch

 

What watch do I recommend the most for people who are looking for a great daily watch in the 10,000 USD/Euro range?  It’s the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S in steel or in titanium.  I have a feeling you will be very satisfied with this watch.  Do note, if you’re not a very active person, the micro rotor may not keep the watch sufficiently wound, and the watch might occasionally stop.  Because the steel version has a screw down crown, unscrewing the crown is an extra step if you have to reset the time when the watch stops.  Thus, you might want to consider procuring the titanium version which does not have a screw down crown.  Being an automatic watch, you can always put the watch in a winder if you anticipate not wearing it for a few days.  It's also elegant and thin for formal wear, perfect for wearing in the office, while having a great sporty and casual side for weekend jaunts to the countryside.  

The author recommends the steel version of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo watch to all whom are considering a new watch.  It's a great watch.  And one of the best values in the industry.  The steel version is even 100M water resistant!  The titanium model is also another great choice if you prefer the grey look, it is 30M water resistant.  

Customer Service and Maintenance

 

The whole experience of owning a watch also includes customer service and maintenance.  The Bulgari boutiques I’ve worked with have been excellent.  Ironically, the executive staff has also been more concerned about my minor winding problem than even I am.  A high-level Bulgari executive in Switzerland has even asked me to drop off my watch at the boutique where they will send it off to Switzerland for a full diagnosis. While the winding inefficiency is a very minor problem and not unexpected at all (the Patek Philippe 240 and the Chopard 96 caliber both do not always wind perfectly neither, I’ve never met a micro rotor watch that winds perfectly), it is confidence inspiring that the executive team at Bulgari is so receptive to customer feedback when they receive it.  

 

I haven’t had this watch sent in for servicing yet.  Expect a review there.  I am anticipating a great holistic experience here.  

 

Final Conclusion

 

I’m ecstatic that I acquired the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic – in fact I own more than one.  It’s definitely the icon of the first quarter of this century.  It’s also just been a great watch – even when comparing with other industry heavyweights like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is able to stand tall on its own.  The sandblasted grade 5 titanium also wears well.  The lack of a date hasn’t been a major problem for me and aesthetically, the lack of the date makes the watch more elegant.  The thinness adds to the elegance, while it's a sporty watch on a bracelet, it's also an elegant watch that is thin enough for formal occasions with French cuffed shirts.   If you don't own one already and you’re considering a great watch, designed by the designer of our time, then I would highly recommend this timepiece.  I’ve owned mine for about five years and it’s been a very good experience.  If you’re considering a watch in this category, I urge you to put this one on your must-try list!  And if you already own one, be sure to enjoy yours often!  

 

Other Related Articles:

 

Bulgari Factory Tour Review Parts I and II

 

www.watchprosite.com

 

www.watchprosite.com

 

A thorough description of both versions of the Bulgari BVL 138 Movement is mentioned in the Factory Tour Part II.  

 

 

 

 

WatchProSite Moderator Standards Disclaimer:  WatchProSite Moderators promise our readers that we are not influenced by the brands to write positive reviews.  I purchased all my Bulgari products myself, I paid full price, I received no special treatment, and this review was written without influence from Bulgari.  Brands don’t like articles that mention competitor brands in comparisons – they feel it distracts from the message – but I specifically do mention other brands to give more context.  I have visited the Bulgari factories in Switzerland, Bulgari did provide some ground transportation (to simplify logistics), I flew myself to and from Switzerland at my own expense.  

The numerals and indices on this dial are applied!  The indices on the seconds sub dial are printed.  The applied indices and numerals are first galvanically grown on a separate substrate.  On its own, it looks like a plastic sticker.  After the dial is made, the two are joined and the indices and numerals become fused to the dial!  It has to be done this way because the watch is so thin that normal applied indices would be too tall and the hands would hit the indices!  Photo by Bulgari.



The Tadao Ando dial is definitely one of the coolest versions of the Octo Finissimo (and my personal favorite).  The dial is printed with a silicone egg.  Photo by Bulgari.

The Octo Finissimo Sejima is a modern art piece.  It's more jewelry than watch - and all art piece.  The watch is all polished and the dial and hands are mirrored.  Even the crystal has an evaporated metal matrix grid that looks like another mirror.  It's not designed to make it easy to see the time, you definitely have to look for the time.  It's a cool watch and an art piece that makes you wonder, "what is time?"  A wonderful concept.  And while it's not a practical watch, as you have to look twice for the time, the concept is high art.  Photo by Bulgari.  

The Sketch Dial is another super cool version of the Octo Finissimo.  It is laser engraved (not printed with the silicon egg).  Photo by Bulgari.

This was designed by our very own member, Moc!  It resembles a tattoo'd watch!  The tattoo-ing is not done with ink.  It's done with laser engraving!  Super cool!  And so cool that our own member, Moc, was involved in this awesome project!  Photo by Bulgari.



This is the pierced dial with Roman numerals.  Photo by our very own ChristianCH!



The classic titanium variant.  A classic never dies and this is a great choice.  With a black printed dial (this one does use a silicone egg).  Photo by Bulgari.



So many world records.  In only a timespan of ~10 or so years.







This is the thinnest watch in the world at 1.8mm that can be wound with its own crown!  There is a Ferrari X Richard Mille watch that is 1.75mm but it has no crown and has to be wound with a special tool.  I've tried on this watch at Bulgari in London and it was definitely too thin for me.