27 June 2016

With the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Bulgari set itself an ambitious goal: squeezing the maximum of mechanical complexity into the minimal space of an ultrathin watch. In fact the minute repeater is a sophisticated mechanism, able to tell the time on demand with a series of different chimes marking the hours, quarters and minutes: it needs space and volume not just because it consists of hundreds of micro-components, but also to amplify the sound. By contrast, an ultrathin watch has to keep its thickness as limited as possible, so its components are reduced in number and miniaturized. In this case, the manufacture’s technicians have succeeded in developing an integrated system of case, movement and dial that is only 6.85 mm thick, in which every detail is specifically designed. The hand-wound mechanical movement has been specially constructed to keep its thickness to just 3.12 mm. It can be glimpsed through the slits in the dial, where the hour markers and the second indicator are laser cut to facilitate the propagation of sound. Again to increase the volume of the sound, the case is made of titanium: a metal with good acoustic properties that is also incredibly light (the watch weighs only 43 grams). Finally, given the minimalist aesthetics, the traditional slide piece to active the repeater on the case middle has been replaced by a push button: an emblematic detail for a model that offers a contemporary interpretation of the oldest complication of all.