- Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon will be produced in only 20 examples worldwide, each priced at USD $678,000.
- The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon led to eight patents during its development, highlighting the extreme engineering behind its ultra-thin design.
- At just 1.85 mm thick, it is the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch.
- The hand-wound BVF 900 calibre beats at 4 Hz and provides a 42-hour power reserve, driving Bvlgari’s record-breaking ultra-thin tourbillon.
The race to build the world’s thinnest mechanical watch has become one of the most fascinating battles in modern watchmaking, and once again, Bvlgari has found a way to move the goalposts. Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon measures an astonishing 1.85mm thick, taking the title of the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch from Piaget’s 2mm Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon. Limited to just 20 pieces and priced at USD $678,000, it is another reminder of just how far Bvlgari is willing to push the Octo Finissimo collection.
This level of engineering did not happen overnight. Bvlgari has spent more than a decade chasing fractions of a millimetre, setting a string of ultra-thin watchmaking records along the way. The journey has included the world’s thinnest minute repeater in 2016, the Octo Finissimo Automatic in 2017 and the record-setting perpetual calendar in 2021. Each watch has played its part in developing the ideas and techniques that eventually led to the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon.
As Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari, explained, “Each record has been a stepping stone. It’s not just about crossing barriers — it’s about completely redefining mechanical watchmaking.” That thinking is clear here. Adding a tourbillon to a watch measuring less than two millimetres thick sounds almost unreasonable, yet Bvlgari managed to do exactly that.
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- Brand: Bvlgari
- Model: Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillion
- Reference: 104313
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Material: Titanium
- Dial Colour: Mechanical Skeleton
- Calibre: BVL 900
- Power Reserve: 42 Hours
- Water Resistance: 3 Bar ( 30 metres / 100 feet)
- Price: USD $678,000 (Limited Edition – 20 Pieces)
Measuring 40mm in diameter, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon keeps the familiar geometric shape of the collection while stripping the watch down to its essentials. Rhodium-plated hour and minute hands sit against a sandblasted brass surface finished with a dark anthracite DLC coating, while the exposed architecture puts much of the movement on display. The integrated titanium bracelet has a microbead-frosted finish and measures only 1.5mm thick, helping the entire watch maintain its remarkably slim profile.
Achieving a thickness of just 1.85mm required Bvlgari to rethink almost every part of the watch. Eight patents were filed during its development, covering innovations including the differential display system, the mounting of the sapphire crystal and even elements of the bracelet construction.
One of the most important decisions was to combine the case middle directly with the movement’s mainplate. Rather than placing a conventional movement inside a separate case, the structure of the watch itself becomes part of the calibre. This approach saves precious space while providing the watch with the rigidity needed to protect its thin mechanical construction.
At the centre of the watch is a tungsten carbide mainplate, chosen for its strength and resistance to deformation. Two flat stainless steel crowns are integrated into the architecture, with one positioned at 8 o’clock for winding and another at 3 o’clock for time setting. Their unusual placement feels almost like a pair of mechanical controls built directly into the movement’s side.
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The closer you look, the more details begin to stand out: the bezel frames, the rhodium-plated tourbillon components that contrast the dark surfaces around them, and the geometric engravings across the ratchet add another layer of detail without detracting from the exposed mechanical layout.
As Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, explained, “The goal wasn’t just thinness — it was about achieving precise execution while honouring the distinctive aesthetic codes of the Octo Finissimo line.” That may be the most important point about this watch. Bvlgari could have created a technical experiment purely to chase another record, but the finished result is still immediately recognizable as an Octo Finissimo.
The collection’s octagonal design continues to draw inspiration from Roman architecture, including the coffered ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. That architectural influence has long been part of the Octo Finissimo identity, and even with the extreme engineering involved here, Bvlgari has managed to preserve it.
Powering the watch is the hand-wound BVF 900 calibre, which operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Compared with the BVL 180 movement used in the previous Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, the power reserve is slightly shorter, and it lacks COSC certification. The trade-off, however, is a full tourbillon mechanism in a watch that is only 0.15mm thicker.
Sure, it might not match the previous Ultra COSC when it comes to power reserve, but let’s be fair — if you have the world’s thinnest tourbillon sitting on your wrist, you’re probably not spending much time complaining about a few missing hours. At that point, you’ve already won.
Thinking about adding one to the collection? You’ll need considerably more than deep pockets. Only 20 examples of the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon will be produced, and given the watch’s significance, getting hold of one may prove just as difficult as building it.
The good news is that Bvlgari also introduced the Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days at Watches and Wonders 2025. It may not carry the same world-record headline, but the titanium skeletonized watch offers another impressive look at what Bvlgari continues to do with the Octo Finissimo collection.
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