The movement is actually as thick as the tourbillon cage–which is the thickest element in the movement of course. The flying tourbillon has an original look and according the Bulgari they removed part of the balance wheel regulating system and thus created a movement pretty much only Bulgari can service or adjust. The tourbillon is also mounted on very thin ball bearings versus a traditional pivot.
If you are a fan of tourbillons then you are clearly going to love this watch. We at aBlogtoWatch are getting a little tired of everyone’s favorite luxury complication because they are getting a bit redundant and really don’t add anything aside from technical and artistic value to a timepiece. So going along those lines if you want a wonderfully artistic and technical tourbillon, then go for something like this. It is proudly displayed on the otherwise clean and crisp Octo dial.
The Octo case appears to be relatively maintained despite its anorexia. Here it is 40mm wide and offered exclusively in platinum for the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon model. Once again, the slim profile mixed with the attractive design of the Octo makes for a very compelling piece.
One area where we take issue is the dial design. There is nothing inherently wrong with it aside from the useless skeletonization of the hands. In theory, the dial is very attractive and beautiful to look at–adding a sense of Bulgari elegance to the complicated architectural nature of the Octo. Actually, I was rather disappointed to discover a total lack of Genta’s name in the press release discussing the new Octo pieces. Bulgari went on about Italian architecture and related items, but it was very uncool to not mention Genta. And I really don’t know why. They own all the rights to him and the man is now dead. He name adds enough value to a product in my opinion to balance against Bulgari not wanting to “share” any of the creative effort.
Again, I am losing focus. My issue with the dial is the fact that Bulgari places highly reflective hands and hour markers on a glossy dial. The effect is that in most lighting situations you simply cannot see anything on the dial side from the tourbillon. It is true that I was able to make the dial appear rather legible in my photography, but that is because I know how to photograph watches. The reality is that in many lighting situations the dial is illegible. Have no fear because I know Bulgari is going to fix this. If what they communicate to me happens, then the final versions of the Octo Finissimo will have different finishes on the hands and hour markers making for a much more legible dial.
The combination of sleek elegance, cool case design, interesting and highly technical movement, along with the tapered back alligator strap makes for a compelling luxury watch sure to help keep Bulgari on the minds of collectors and aficionados. In any event, if you get a chance simply to put on one of these new Bulgari Octo Finissimo watches–the tourbillon or otherwise–I recommend it. Priced at 130,000 Swiss Francs. bvlgari.com
