BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Bvlgari’s popularity in the watch world knows no bounds, and at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2026, it showcased its latest achievements. Let’s take a look at the watches that got people talking.
Octo Finissimo 37mm
The October Finissimo’s introduction kickstarted Bulgari’s rise from a mere fashion house that sells watches to a proper haute horlogerie watchmaker. The new 37mm Octo Finissimo makes that range more accessible thanks to its reduced size of 37mm x 6.45mm, it’s still more of a dressy piece though, with a water resistance of just 30m. Three versions are on offer: one in sandblasted titanium, another in satin-polished titanium, and the last in satin-polished 18k yellow gold; all three have matching bracelets.
While the visual cues beyond the reduced size may be minimal, the behind-the-scenes changes are more significant. Bulgari spent three years developing the calibre BVF 100, which is 20% smaller than that used in the 40mm Octo Finissimo. Despite being 2.35mm thick, it’s still got a micro rotor and a 72-hour power reserve, making it slightly thinner than the calibre 2550 used in Vacheron Constantin’s new Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin, but that calibre has a slightly longer power reserve. Either way, comparing Bulgari and Vacheron Constantin is a mark of respect to show how far Bulgari has come. In sandblasted titanium, the price is €17,700; in satin-polished titanium, €18,500; and in yellow gold, €50,700.
Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater 37mm
Joining the other 37mm watches is the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater 37mm, alongside the larger 40mm watch, which holds the world record for the thinnest minute-repeating watch. A limited edition of 20 watches, the new Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater 37mm measures just 37mm x 6.85mm, and the titanium case and bracelet ensure lightness and comfort. Sandblasted titanium is the only option for the case and here.
Bulgari has designed the case of the new Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater 37mm to radiate as much sound from the minute repeater as possible. And, as using gold (which has excellent sound-reproduction properties) would add heft and thickness, they had to get creative. For example, simple touches such as cutting out the markers on the dial allow sound to radiate from the back of the watch to the front. And the titanium case is hollowed inside, with the gongs attached directly to the case’s inner surface, again allowing sound and vibrations to filter through more clearly.
The manually-wound calibre BVL 362 is just 3.12mm thick and has a 42-hour power reserve. I wonder what Bulgari’s arch nemesis in thin watches, Piaget, will do next. Make a thinner minute repeater? Make the world’s thickest watch for a laugh? Who knows. We do know that each of the 20 examples of this watch retails for €195,000.
Has Bulgari nailed it with these new watches, or were you hoping for something else? Let us know in the comments.
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