Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New, All-Black versions of the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton and L’Originale Chronograph
A new, monochromatic and powerful all-black look for two watches of the Octo collection.
The Octo is a true compendium of Bvlgari’s sense of design. With its graphic shapes and pure lines, its style is powerful, modern yet elegant. Over the past few years, the Italian watchmaker turned one model into an entire men’s watch collection with striking launches including the unapologetically chic Finissimo Trilogy and its several world records – including the recently introduced thinnest automatic watch. The Octo line now welcomes two new models opting for the vigour and dynamism of black, the Octo Finissimo Skeleton Black Edition and the Octo L’Originale Chronograph Black Edition.
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton Black Edition
Starting with the sleek Octo Finissimo Skeleton, it is radically black, monochromatic and it exposes intricate mechanics… which definitely sounds like something we would love here. Living up to the promise, the new version of the Octo Finissimo Skeleton shares the same specifications as previous models, for instance, the Ultranero Skeleton presented in 2016. The main novelty is the all-black finish and the ultra-light DLC-coated titanium case and bracelet.
The only colour accents are brought by the indications, all highlighted with rose gold-plated hands. The hours and minutes hands are facetted and openworked, as usual for this collection. The small seconds is shown between 7 and 8 o’clock. At 9 o’clock, the power reserve is on the front side (the power reserve of the non-skeletonized hand-wound Finissimo is displayed on the movement side).
The Octo Finissimo Skeleton Black Edition is powered by the understated but intricate in-house calibre BLV128SK. Fully openworked and exposed, this super-thin hand-wound movement has gone through a blackening process to create an industrial look. The result is superb. The architectural ultra-thin skeleton movement is 36mm in diameter but just 2.35mm thick. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, it offers 65h of power reserve – which is quite impressive considering its thinness.
The first impression with the 40mm black DLC-coated titanium case is one of style. Like the movement it encloses, its thickness has been reduced to a bare minimum of 5.37mm. The integration of the bracelet with the case is perfect. Ultra-thin, light-weight, flexible, it’s an elegant watch that offers a snug, comfortable fit. A demonstration of attention to the smallest details, the folding clasp is literally set inside the bracelet which respects the overall thinness of the watch even on the other side of the wrist. It feels stunning on the wrist and we can thoroughly recommend that you go hands-on with this Octo Finissimo skeleton black edition, if only just to check it out in person.
Bvlgari Octo L’Originale Chronograph Black Edition
The second new model is a black-on-black dial and case version of the Octo l’Originale Chronograph. Radiating an urban character, it stands out with its dynamic all-black look – including the hands, the sub-dials and all the inscriptions – which exudes masculine appeal.
The angular DLC-coated steel case is 41mm in diameter. It is paired with an integrated rubber strap. The matte black dial features numerals and hour markers in slight relief paired with openwork hands. Legibility is certainly not optimal but it is definitely a powerful-looking timepiece. One difference with the matte titanium (non-coated) version introduced earlier this year is the absence of the engraved tachymeter scale on the bezel, giving this all-black version a cleaner look.
Inside this Octo L’Originale Chronograph Black Edition is the self-winding BVL 328 Velocissimo calibre (which is, in fact, a Zenith El Primero). This means a high-grade column-wheel chronograph with horizontal clutch. The escapement is made of silicon and operates at 5Hz high-frequency. The exhibition case back allows discovering its openwork rotor and a pleasant decoration.
The retail prices of these Bvlgari Octo Black Editions are EUR 22,900 for the Octo Finissimo Skeleton Black Edition and EUR 9,950 for the Octo L’Originale Chronograph Black Edition. For more information, please visit www.bulgari.com.
