Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bvlgari

OCTO FINISSIMO, THE ART OF FINESSE

BVLGARI BRINGS THE ART OF FINESSE TO GENEVA WATCH DAYS

As summer wanes, watch lovers converge on the shores of Lake Geneva for Geneva Watch Days. More intimate and less formal than the major industry trade shows, this public-facing event – launched in 2020 at the initiative of Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of LVMH Watches and CEO of Bvlgari – oflers a fresh perspective on contemporary watchmaking.

“This event was born from a desire to rethink the way the industry connects — more agile, more inclusive, and more collaborative. Five years on, it has become a key rendez-vous on the horological calendar, not just for well-known brands, but for a growing number of independent players as well” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President of Geneva Watch Days.

Open to all and free of charge, Geneva Watch Days showcases the latest in horological creativity. For Bvlgari, it’s an opportunity to present new expressions of its signature boldness and design language. This year, the Roman Maison unveils a first-of-its-kind exhibition retracing the evolution of the Octo Finissimo – spanning from its 2014 debut to its most defining milestones – alongside two striking new interpretations of this emblematic timepiece.

The first retrospective of the Octo Finissimo saga

Every Octo Finissimo model is both a technical achievement and a creative statement – an untried approach to traditional watchmaking complications, made even more radical by the pursuit of extreme thinness. In just 11 years, the collection has set an astonishing ten world records.

At Geneva Watch Days 2025, Bvlgari will for the first time present a detailed, educational retrospective of the Octo Finissimo story. Its style rooted in the octagonal geometry of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome, the Octo redefined watch design in the early 2000s, and introduced a new, bold, forward-looking aesthetic for the 21st century.

Drawing on its Swiss-based Manufacture expertise, Bvlgari embarked on a unique exploration of horological complexity – rethinking volumes and proportions. This vision led to the creation of the Octo Finissimo line, and later to the boundary-shattering Octo Finissimo Ultra models. The exhibition brings together the pivotal references that have so far marked this ongoing journey.

From the groundbreaking Octo Finissimo Tourbillon of 2014 – with its ultra-slim BVL 268 tourbillon calibre measuring just 1.95 mm – to the stunning Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon introduced in April 2025 at Watches and Wonders, with a case just 1.85 mm thick, each milestone creation tells the story of a singular creative approach. The exhibition also reveals how the Ultra and Finissimo lines complement one another, along with Bvlgari’s ongoing artistic collaborations.

Each Octo Finissimo reflects a quest for pure expression and technical excellence. These timepieces keep pushing boundaries – not only in movement construction, case architecture, and the art of skeletonisation, but also in the choice of materials. From gold and platinum – two precious metals at the heart of Bvlgari’s identity – to steel, a pillar of watchmaking, as well as advanced materials like titanium, carbon, ceramic, and tungsten carbide, each execution challenges and redefines what ultra-thin watchmaking can be.

The Octo Finissimo line embodies these breakthroughs in tangible form.

Visitors to the exhibition will discover some of the collection’s most defining achievements, including the Octo Finissimo Automatic of 2017 – just 5.15 mm thick – a model that exemplifies the union of Italian design and Swiss mechanical savoir-faire through its minimalist aesthetic.

They’ll also encounter the prestigious Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in titanium, which won the Aiguille d’Or at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and remains the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch with a thickness of only 5.80 mm.

Also on display: the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater from 2016, which set new standards for chiming watches; the bold Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days from 2022, combining refined openwork and an eight-day power reserve in a rose gold case just 5.95 mm high; and the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in carbon and titanium introduced in 2024.

Together, these iterations highlight the incredible creative range of Bvlgari’s signature timepiece – one that lends itself naturally to the boldest and most imaginative interpretations. The latest is the Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bvlgari.

Octo Finissimo: A canvas for infinity

Though defined by its complexity and depth, the Octo Finissimo also speaks to purity. Its case – architectural and graphic – is unlike any other in watchmaking. Proudly drawing on classical references, particularly the octagonal form of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome, it also embraces contemporary design codes with equal ease.

Over the years, Bvlgari has invited artists and architects to interpret this iconic case.

In 2020, Tadao Ando expresses his vision of time on a watch made from black ceramic and featuring a transparent caseback bearing the architect’s signature. Laurent Grasso, in 2024, explored the perception of time through subtle visual eflects. The finish creates an impression of depth, brought to life by the cloud of colours applied through a screen-printing process using metallic pigments. Like a splash of paint on a blank canvas, the magic of a fleeting phenomenon is forever captured on the surface of this accessory.

Further pushing these boundaries, the Octo Finissimo Sketch assertively displays the intimate mechanics sketched by Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. With lively, natural, and spontaneous strokes, it emphasizes the key features of the Finissimo icon, blending technical mastery with artistic expression. The dial, a blank canvas, becomes a realm of artistic exploration. Also exemplifying this commitment is the Octo Finissimo Automatic Titanium in collaboration with Hiroshi Senju, where Senju’s evocative artistry transforms the dial into a miniature masterpiece, capturing the ethereal beauty of his aquatic landscapes.

Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bvlgari

This year, the Maison welcomes Korean-born, Japan-based artist Lee Ufan into this continuing dialogue. Painter, sculptor, poet, and philosopher – Lee Ufan explores the connections between human consciousness, nature, and the universe. His art centres on perception and presence – on the emotional resonance of an object rather than its representation.

The Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bvlgari is the result of a rich and inspiring exchange between Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and Korean artist, Lee Ufan. The design is based on one of the artist’s key themes: the contrast between a rock – static and limited – and the infinite reflections of a mirror. “I know Lee Ufan from his amazing paintings. Then I discovered his sculptures, where a big rock sits on a mirror - I was intrigued, at first you think that these two elements don’t work together, but in the end, it works perfectly”, said Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani.

Rather than containing the mirrored dial delicately accented with black hands, the Octo Finissimo case amplifies it. The result is striking: a titanium-cased and braceleted watch, issued in a limited edition of 150 pieces, each finished by hand with a unique titanium surface treatment.

The timepiece houses the BVL 138 manufacture calibre with micro-rotor, just 2.23 mm thick, for an overall height of only 5.5 mm. On the caseback, Lee Ufan’s handwritten signature marks this intimate object as a true work of art. After all, imagination is a matter of finesse.

Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Marble: The Challenge of a Dial Cut in Italian Hardstone

The emotional and aesthetic power of marble makes it forever entwined with Roman culture. For centuries, it has conveyed both refinement and grandeur. Yet despite its beauty, marble is rarely associated with watchmaking – its weight and brittleness make it impossibly difficult to tame for horological demands.

However, Bvlgari has always pushed the boundaries of materials. A master in shaping everything from gold and platinum to titanium, carbon, ceramic, and fine stones, the Roman jeweller has now taken on the challenge of integrating marble into its Octo Finissimo line.

Carving a dial – one of the thinnest components in watchmaking – from marble is no small feat. While the stone is strong in its raw form, it becomes delicate and brittle when sliced thin. It requires a high degree of technical finesse and savoir faire from the Maison’s specialists, matched only by the precision needed to create a flying tourbillon.

After debuting a “Verde Alpi” green marble dial paired with a yellow gold case earlier this year, Bvlgari now reveals a new version of the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon at Geneva Watch Days: just 4.85 mm thick and 40 mm across, with a dial cut from deep blue marble sourced from the finest Italian quarries.

Inside beats the hand-wound BVL 268 calibre – measuring just 1.95 mm and oflering a 52-hour power reserve. With its Roman aesthetic and uncompromising finesse, this blue marble Octo Finissimo is both a technical and emotional triumph.