BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC
In the race to produce the thinnest watch to adorn one’s wrist, Bvlgari does not hold back, delivering the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic that (rightly so) blows the competition out of the water. At a wafer-thin 3.95mm, this is the Italian brand’s fourth record-making attempt at slicing off millimetres from its Octo timepieces. Not only that, this 42mm sandblasted titanium timepiece holds the holy trinity of records in horology, being the world’s thinnest automatic watch, the world’s thinnest automatic tourbillon and the world’s thinnest tourbillon. If you’re wondering how these remarkable feats are achieved, it all boils down to the 1.95mm calibre BVL 288 – based on the 2014 Finissimo Tourbillon movement – with automatic winding made possible by the placement of the peripheral oscillating weight on the back of the movement. Fashioned in white gold and aluminium, the circular weight oscillates in a regular rhythm due to the contrasting density of the two metals. The use of a peripheral oscillating weight also frees up space within the calibre, allowing for the addition of the flying tourbillion, equipped with a ball-bearing system that further takes away from the thickness. Another stroke of genius is skeletonising the calibre, which reduces heft and provides aesthetic pleasure to the wearer while checking the time that ticks for a sound 52 hours. Turning over the slim watch, the tourbillon and oscillating weight’s activity can be further admired through a sapphire crystal opening on the solid caseback that’s shaped like the doorway of the brand’s Via Condotti flagship store in Rome.
