Octo Finissimo adds another Tourbillon Marble to the lineup

This Geneva Watch Days release from Bvlgari is clearly another instance of Italian style, panache and love for marble, that ultimate symbol of refinement and luxury in Roman culture. It is evidently not the brand’s first outing in marble. Who could forget Bvlgari’s full marble Octo Finissimo Tourbillon for Only Watch in 2023, where the entire DLC-treated titanium case and bracelet along with dial were wrapped in Verdi Alphi marble?

Earlier this year, the Italian powerhouse showed just how things are done when they wrested back the crown as the world’s thinnest with its wafer-thin 1.85mm Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon. The Octo Finissimo Marble Tourbillon released alongside, while not quite as lissom as its Ultra cousin, is nonetheless as striking as they come, with an alpine green dial crafted from Verdi Alphi marble and a 4.85mm-slim gold case brandishing 110 facets in brushed and polished finishes. 

This latest marble iteration comes with an intense deep blue dial cut from Italian marble. As with its predecessor, this requires extreme technical finesse and precision as the dial is one of the thinnest components in watchmaking, and marble is notoriously brittle and tough to handle when cut so fine. Throw a flying tourbillon into the mix and the process is doubly complicated, and not just because this requires the dial to be further cut to create the tourbillon aperture. 

It is housed in a 40mm satin-polished platinum case with transparent caseback to show off the ultra-thin BVL 268 manual winding movement inside. The latter is decorated with Côtes de Genève and perlage, and beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour for a power reserve of 52 hours. In line with the platinum and blue theme, indexes and hands maintain a stately blue while the strap is blue alligator leather. 

Tech Specs: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Marble Tourbillon

Reference: 104257
Movement: Manual-winding Caliber BVL 268; 52-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and flying tourbillon
Case: 40mm × 5.75mm; platinum with sapphire crystal caseback; water resistant to 30m
Dial: Blue Blu Incanto marble dial
Strap: Blue alligator leather strap with polished platinum pin buckle
Availability: Limited to 30 pieces

Bvlgari Bronzo is back in bronze

Bvlgari Aluminum gets a material update with two new references. In place of the familiar lightweight aluminum, the new iterations come clad in bronze, a material rarely used by the maison and, accordingly, is christened Bvlgari Bronzo. The resulting combination of sleek metallic golden brown paired with muted black rubber lugs, bezel and strap channel an understated contemporary sports luxe that’s all very much aligned with the times. 

As with all bronze artefacts, the watch will gain a distinctive sheen and patina over time, a fact that should appeal to many watch lovers, this one included. For now, there are two references available: the Bvlgari Bronzo GMT and the Bvlgari Bronzo Chronograph.

At 40mm and 41mm respectively, both watches have wrist presence without being obvious. The Bvlgari Bronzo Chronograph, however, is significantly heftier at 12.35mm thick. It comes with a tachymeter scale, date opening at 4/5 o’clock and Super-LumiNova on hands for easy reading. The Bvlgari Bronzo GMT comes with a black lacquered 24-hour disc at the center for the second time zone and offers a reasonable 50-hour power reserve designed for the international jet set. An additional detail we like — both come with sleek sandblasted, satin-finished titanium casebacks with black DLC treatment,

Tech Specs: Bvlgari Bronzo GMT

Reference: 104241
Movement: Self-winding caliber B192; 52-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds; GMT; date
Case: 40mm × 9.7mm; sandblasted bronze case with black rubber bezel, sandblasted and satin-finish titanium case back with black DLC treatment; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Matt and brilliant varnish black dial
Strap: Black rubber strap
Price:

Tech Specs: Bvlgari Bronzo Chronograph

Reference: 104242
Movement: Self-winding caliber B381; 42-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; small seconds; chronograph; date
Case: 41mm × 12.35mm; sandblasted bronze case with black rubber bezel; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Matt varnish black dial
Strap: Black rubber strap
Price: