As thin as can be
Those who know watches, know how this passion is divided into dozens of specific interests. The brand. The complications. The materials. The finishes. And even the features of the watch itself: the smallest. The thinnest. Different Maisons showed up to fight the battle for this specific record. So let’s start with Jaeger LeCoultre, and from many years ago: 1907. This is the birth date of Caliber 145, the thinnest manual caliber in the world for many years, at 1.38 millimeters thick. But since then, the race toward the thinnest mechanical movement picked up steam again around the 1980s, introducing a series of extra-thin calibers by other companies, and one in particular, an amazing one: Bulgari.
Discover the Omega Speedmaster Green
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, launched in 2014, paved the way for a new series of models from the Maison, which over the years led the house with a Roman heart but Parisian ownership to a record that is really hard to believe: a watch that is only 1.8 mm thick-and we’re not just talking about the movement. We’re talking about the watch’s thickness: less than a 10-cent coin.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra, launched last March, echoes the signature case of the Octo series, a sleek design that evokes the gateway to Bulgari’s historic Roman headquarters at Via Condotti. A 40mm case that looks even larger since it is so thin. The watch features a regulator design, with the hour, minute and seconds functions in three individual dials, and yet it offers a power reserve of an impressive 50 hours. This is a limited edition of only 10 pieces, produced for the 10th anniversary of the Octo, with a list price that matched expectations: 400,000 euros. Bulgari.com
