THE BUZZ WAS STRONG AT BASELWORLD 2018 SOON AFTER BULGARI DEBUTED ITS LATEST ULTRA-THIN WATCH . ITS OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC , WHICH BY THE WAY IS EQUIPPED WITH A TOURBILLON , SNAGGED A RECORD FOR THE WORLD ’ S THINNEST AUTOMATIC MOVE- MENT . THE WATCH IS THE FOURTH IMPRESSIVE ULTRA- THIN DESIGN FROM THE COMPANY IN AS MANY YEARS . IT FOLLOWS BULGARI ’ S OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON IN 2014 , THE OCTO FINISSIMO MINUTE REPEATER IN 2016 AND LAST YEAR ’ S OCTO FINISSIMO AUTOMATIC .
Bulgari ’ s efforts have been acknowledged by consumers online and at retailers for several years . But Bulgari ’ s watchmaking peers have also rewarded the brand ’ s horological work . At last year ’ s Grand Prix d ’ Horlogerie de Genève , Bulgari took home awards for both the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton and the Octo Finissimo Automatic .
IW INTERVIEW
To gain insight into how Bulgari decided to develop its series of recordbreaking ultra-thin watches , we sat down with Bulgari ’ s Managing Director of Watches , Guido Terreni , during Baselworld . Here ’ s what he told us .
Can you tell us why Bulgari started making ultra-thin watches ?
In 2011 , when I wanted to enter the ultra-thin world , we were just leaving the financial crisis and the taste of the consumer was evolving from larger watches . What we wanted to do was to give gentlemen a contemporary elegance . We look at ultra thin as the opposite of the previous trends .
As an Italian brand we were very sensitive to aesthetics . We considered the ultra-thin watches an expression of traditional aesthetics . They are a design of the 1950s in 1960s and had not evolved from an aesthetic point of view . They were usually made with precious metals , and you always wore them with a suit . Or even a tuxedo .
So we thought , why shouldn ’ t a gentleman from today enjoy ultra-thin timepieces ? This is the reason we have made our ultrathin timepieces with titanium , or on bracelets . We also invented a monochromatic look , which is very modern . This is why we have been so successful , both critically and commercially . Gentlemen who are buying these watches are really true connoisseurs . They see this watch as a new signature in the watchmaking and landscape .
So you decided to create a series ?
We wanted to build an assortment around the ultra-thin idea , so instead of playing with the dial like everybody else does , we wondered how we could evolve this in a monochromatic effect . Then we developed the titanium and the steel we use . You cannot rhodium-plate steel because it will peel off .
To develop this white steel , we first put a plate of gold , which is yellow , and you then have to cover the gold with palladium , and only then can you finish with the rhodium plating . The watch has three layers to create this white finish . This is our aesthetical choice . And from a price point of view it is quite similar .
Our goal with the sandblasted finish is to give a new look . Most gold is polished or brushed , so our finishing appears quite fresh .
Tell us about the new record-breaking Finissimo ultra-thin ?
This year we showed the thinnest automatic watch , which , by the way , is also tourbillon .
First of all , we start with the tourbillon cage . This is the same cage as in the manual winding tourbillon from 2014 . It is very thin because we use a ceramic ball bearing system that holds the cage without a bridge . We actually kept this movement at the same height as the manual winding movement . The manual movement was 1.95mm just like this movement , which is automatic .
How is this possible ? We use a peripheral winding mass . Now , at this thickness the crown was exactly in the center of the peripheral mass . So we have a pushbutton , and we don ’ t have a crown that passes through to the movement , instead we have a system of wheels connected to the barrel .
The push button is a selector . When you press it you disengage one set of wheels and you activate another set of wheels that set the time . The crown allows you to set the time or wind the watch , and allows you to have a peripheral mass that doesn ’ t interfere with the crown . This is 3.95mm thick versus 4.30mm for the previous record . There is a Bulgari logo on the peripheral mass .
Guido Terreni , Bulgari ’ s managing director of watches
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