Size matters: Bvlgari shaves off even more of its Octo Finissimo line
Smaller is the new big deal
By 
BVLGARI has spent the past decade building a distinct position in contemporary watchmaking through their Octo Finissimo line. Since the collection’s debut in 2014, the Roman maison has treated thinness as both a technical challenge and a design principle, producing a run of watches that have repeatedly set records in their categories. This year’s Watches and Wonders has continued that run, with two new expressions of the line: one focused on record-setting mechanics, the other on proportion and daily wear.
But now, the skinny on the skinnies.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum was only introduced last year and this 2026 edition, shaved down to an extremely slender 1.85 mm thickness overall, Bvlgari is presenting it as the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon. The 40 mm case and integrated bracelet are both made in platinum, with blue accents added to the skeletonised display. Inside is the hand-wound BVF 900 calibre, which offers a 42-hour power reserve and runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Bvlgari says the watch marks a new technical challenge because platinum is a dense material that requires specific expertise and tooling. This edition also introduces a dedicated mainplate treatment, a steel ratchet wheel and a bracelet that combines satin-brushed and polished finishes. It is limited to 10 pieces. What makes the watch interesting is not only the number attached to its thickness, but the fact that Bvlgari has applied that same ultra-thin construction to a material more commonly associated with weight and solidity.
That might scratch the itch of fans who love technical prowess but for those of us who find pleasure in the more aesthetic side of things, the new Octo Finissimo 37mm in yellow gold takes the crown.
Rather than pushing to a new record, it revises the proportions of one of Bvlgari’s defining watches. According to the brand, 37mm was the sweet spot between being too small and reading to closely as a “ladies” watch while the 38 and 39 prototypes simply read as being 40mm.
While puritans might sniff at the departure from titanium, the choice of a satin-polished yellow gold finish takes the Finissimo into new territory. While its signature slimness and grey colouring ensured that the Finissimo had a certain amount of discretion on wearing, easily hidden below the shirt cuff. Gold? Far more flash. Add a matching yellow gold dial, yellow gold-plated hands and indexes and an integrated bracelet, and you have yourself something that bears the traits of a piece of jewellery.
Inside is the new automatic BVF 100 calibre, developed in-house by Bvlgari over three years. It uses a micro-rotor, measures 2.35 mm thick and delivers a 72-hour power reserve at 21,600 vibrations per hour. In this format, the Octo Finissimo reads less as an exercise in technical escalation and more as a refinement of an established design. The smaller case size and full gold execution shift the emphasis to wearability, proportion and finish, while keeping the architecture of the Octo Finissimo intact.
Related:
