I didn’t set out to buy this Bulgari Octo Finissimo S. No, I was on a mission to buy a rose gold dress watch. You see I’m 40 now and after a decade collecting watches in my 20’s and then avoiding watches for mountain biking/skiing in my 30’s, I had now decided that was deserving enough of a high horology dress watch. Something of a family heirloom I could pass down to junior one day.

So off I went shopping…. ALS, Breguet, VC, Patek, JLC etc blah blah blah. They were all fine, lovely, sober timepieces (and salespeople). But here is the thing about being 40… you vividly remember being 25 and like a crow lusting after shiny things there was the Bulgari counter glittering away at me. Calling me. Screaming at me. So off I went to a land where everything feels younger and more fun.

First I tried on the blue dial Octo. I was instantly transfixed by the fine brushing/polishing details of the integrated bracelet and how it contoured my wrist. It sparkles in the most elegant way…. And the blue dial, I could get lost in it. The large face yet compact dimensions make it actually way more discreet than I expected. Turn it over and the thin micro rotor movement exemplifies real watchmaking (At the time I didn’t realise Bulgari had acquired Gerald Genta). Next up was the original titanium version. Very matte finish throughout, monochrome, and somehow less comfortable. Oddly it looked more pure from a design perspective but it was simply less exciting. I was confused and needed to do some thinking. Was I really contemplating a Bulgari watch??? The notion seemed ridiculous only 30 minutes earlier.

After an internet deep dive into all things Octo Finissimo I came to the conclusion (after a month of thinking about it) that yes I was going down the Bulgari watch route but that neither of the watches I tried on were the perfect candidate for me. I wanted the shimmer and shine of the steel Octo bracelet but also to respect the pure monochrome design language from the titanium range. Enter the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S with the brushed silvered dial.

So what is it like living with this watch? Well, it drives my cat crazy. It glimmers and shimmers acting like a disco ball when the sun hits it causing reflections all over the walls for him to chase. The brushed dial is simply stunning. It shifts and changes depending on its aspect to light. The overall package is super comfortable (most of the time) and while it gathers a ton of attention from both non-watch friends and other watch aficionados alike it’s extremely discreet when you want it to be. It simply slides under a cuff or into a pocket like no other watch I’ve owned. At 6.4mm thick it has changed my perspective on watch wearability. Larger chronographs seem almost unwearable now. Because of the slim profile the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S has held up very well and doesn’t knock into things or flop around. There are a couple marks on the bottom portion of the bracelet but fortunately at the clasp where it’s fully brushed so they aren’t noticeable. Apparently, you can swim with it on but I’m not the type of guy to jump into a pool or lake with anything above a certain price point attached to my body.

There is one glaring weakness to the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S though…. No micro adjustment. The links are narrow which helps and the folding clasp sits with an extremely low profile by being recessed into the bracelet but as the weather shifts and my wrist expands or contracts it is noticeable. For me, it’s not bothersome but for others, I could see it being an issue simply because the bracelet is extremely refined and wraps your wrist so there is little margin.

So there it is… my review. I did end up buying that rose gold dress watch that I originally set out for but the Bulgari Octo Finissimo S came first and has since shaped a new view on what I’ll put on my wrist. Give it a try!