While the emphasis on independence and familial heritage is widely promoted as bragging rights, being part of a conglomerate is not without merits. One good example is Bulgari. The Italian jeweller experimented with everything from serpentine depictions to Roman coins before integration into LVMH; until a ground-breaking creation emerged under Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. The Octo Finissimo S, along with the whole Finissimo line, catapulted Bulgari from a jeweller to a horological legend.

It is no coincidence that Italian influences helped shape Bulgari’s design language. Details such as the inscriptional capital font adopted by BVLGARI were evident in ancient Greek and later Roman culture. Nevertheless, inspiration without a designer’s creativity or a watchmaker’s hands is just a castle in the air.

In ancient Roman architecture, the octagonal baptismal font is a visual metaphor for the number eight, which signifies a christened beginning following the “complete” number seven in Christian numerology. A baptistery is customarily roofed with a domical ciborium set upon eight columns and symbolises the heavenly realm toward which the Christian progresses. Here, we see quite a remarkable resemblance in the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S.

An octagonal case leads up to a round sloping bezel to reveal an aquatic blue dial bounded by an octagonal rehaut. Eight penetrating screws secure the bezel firmly onto the foundational case back, visually and functionally resembling columns inside a baptistery. I would say there was not a design as intricate since the 1976 Nautilus. The Octo, like the Nautilus, is a marriage between horology and history.

The satin-polished finish is most fitting for any sprezzaturian. Such a treatment is not merely cosmetic to highlight the 110 facets; but also practical during daily wear. The polished facets, placed cleverly at recessed angles, are guarded against scratching. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S, with its mirror-polished accents, glitters and dances in the light. It handles any situation, formal or informal, outdoors or indoors, with a leisurely nonchalant flair. Pursuing thinness for thinness’ sake has little practicality outside of engineering circles.

The Octo Finissimo marks its presence on the wrist without appearing as trying too hard at 40mm wide and coming in at a hair over 6mm thick. The Octo is as agile as any modern sports watch thanks to the streamlined movement within a water-resistant case good for 100m below the surface.

Another nod to Roman history lies in the armilla-type bracelet, cleverly bound with a hidden deployant clasp. Unfortunately, it is not all roses. Raw edges jarring along the bracelet rings of sloppiness are inequitable for any dignified jeweller, especially at this price point.

The story of Bulgari took quite a different route from its French counterparts. Yet, Bulgari didn’t come up with record-breaking designs until the Octo Finissimo. If I had to pick a watch to represent the 21st Century, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S would undoubtedly be it.