Paying homage to the brand’s connection to the Eternal City, Bulgari has just introduced the renewed Octo Roma collection with increased water resistance (100m), Clous de Paris motif on the dial, and – for the first time – with a chronograph model.
Italy’s capital is not only the place where Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari (1857-1932) founded his company in 1884, it is also where the LVMH Group member is officially headquartered today. Switzerland, on the other hand, is obviously where Bulgari’s watches are being manufactured and assembled, with the help of sites in Neuchâtel, Le Sentier or La Chaux-de-Fonds. And with significant success: In the last decade, the brand’s Octo collection has become one of the most successful ambassadors for contemporary watchmaking, with dozens of international prizes awarded to the collection, including the “Aiguille d’Or” – the Best in Show award – at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. But even though Bulgari consistently made watchmaking headlines in the last ten years by setting eight world records with the ultra-thin Finissimo models, and also by introducing some of the most creative contemporary designs (just look at the Sejima Limited Edition from 2022), it is, however, the Octo Roma where the more traditional haute horlogerie creations and complications can be found: both the Tourbillon Sapphire, Grande Sonnerie as well as the Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar models are part of this collection.
Compared to the Octo L’Originale (2012) or Octo Finissimo (2014), the Octo Roma (2017) also symbolizes perhaps the most organic interpretation of Bulgari’s take on the octagonal shape, while the Finissimo and Solotempo represent a much more angular, monochrome and puristic interpretation of a theme that has a rich history in Italian architecture. In this context, Antoine Pin’s (Managing Director of the Bulgari Watch Division) decision to position the Octo Roma collection even more clearly as a comparatively traditional counterpart to the Finissimo, makes perfectly sense: there is the ultra-reduced, ultra-thin and quite often ultra-revolutionary Finissimo, here the more restrained Octo Roma:
Octo Roma Chronograph
The Octo Roma Chronograph is distinguished by a dial in blue (Ref. 103829) or black (Ref. 103471) adorned with a Clous de Paris guilloché pattern. It features a tricompax layout with a central seconds hand, a 30-minute counter, a 12-hour counter, and subsidiary seconds. The subdials are distinguished by a different finish, the date window is placed between 4 and 5 o’clock.
The stainless steel case with integrated chronograph pushers measures 42mm in diameter and houses the caliber BVL 399, a Swiss-made in-house mechanical movement (based on the 191 from Bulgari) with automatic winding. It operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and can be seen through the sapphire case back. Price: $9,150.
.Octo Roma Automatic
The 41-mm Octo Roma Automatic comes in three variations, a blue (Ref. 103739), anthracite (Ref. 103740), or white (Ref. 103738) dial. They also feature the traditional Clous de Paris motif. The watches are powered by the in-house caliber BVL 191 featuring a power reserve of 42 hours.
Price: $7,300
To learn more, visit Bulgari, here.
