On its 10th anniversary, the Octo collection sets its eighth historic world record with a 1.8mm watch
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One historic day on the legendary Piazza della Rotonda, Bvlgari honors not only the beauty of the Pantheon and the city of Rome, but also a grand celebration: the 10th anniversary of the Octo collection.
In just one decade, Bvlgari’s Octo collection has become one of the most extraordinary watchmaking adventures of the 21st century, setting a new standard in the world of contemporary elegant watchmaking. Its seven world records, technical prowess, unique shape and inimitable modern design have made it a watchmaking icon.
This meteoric rise reveals the power of combining Swiss watchmaking mastery with Italian elegance—an alliance that was first presented in Rome in July 2012 and that quickly confirmed Bvlgari in its pioneering role through three lines and as many expressions: Octo L’Originale (2012), Octo Finissimo (2014) and Octo Roma (2017).
“This fabulous landmark that we are setting today with the Octo Finissimo Ultra is in fact, for me and all the teams, the fulfilment of a dream. One which now guarantees that Bvlgari will forever be acknowledged as having written some of the finest chapters in Swiss watchmaking. And the fact that the Maison is Italian makes us particularly proud”, said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari.
An 8th consecutive world record for the Octo collection, and one that will probably never be beaten, the world’s thinnest ever mechanical watch at 1.8 mm is barely thicker than a sheet of drawing paper, triggering a peerless physical and emotional sensation when worn.
Masterful history
Art, science and technology were literally intertwined on the surface of the Pantheon façade which was virtually reimagined into the masterly stage-setting for a contemporary architectural production enhanced by the screening of the majestic “Temple of Light_Ultra” by multidisciplinary creative hub OUCHHH, a real-time generative artwork curated by Reasoned Art, thus creating a bridge between cultural heritage and innovation.
The temple of the gods of Ancient Rome was the scene of an iconic art installation which consisted of three moments, one of which was in Live real time. The beginning and the end of the show saw thousands of pieces of data from the history of Italian architecture and art that, through artificial intelligence algorithms, have been reworked and projected on the pronaos of the Pantheon.
In the intermediate section of the event, the orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia made its debut with a live performance. On stage, the 8 + 8 Percussion Ensemble of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Alta Formazione led by Edoardo Giachino gave a breathtaking concert notably demonstrating exceptional percussion mastery.
The artwork, at this moment of the show, has been created in Live, using data extracted from the brain waves of the conductor monitored through an EEG Headset device. The ultimate result was a stunning creation of a never-before-seen work that crosses the boundary between man and machine, merging the flow of human consciousness with the flow of data collected and reprocessed through artificial intelligence algorithms.
“The mastery of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia magnifies the majesty of the Octo Watch. The rhythm of the music fused with the digital AI artwork by Oouch artists creates the perfect scenery to express 10 years of a record-breaking journey” said Antoine Pin, Bulgari Watches Managing Director.
Figure eight
The eight columns of the Pantheon. Celebrating the eight world record. In eight years. A 1.8 mm thickness for which eight patents have been filed. From a watch whose design has eight facets, the octagon is now complete.
Thanks to a QR code engraved on the ratchet wheel of the watch, the first ten owners of the Octo Finissimo Ultra will receive an exclusive NFT artwork that guarantees the authenticity and uniqueness of the watch by means of blockchain technology. The artwork conceptualizes the narrative of his decades-long experience in the Octo world and the creative path that led to the birth of Octo Finissimo Ultra.
The two authentication certificates will be linked: one for the artwork and the other for the watch, which will encompass the whole via Bvlgari Singvlarity tech. This represents the merging of real and virtual worlds, of past and future. Defying the laws of physics through its mechanics, the watch becomes a global ecosystem that extends into a non-physical world.
On this first day of spring, Bulgari symbolizes creativity, innovation, cultural heritage combined with an approach free of any preconceived notions, which ushers watchmaking as a whole into a new era: that of ultra-thinness, as well as that of the connection between the traditional mechanical world and the digital universe.