Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Limited Edition Ref. 103245, Sandblasted Titanium

Movement: Caliber BVL 138 Finissimo, in-house self-winding, platinum micro-rotor, 2.23mm thick, 36 jewels, 60-hour power reserve, hand-finished with Côtes de Genève, perlage, and chamfering
Case: 40mm x 5.15mm sandblasted titanium, octagonal titanium bezel, sapphire crystal, sapphire exhibition caseback signed by Tadao Ando and inscribed “Tadao Ando Limited Edition”, 30m water resistance
Dial: Grey, no hour markers or logo, engraved spiral motif radiating from the small seconds
Bracelet: Integrated sandblasted titanium bracelet, titanium folding clasp
Edition: Limited to 200 pieces, made for the Japanese market
Reference: 103245

In 2019, Bulgari handed the dial of its record-breaking Octo Finissimo Automatic to Tadao Ando, the self-taught Japanese architect behind the Church of Light in Osaka and one of the most influential figures in modern architecture. Ando took an already minimal watch and reduced it further: no hour markers, no Bulgari name, nothing but a single spiral engraved outward from the small seconds, rippling across the dial like rings spreading over still water. It is his expression of time unfolding from a single point. Limited to 200 pieces and made exclusively for the Japanese market, this was the first of the Bulgari and Ando collaborations, and for many collectors it remains the definitive one.

The case and bracelet are sandblasted titanium throughout, a matte grey surface that recalls the raw concrete of Ando’s buildings and suits the architecture of the Octo perfectly. At just 5.15mm thick, the case houses the in-house BVL 138, a 2.23mm caliber that set a record as the world’s thinnest self-winding movement when it debuted, with its platinum micro-rotor set within the movement rather than above it. The movement is visible through the sapphire caseback bearing Ando’s signature. In titanium the watch is remarkably light, and it wears with a flatness and ease that nothing outside the Finissimo family can match.

Bulgari Overview:

Founded in Rome in 1884 by Sotirio Bulgari, Bulgari built its name in high jewelry before establishing itself as a serious force in watchmaking. The acquisition of Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth in 2000 brought complication and case-making expertise in-house, laying the groundwork for the manufacture it is today.

The Octo, which traces its design lineage to Genta, became the brand’s defining collection, and since 2014 the Octo Finissimo line has set a series of world records for thinness across complications, from tourbillons to chronographs to automatics.

Combining Italian design with Swiss manufacturing, Bulgari has become one of the most technically accomplished houses in modern watchmaking, and the Octo Finissimo stands among the most recognized contemporary references on the secondary market.