Octo is design.
An octagon, inside a circle, inside an octagon. That’s what it looks like from the top. From the side, the Octo reveals a dozen or more stacked layers. In total, the case has no fewer than 110 facets, all hand-polished or satin-brushed. There is probably no other watch case with such a complex design, or so many surfaces, most of which are impossibly tiny. Like great architecture, the success of this design lies in the fact that, despite the apparent complexity, the overall impression is one of simplicity.
Octo is history.
The very first Octo was created in the 1980s by legendary watch designer Gérald Genta, who also had his own brand. This successful design was built around a multi-layered eight-sided case. While the aesthetic principles of its designer are still visible, the design has undergone a number of iterations, re-emerging in the form we know it today. The current generation, launched in 2012, is the third. It was entirely redesigned by Bulgari’s style department.
Octo is a dial.
In the centre of the geometric layers is a black lake that draws the gaze in. Few dials achieve such an impression of depth. The Octo dials, made by Bulgari’s dial-maker in the Swiss Jura, owe their intensity to a unique lacquering process. A dozen coats are applied, giving the watch face its distinctive shiny black appearance. Applied to the surface of the dial are the solid gold asymmetrical baton markers and two Arabic numerals: 6 and 12. More recently, the collection has grown to include a model with an immaculate white dial, as well as a brown dial for the gold models, and a vibrant blue. But black is the Octo’s defining colour.
Octo is a range.
The Ultranero is black, sometimes accented with rose gold. The Finissimo is ultra-slim. Velocissimo designates the chronographs. The new retrograde display models represent an entire branch of Bulgari’s haute horlogerie legacy, and as such they have been given their own name: Retrogradi. But the story began with the Solotempo, the founding model, which has three hands and a date.
Octo is a series of complications.
Octo began with an automatic movement with date. Next came the chronograph. Soon after, the ultra-slim versions followed, including the world’s slimmest tourbillon. In 2016, Bulgari added a minute repeater, also the thinnest in the world. Finally, the company added two of its signature complications to the Octo: a jumping hour and a retrograde minute, in two variants – with or without retrograde date.
Octo is a bracelet.
From the outset, the Octo has been fitted with a steel bracelet. Few watchmaking exercises are more challenging than making an original and good-looking metal bracelet that is also comfortable to wear. The Octo bracelet is absolutely unique. Its links take up the full width of the bracelet. The generous satin-brushed rectangular sections are interwoven with smaller, polished links. This means that the bracelet is articulated only along the longer edges, unlike other metal bracelets on the market, which are made up of smaller adjacent links. The steel fittings of the Octo’s bracelet are nevertheless flexible enough to fit every size of wrist.
Octo is versatility.
The Octo could have remained a design object. A horological design object, yes, but a design object, like many Bulgari watches. But, to the surprise even of its creators, the Octo lends itself to multiple interpretations. It may seem counterintuitive: such a bold, angular design does not suggest flexibility. And yet it is extremely versatile. Octo can be imposing, measuring 41 mm along each side, with a depth of 13 mm for the Velocissimo. Or it can be slender enough to beat records: the Finissimo is 5 mm deep, exceptional for any watch, utterly extraordinary for a design based on stacked layers.
Octo is an in-house product.
From design and development to case, dial, movement, hands and metal bracelet, the Octo is a pure Bulgari product. The company has its own workshops for each speciality. Even the Solotempo has a manufacture movement, made entirely in-house. The same applies to all the complications, with the exception of the Velocissimo, which is driven by a Zenith El Primero movement. All the rest is created by in-house teams, making the Octo a very special watch, even for Bulgari.
