Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari
Korean artist Lee Ufan interprets the Octo Finissimo Automatic with his vision of static objects juxtaposed with the infinite reflections of a mirror.
If you are attending the sixth edition of Geneva Watch Days, don’t miss Bulgari’s retrospective of the Octo Finissimo’s impressive trajectory in the ultra-thin watchmaking arena since 2014. Alongside the record-breaking models is a new Octo Finissimo collaboration model made with Korean artist Lee Ufan, the latest in a long line of artists and architects who have been inspired by its iconic octagonal personality. A limited edition of 150 pieces, this titanium version of the Octo Finissimo captures Lee Ufan’s fascination with static objects and the infinite reflections of a mirror.
The Octo Finissimo Automatic made its debut in 2017. Proclaimed as the world’s thinnest automatic movement, the Octo Finissimo Automatic followed on the heels of more complex record-breaking thin models like the Tourbillon and Minute Repeater. As the most straightforward member of the ultra-thin dynasty, the Octo Finissimo Automatic is the perfect stage for collaborations. We’ve seen Japanese architects Tadao Ando and Kazuyo Sejima’s mesmerising dials, Bulgari’s talented designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani’s sketch dials, Laurent Grasso’s cloud dial and even artist Mo Coppoletta’s edgy laser-engraved tattoo models.
Lee Ufan (1936) is a renowned South Korean painter and sculptor and one of the proponents of the avant-garde Japanese Mono-ha (object school) group. To underscore the relationship of natural and man-made objects, Ufan’s “Relatum” series uses natural stones placed on mirrors or steel plates. Ufan has translated his vision into the realm of an ultra-thin octagonal watch to great effect.
Inspired by architectural motifs of Imperial Rome in a defiantly modern key, the stepped octagonal profile and 110 facets of the case form the foundations of Buonamassa’s iconic design of the Octo Finissimo. First released in sandblasted titanium, the new collaboration watch is also crafted in titanium, but with a surprising pattern designed by Ufan.
The 40mm titanium case with its ultra-slim profile of just 5.15mm and the integrated titanium bracelet are filed by hand to create a series of raw, crisscrossing patterns – similar to those you might find on a meteorite dial. Instead of muting the complex architecture of the stacked octagonal architecture, the patterns draw light and cast shadows on the facets, emphasising the powerful geometry of Buonamassa’s design.
In contrast, the round stainless steel bezel framing the serene dial is sunray-brushed. Like Ufan’s rock and mirror sculptures, the dial recreates the effect of a mirror and seems to reflect the presence of a larger object in its darker areas. With no branding or inscriptions, the quiet minimalism is underscored by the black openworked hour and minute hands and the black hand corresponding to the off-centred small seconds.
The sapphire caseback, laser-engraved with Lee Ufan’s signature, opens up on the record-thin BVL 138 automatic calibre with its platinum micro-rotor. Manufactured in-house, it is only 2.23mm thick. It is decorated with thin Geneva stripes, circular graining on the mainplate and bevelled angles. A modern movement overall, it runs at 21,600vph with a robust 60-hour power reserve.
The Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari is limited to 150 pieces. It retails for CHF 18,900 or EUR 22,000. More information at bulgari.com.
