As Bvlgari makes its inaugural appearance at Watches & Wonders, the House arrives not as a mere newcomer but as a formidable force celebrating 25 years of exceptional innovation under LVMH. We’re referring to two groundbreaking timepieces at the show: the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, now the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch, and the Serpenti Aeterna, another reimagining of their iconic snake motif.

These releases continue Bvlgari’s decade-long tradition of pushing boundaries, having set 10 world records with the Octo Finissimo collection and developed 13 revolutionary movements in just 11 years. The brand’s fusion of Italian creativity with Swiss precision has earned over 60 international awards, including the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or”, of which they won in 2021 for its Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, at the time the slimmest self-winding perpetual calendar in the world (5.80mm of thickness for the case and 2.75mm for the caliber).

“We are thrilled to join Watches & Wonders for the first time, especially in a space designed to fully express our DNA as both a jewellery and watchmaking Maison,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, newly minted CEO of LVMH Watches and chief executive of Bvlgari since 2013. “Watches & Wonders offers the perfect stage to showcase the journey that started in 2014 … With the Octo Finissimo and Serpenti watches, we continue to explore new territories, to push the boundaries of design and fine watchmaking, and open new perspectives in horology.”

The world’s thinnest tourbillon watch

To see it is to believe it: The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is now officially the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch, measuring a mere 1.85 mm in thickness. In the ongoing race for slim proportions, this puts Piaget in second place, who barely held the crown for a year when it presented the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon in 2024, then the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch with a height of 2mm.

The Ultra Tourbillon’s 40mm titanium case, which is integrated into the baseplate, houses the manually wound BVF 900 calibre that beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve — notably 2 hours more than its once-reigning predecessor.

The Octo Finissimo Tourbillon case-dial-movement is staggerly slim, at just 1.85mm in thickness

“The idea was to create a watch that encapsulates all our expertise,” explains Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director at Bvlgari. “It’s not just about having the finest design but achieving a precise execution that tells the story of the Octo Finissimo series, while respecting the integrity of its distinctive aesthetic codes. Every detail, from the indexes to the tourbillon skeleton, bears witness to our commitment to excellence.”

Creating such an impossibly thin tourbillon watch required Bvlgari’s R&D teams to fundamentally rethink traditional watchmaking concepts. “Each record has been a stepping stone,’ noted Babin. “Setting a record isn’t just about crossing barriers — it’s about redefining what’s possible in mechanical watchmaking. With each challenge, we’ve had to rethink not only traditional techniques but also how watches are designed and developed.”

A mix of materials were utilized in constructing the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon: titanium (bezel, case middle, and lugs), tungsten carbide (main plate), stainless steel (the two planar ‘crowns’ at 3 and 8 o’clock, and ratchet wheel)

The project mobilized all expertise within the Bvlgari Manufacture, requiring designers to conceive a watch in two dimensions rather than three. To achieve this, Bvlgari secured eight specific patents covering innovations like the differential display, integrated case middle and plate design, bi-material case back, new crystal mounting method, novel barrel structure, oscillator module, modular construction, and bracelet design. For optimal legibility, the hour dial features rhodium-plated hour and minute hands set against a sand-blasted brass surface with an DLC anthracite coating — unlike its predecessors, the Octo Finissimo Ultra and Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which were regulators with two decorrelated hour and minute dials.

The configuration of the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is familiar if you refer to its recent iterations (naturally, the tourbillon now displaces the subsidiary seconds), but its assembly must be no less demanding, if not arguably more so. The watch features a tungsten carbide main plate that houses the movement. The bezel, case middle, and lugs are crafted from microbead-frosted titanium, while two planar “crowns” protrude slightly from the case sides — one at 8 o’clock for winding and another at 3 o’clock for setting the time. The integrated bracelet itself tapers down to just 1.5mm, and finished in the same microbead-frosted finish, down to the folding clasp. If you know what you’re getting into, then you’d just be one of 20 lucky owners of Bvlgari’s latest concept that has certainly made history this day.

Tech Specs: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

Reference: Ref. 104313
Movement: Manual-winding BVF 900; 42-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds; date
Case/Dial: 40mm × 1.85mm; titanium; tungsten carbide main plate
Strap: Sandblasted titanium bracelet with integrated folding buckle; 1.5mm thin
Availability: Limited edition of 20 units

A new Serpenti Aeterna

While the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon represents the current pinnacle of technical achievement, Bvlgari’s second major release at Watches & Wonders showcases the brand’s artistic mastery. The iconic Serpenti has continually reinvented itself since 1948, first appearing as the supple Tubogas, then the graceful Infiniti, to the elegant Seduttori, and more recently, the sculptural Misteriosi (not forgetting this  audacious version with MB&F), which brings us to the Aeterna, which is more avant-garde than realism.

“Aeterna is more than a timepiece or jewellery — it is the ultimate expression of Bvlgari’s avant-garde vision,” explains Buonamassa Stigliani. “I wanted to capture Serpenti’s DNA, distil it to its essence, and project it into the future.” The design still bears a thoughtful nod to heritage, as one finds the iconic hexagonal scales that defined previous Serpenti designs now subtly etched into the inner contour. 

Indeed, the Serpenti Aeterna strips away all superfluous elements — no eyes, no scales, no artifice — leaving only the serpent’s most elemental form, a sensual curve that’s designed to wrap around the wrist with fluid elegance thanks to an ingenious clasp mechanism that required two years of development. The first of two kinds of precious metals, the Serpenti Aeterna Pink Gold models are available in small and large sizes and feature a sinuous rose gold case and bracelet that are snow-set with brilliant-cut diamonds.

For a more high jewelry interpretation, the Serpenti Aeterna White Gold takes it up a notch with a diamond-pavé case, bracelet, and bezel, the latter in this case referring to the Aeterna’s bold outline that runs from tip to tail.

Both models feature pavé diamond dials, with extra sparkle accentuated by the diamond-set crown (a brilliant-cut emerald is distinguished on the white gold model), and run on quartz movements to easily keep time. 

Tech Specs: Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna

Reference: Ref. 104205 / Ref. 104280 / Ref. 104041
Movement: Quartz
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case/Strap: 145mm, small or 155mm, large (Pink Gold) / 155mm, small (White Gold); rose gold curve case and head set with round brilliant-cut diamonds and diamond-set crown with a brilliant-cut solitaire / white gold curve case, head and bezel set with round brilliant-cut diamonds and diamond-set crown with a brilliant-cut emerald