In 2014, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon began the epic run of 8 ‘thinness’ world records set by Bulgari over a period of 8 years. To celebrate the Only Watch 2023 charity auction in the most beautiful way, this iconic watch is now the subject of a unique edition made of… marble! A material dear to Bulgari, often associated with the world of art and architecture, it transforms, for this unique occasion, a watchmaking feat into an artistic masterpiece.

• Bulgari, renowned for its mastery of miniaturisation again demonstrates its know-how by creating a watch in marble.

• The case of the Octo Finissimo, consisting of 110 facets, has been carefully clad with a thin layer of marble, with every care given to preserving the delicate components and achieving visual harmony. The dial, too, features a thin marble wafer (just 0.6-mm thin). The bracelet, the most delicate part, required untold hours of painstaking work: the front and sides of each link had to be set with a sliver of marble, leaving only the interior surface in black DLC titanium.

• The green marble used for this spectacular watch, named Verde Alpi, comes from the Aosta Valley, the natural passage linking Switzerland and Italy, though the Alps. Its dominant colour in nature, evoking abundance, growth and energy, is offset with white veins, recalling the serpentines of alpine forests and snowy peaks.

Artistic expression in marble What better material than marble to express the distinctness of Bulgari and dare the Roman brand to transform a watchmaking feat into an artistic masterpiece? The answer is obvious and refers to the history of Bulgari and its relentless drive to keep pushing boundaries and ‘set in stone’, for all eternity, artistic and technical feats. But exemplary human endeavours, too, such as the biennial Only Watch charity auction, which since 2005 has been raising funds for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This year again, the great cause has spurred Bulgari’s designers, engineers and watchmakers on to surpass themselves and create a unique and extraordinary timepiece for the 2023 edition of the Only Watch charity auction. Truth be told, it has taken almost five years of research, of encountering obstacles, exploring different avenues and fine-tuning to finally complete this unparalleled project: a watch in marble! And yet, this feat is deeply rooted in Bulgari’s history, which is inseparable from this material, sublimated by brilliant artists and craftsmen throughout the ages. The Venus de Milo, the Carrara Cathedral, the Taj Mahal…

Description

With the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon range, Bvlgari has reached a milestone in the development of ultra-thin watches with a major complication: its 1.95mm thin movement makes this flying Tourbillon the slimmest on the market since 2013. Produced as a one-off and with no equivalent in the watchmaking world, Bulgari intends to etch the 2023 edition of Only Watch in stone for all time. The green marble used for this spectacular watch, named Verde di Alpi, comes from the Aosta Valley, the natural passage linking Switzerland and Italy, though the Alps. Its dominant colour in nature, evoking abundance, growth and energy, is offset with white veins, recalling the serpentines of alpine forests and snowy peaks. 

The inspiration behind the piece came from ancient times when marble was featured in Roman architecture by most skillful artists of all time. Marble expressed Rome’s history and glory and was adopted in 1934 when the Bulgari store was enlarged and refurbished by the renowned Italian architect Florestano Di Fausto: he decided to unify the two separate buildings at ground floor with travertine marble and designed four large openings for display windows and a central doorway, all framed by green African marble cornices. Marble was also present inside the store in the floors decorated with the iconic eight-pointed star inlay, as well as in the columns and tables.

Specifications

Model name:

Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Marble

Ref: 103660

Case: 

DLC titanium case covered with a layer of 0.5mm of Verde di Alpi green marble — 110 facets

Dial: 

Dial covered with a 0.6mm layer of Verde di Alpi green marble — Gold-plated hands

Calibre: 

BVL 268: World’s thinnest manual movement with flying tourbillon and special ball bearing system — Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon — Caliber diameter: 36.2mm — Caliber thinness: 1.95mm — Frequency : 3Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour) — Components: 253 — Jewels: 13 — Power reserve: 52 hours

Bracelet: 
DLC titanium bracelet covered with a layer of 0.4mm of Verde di Alpi green marble on both the edges and the top of the link

Dimensions: 

Diameter: 40mm

Thickness: 6.9mm thin

Specificities:

The Art of Miniaturization is one of the core talents of Bulgari watchmakers, including the thinnest tourbillon into a timepiece in marble, is the demonstration of their high-watchmaking craftsmanship.

Covering the piece with thin layers of real marble without cracks with a great design is true art and required 800 hours for both development and production.

Experience

The purchase of this one-of-kind timepiece will be combined with one night in Bulgari’s newest hotel in Roma as well as lunch or dinner with one person from Bulgari Horlogerie Top management and the visit of the Villa Albani Torlonia where a rich collection of marble sculptures can be seen.

The brand

Bulgari

Part of the LVMH Group, Bvlgari was founded in Rome in 1884 as a jewellery shop. Known as the magnificent Roman jeweller and master of coloured gems, Bvlgari has established a worldwide reputation for Italian excellence and enjoys renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship. The company’s international success has evolved into a global and diversified luxury manufacturer of goods and services, ranging from fine jewels and high end watches to accessories and perfumes, and featuring an unrivalled network of boutiques and hotels in the world’s most exclusive shopping areas. 

Demonstrated through its numerous philanthropic partnerships, Bvlgari deeply believes in innovating the present for a sustainable future through its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and giving back – to nature and to the community.

A trio of international stars has joined the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA to launch the brand’s new Aqua Terra Shades collection. Brand ambassadors Zoë Kravitz, Zhou Dongyu and Eddie Redmayne will all appear in a creative campaign to highlight the colourful new designs.

Zoë Kravitz joined the OMEGA family in 2022. The American actress, director and model has earned high praise for her performances in the “Divergent” series, the “Fantastic Beasts” films, as well as the hit HBO show “Big Little Lies”, for which she earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She also stole the show as Catwoman in “The Batman”. It’s no wonder she remains one of the most sought-after individuals in entertainment.

To promote the wide-ranging new line of watches, Zoë has joined fellow ambassadors Zhou Dongyu and Eddie Redmayne in a dedicated campaign called “Every Shade of You”.

Celebrating the unique personality of each wearer, the theme is about expressing your individual look through your own choice of colour. Whether it’s the vibrancy of Shell Pink, or the laid-back cool of Sandstone, this collection in on hand to match your mood.

The campaign features a series of bold visuals and film clips, revealing all the sides of each ambassador’s character. They are each dressed in black and surrounded by a multitude of colours – highlighting the Aqua Terra’s vivid selection of dials.

Zhou Dongyu also joined OMEGA in 2022. The Chinese actress is known for her critically acclaimed performances in genres ranging from crime thriller to romantic comedy.

She is the youngest actress to have received the three most significant accolades in the history of Chinese film. Her list of prizes includes Best Actress at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in 2016 for “Soul Mate”, and best actress for “Better Days” at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards and 33rd Golden Rooster Awards.

With his sophisticated style, English actor Eddie Redmayne is a long-standing ambassador for OMEGA, having joined the company in 2015.

The renowned star has an impressive roster of films to his name, including his Academy Award winning performance in “The Theory of Everything”, as well as acclaimed films such as the “Fantastic Beasts” series, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, “Les Misérables”, “The Danish Girl” and “The Good Nurse”.

Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, says, “Eddie, Zoë and Zhou are the perfect stars for this campaign. Their creative spirits, adaptable talents and varied lifestyles are a great match for this versatile collection. We hope it will inspire customers to really think about the colours they would love to wear themselves.”

The Aqua Terra Shades collection offers a variety of dial tones – with a spectrum ranging from ocean to earth. Offered in 34 mm or 38 mm sizes, the timepieces give customers plenty of choices to suit their style, with sun-brushed pastel shades such as Atlantic Blue, Bay Green or Terracotta.

TIME STAMPED WITH EMOTION

With these versions of the Day-Date 36, Rolex brings an unexpected creative twist to one of its iconic models. By displaying a new emotion each day, the watch brings an element of spontaneity into the wearers’ daily life and allows them to invest the reading of time with their changing mood.

Rolex unveils three new variants of its Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, full of joy and energy.

Crafted from 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, these watches have adopted an original face. Rather than showing the day of the week, the arc-shaped aperture at 12 o’clock displays an inspirational keyword in English – ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’. The window at 3 o’clock reveals daily one of 31 exclusive emojis in place of the date.

Entirely created using champlevé enamelling, the dial is striking for the depth and intensity of its gleaming colours and decoration. The motif is inspired by a jigsaw puzzle. Turquoise blue, red, fuchsia, orange, green and yellow pieces fit together on a single-colour background, each representing one of the key moments in life. The hours are marked by 10 baguette-cut sapphires in six different hues set according to the main colour of the dial, which is turquoise blue on the 18 ct yellow gold and 18 ct white gold versions, and orange on the watch in 18 ct Everose gold.

The new versions of the Day-Date 36 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement at the forefront of watchmaking technology, enabling them to display a special keyword each day of the week and an individual emoji each day of the month, as well as the hours, minutes and seconds.

Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist.

Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 — ©Rolex/Ulysse Fréchelin- Open lightboxDownloadShareAdd to bookmark

EXCLUSIVITY ACCORDING TO ROLEX 
At its launch in 1956, the Day-Date was a major innovation: it was the first calendar wristwatch to indicate, in addition to the date, the day of the week spelt out in full in an arc-shaped window at 12 o’clock on the dial – a technical feat at the time. The day of the week is available in a choice of 26 languages. Watches in the Day-Date range are made only of precious metals – 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, or 950 platinum.

Worn by many of the world’s political figures, directors and visionaries, the Day-Date is instantly recognizable, in particular thanks to its emblematic President bracelet, whose evocative name, together with the eminent figures who have worn it, ensured the Day-Date became known as the ‘presidents’ watch’.

Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 — ©Rolex/JVA Studios- Open lightboxDownloadShareAdd to bookmark

THE OYSTER CASE, SYMBOL OF WATERPROOFNESS
A paragon of robustness and elegance, the 36 mm Oyster case of the new versions of the Day-Date 36 is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet). The middle case of these versions is crafted from a solid block of 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold. Its case back, edged with fine fluting, is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. The Twinlock winding crown, fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The crystal, which features a Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock, is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire and benefits from an anti-reflective coating. The waterproof Oyster case provides optimal protection for the movement it houses.

PERPETUAL CALIBRE 3255
The new versions of the Day-Date 36 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex that was released in 2015 and fitted on this model in 2019. A distillation of technology, this self-winding mechanical movement delivers outstanding performance in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability.

Calibre 3255 incorporates the patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, this escapement is resistant to strong magnetic fields. The movement is fitted with a blue Parachrom hairspring, manufactured by Rolex in a paramagnetic alloy. The hairspring offers great stability in the face of temperature variations as well as high resistance to shocks. It is equipped with a Rolex overcoil, ensuring the calibre’s regularity in any position. The oscillator is mounted on the Rolex-designed, patented high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, increasing the movement’s shock resistance. The oscillating weight is now fitted with an optimized ball bearing.

Calibre 3255 is equipped with a self-winding system via a Perpetual rotor. Thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of calibre 3255 extends to approximately 70 hours.

PRESIDENT BRACELET
The new variants of the Day-Date 36 are fitted on a President bracelet in 18 ct yellow or white gold for those with a turquoise blue puzzle-motif dial, or in 18 ct Everose gold for the orange puzzle-motif dial. Created specially for the launch of the prestigious Oyster Perpetual Day-Date in 1956, this three-piece link bracelet, made only from 18 ct gold or 950 platinum, is still reserved exclusively for the Day-Date and precious metal versions of the Datejust.

The President bracelet is equipped with an elegant concealed folding Crownclasp and includes patented ceramic inserts – designed by Rolex – inside the links to enhance its flexibility on the wrist and its longevity.

SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION
Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015. This designation testifies that every watch leaving the brand’s workshops has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, following the official certification of the movements by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The in-house certification tests apply to the fully assembled watch, after casing the movement, guaranteeing superlative performance on the wrist in terms of precision, power reserve, waterproofness and self-winding. The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer is of the order of −2 /+2 seconds per day – the rate deviation tolerated by the brand for a finished watch is significantly smaller than that accepted by COSC for official certification of the movement alone.

The Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

SPIRIT OF BIG BANG SANG BLEU: THE EMBODIMENT & SPIRIT IN THREE DIMENSIONS

For the 7th year and third collaboration with Hublot, Maxime Plescia-Buchi is channelling the Spirit of Big Bang through the Sang Bleu prism. Just as his tattoos create new identity, revealing new shapes and new perspectives, the celebrated typographer, tattooist, artist and founder of Sang Bleu injects a new spirit into the Spirit of Big Bang collection. The Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu stays true to the series’ characteristics while remaining highly distinctive. With a faceted, structured 42 mm diameter, this watch has an enhanced three-dimensional and ergonomically-enhanced design. There are three limited editions to adorn your wrist – 200 units in titanium, 200 in All Black ceramic and 100 in King Gold. In addition, two models are set with 180 diamonds in titanium and King Gold.

Identical or different? Both… But always unique!

Ensuring consistency while remaining innovative. Keeping the spirit while creating a unique, exclusive and distinctive object. This is the subtlety of the art behind the Hublot and Maxime Plescia-Buchi collaboration.

The talented tattoo artist has reimagined the strokes of the Spirit of Big Bang with stretched, elongated bevelled features and measured, perfectly proportioned angles that fit together to create a timepiece where the Sang Bleu signature is instantly recognisable. Like each of his tattoos, the line adapts to the case, to its distinctive characteristics, reliefs, curves, and texture, while retaining what is essential: its spirit.

This is the same philosophy that inspired the Spirit of Big Bang.

Hublot x Sang Bleu: Seven years of artistic and creative collaboration

First introduced in the 2016 Hublot – Sang Bleu series, 2023 saw the third edition unveiled at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. The tattoo artist has stamped his indelible, distinctive, and assertive line on a new collection. After the Big Bang, his signature now adorns the Spirit of Big Bang. As usual, he traces his three-dimensional geometry in perfect symmetry with a mysteriously magnetic architecture, playing with relief and depth through polished, satin finished, engraved, chiselled, bevelled and faceted materials. Hexagons, diamonds and triangles appear and overlap, redefining shapes and volumes line by line.

The result: The Spirit Big Bang Sang Bleu

A 42 mm-diameter case, crafted in a choice of three materials: Titanium (200 units), All Black ceramic (200 units) or King Gold (100 units), as well as two models set with 180 diamonds weighing approximately 2.4 carats, in titanium and King Gold. Geometric tattoos alternate and overlap from the case to the bezel. A sapphire dial displays the HUB4700 automatic skeleton chronograph movement through disc hands bearing the characteristic geometry of timepieces made in collaboration with Sang Bleu.

A watch that, even with its ultra-generous proportions and prominent shape, offers a perfect ergonomic fit across all wrist sizes, for both men and women, with or without a bezel. The geometry of the Big Bang Sang Bleu II has been retained while also optimising the dynamic nature of the barrel shape.

In terms of design, to ensure that the watch perfectly fits the curves of the wrist and is flush with the body, the back of the case and the sapphire crystal have been arched at several points. In terms of dial legibility, the structure of the hands has been enhanced and the hour and minute markers have been refined.

By transposing his line onto a different volume, the barrel shape of the Spirit of Big Bang, Maxime has given new perspective to each component, shape and proportion. It is these details that give the Spirit of Big Bang a new dimension, just as Hublot gave a new spirit to the Big Bang codes by unveiling the Spirit of Big Bang in its barrel shape back in 2014.

Hublot – Sang Bleu – Trilogy

Hublot & Maxime Plescia-Buchi have art in their blood and are “inking” the art of tattooing into watchmaking. In 2016, the first Big Bang Sang Bleu saw the three-dimensional geometry of the famous tattoo artist imprinted on its design, revealing a perfectly proportioned structure inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. This quest for perfection and the use of symbols is the hallmark of all of Sang Bleu’s creative work. In 2019, with the Sang Bleu II, the tattoo artist x watchmaker collaboration was expressed as a “full body” tattoo across the entire Big Bang model, including the case, the hexagonal bezel, the sapphire crystal, the hands, and the bracelet. A three-dimensional style that has been entirely revamped in 2023 to embody a new “tattooed” collection – the Spirit of Big Bang. In perfect fusion with the way Hublot launched the Spirit of Big Bang in 2014, incorporating Hublot’s DNA and the distinctive codes of the Big Bang (its 6 H-shaped titanium screws running through the watch bezel, sandwich construction with endless combinations of materials and colours, signature lugs on each side of the case, and a screwed crown over moulded with rubber), Maxime has revisited each component of the Spirit of Big Bang.

April 13th, 2023 Posted in: Shaped collection, SANG BLEU