Watches &Wonders 2025: Bulgari - It won't get any flatter

Watches &Wonders 2025: Bulgari - It won't get any flatter

Or is it? Bulgari has often surpassed itself when it comes to seemingly two-dimensional watch architecture. Ten world records in terms of flatness in eleven years speak for themselves - including the most recent achievement.

Last year, however, the trophy for the world's flattest tourbillon went to the "Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon" by Piaget, also known for its extra-flat watches. Naturally, the brand, which is part of the LVMH Group, did not take this lying down and is now presenting the corresponding replica at its first Watches & Wonders participation.

The "Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon" measures just 1.85 millimetres in its entirety. This makes it 3.15 millimetres thinner than the thinnest model with a flying tourbillon at the time, the "Octo Finissimo Tourbillon" with a hand-wound movement from 2014. At 1.95 millimetres, even the inner workings of the record-breaking watch at the time were higher than the complete "Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon" of today.

Bulgari's journey towards minimising the height of a watch began in 2014. To this day, this emphasises the Italian luxury brand's expertise as a true manufacturer.

The flatness of the latest world record with a diameter of 40 millimetres is once again made possible by the extreme skeletonisation, which Bulgari has also optimised with numerous decorative techniques to create an aesthetic eye-catcher. Only what was absolutely necessary for the correct passage of time was allowed to remain.

First and foremost, this is the BVF 900 tourbillon calibre with four hertz and a 42-hour power reserve. It is equipped with a tungsten carbide main plate, which also acts as the case back and eliminates the need for a separate dial. The bezel, centre section, lugs and bracelet are made of titanium. The latter measures just 1.5 millimetres, including the folding clasp, and thus blends elegantly into the overall look.

The two flat crowns - each protruding slightly from the side of the case at 8 o'clock for winding the mechanism and at 3 o'clock for setting the time - are made of stainless steel, as is the ratchet wheel.

For easy readability, the hour dial has rhodium-plated hour and minute hands on a sandblasted brass surface with a DLC anthracite coating.

"Every record was a milestone. Setting a record is not just about breaking boundaries - it's about redefining the limits of mechanical watchmaking. With each challenge, we have had to rethink not only traditional techniques, but also the way watches are designed and developed," explains Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of LVMH Watches and Bulgari.