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Bvlgari shrunk the Octo Finissimo down, and let’s just say it ticks a lot of boxes! And to see how many, we’ve gone hands-on with both the Titanium and the 18k Gold models.

When Bvlgari first announced it was getting a 37mm Octo Finissimo, I feel there was a lot of the watch community that was quietly optimistic about what this would mean for the Octo Finissimo collection.

I first heard about these back at LVMH Watch Week at the start of the year, where we were given a bit of a teaser on the new collection. And having reviewed the larger 40mm model last year, I was one of those who were quietly anticipating what the new Octo Finissimo 37mm range could mean for the brand.

Then, back in April, walking into the Bvlgari booth at Watches and Wonders and being able to slip these on my wrists for the first time, it wasn’t long before I was sold that this new size was a perfect sweet spot for the Roman brand.

We spoke with Jonathan Brinbaum, Managing Director of Bvlgari Watches, at length about these back in Switzerland. He explained that while the 40mm collection was great, it really didn’t appeal to the wide-ranging audience as much as they would like. So introducing a 37mm range would help them open up the doors to new audiences and smaller wrist sizes, and with that, from what we’ve been told by the brand in recent months, many ladies who loved the look of the watch but weren’t able to wear the 40mm due to its size are now getting into the collection.

So much so, these have been a great success for Bvlgari. And the fact that they produced these ready for sale in April, but didn’t go too hard on the numbers, meant they could test the waters on the collection. And now, five months later, it would seem these are a hit.

I classify myself in that category as, if you read my previous review on the 40mm model, I felt it was good, but because of the way the case is designed, being square with wider lugs, it felt wide across the wrist, not necessarily in diameter, but from a lug-to-lug perspective.

The 37mm rectifies this. It’s less about the diameter of the watch and more about the lug-to-lug that makes the difference. And with these, you still feel like you are wearing a 40mm watch if it were a standard round case, but thanks to the way it’s been designed, it fits better, even on my 17.5 centimetre wrist. And for that, I think Bvlgari is onto a winner.

First Impressions

I think what I said about the new-sized Octo Finissimo previously probably gives away what my first impressions were, but in a nutshell, the size works extremely well, especially given the unique design of the Octo Finissimo.

Within this range, there are three key models. The first is the sandblasted titanium. The second, which has recently been released on sale, is a brushed and polished titanium, which could be mistaken for steel thanks to the way it looks, and then there is the full 18k yellow gold model. And when I say full yellow gold, I mean full yellow gold, including the dial and the hands themselves.

It is a stunning piece and a showstopper. And if you do want something like a showstopping piece on your wrist, then you really can’t go wrong with the 37mm Octo Finissimo.

However, I spent most of my time with the sandblasted titanium, as it’s more of an everyday watch. It’s not a watch that will gain a lot of attention immediately, as it probably slips under the radar a little bit. Even more so if you’re wearing a shirt with a cuff, because of the extreme thinness of the watch. It slips under a shirt cuff easily.

As the entire watch is made of titanium, it is also super light to the point where you don’t feel like you are wearing a watch at all, compared to, say, other sports models where you get substantially thicker watches, and as a result, bigger and thicker movements. Bvlgari are exceptional at making thin movements. And with thinness comes lightness, and the titanium is definitely that.

The one thing I’ll note is that you still get the great look and feel of the Octo Finissimo that you know. Those Roman design cues and DNA are still very much there, but just in a bit more wearable, more compact size. So without me rambling on anymore, let’s get into it, shall we?

The Design

If you are not familiar with the Octo Finissimo, or haven’t read the review on the 40mm steel model, or the release article from earlier in the year, here’s the abridged version.

Bvlgari has kept the design of the Octo Finissimo 37mm models effectively the same as the larger models, which means you still get that same presence on the wrist, and you still get the same look and feel. The angular Roman design-inspired case, the articulated bracelet, as well as that minimalistic dial, work incredibly well on these watches.

If I look at the two models that I wore, both the titanium model and the 18k yellow gold model, the DNA and design codes are the same, but obviously they vary in both the use of the metal and the finishing. On the titanium model, it’s fully sandblasted, which means you get this beautiful dark matte finish across the entire case. This gives it that more sporty, aggressive look. And as I said before, it feels like a bit more of a stealthy-style watch.

When you compare this to the gold, however, the gold has this beautiful brushing on the bracelet and case, mixed with the polished centre links on the bracelet and the bevelling around the case edges. It means this is a watch that catches the light and plays with it in a stunning fashion, and really becomes that standout piece, no matter how hard you try not to.

When it comes to the dials, again, same DNA, completely different look.

On the titanium, there is a beautiful matte grey dial with darkened hands and the small seconds down at 7 o’clock, which makes the dial highly legible, even though it is more or less monochromatic. The indices and numerals at 12 and 6 have been painted, which then gives a slightly more three-dimensional look. That, combined with the matte look of the actual watch overall, gives the entire titanium model a muted tone, which works really, really well.

You compare this to the gold, however, and the gold has gone in a completely different direction, through a full solid gold dial that is vertically brushed. Gold hands and gold applied indices and numerals, along with the gold small seconds down at 7 o’clock as well. So you still get the same basic layout, but done differently.

On both the models, Bvlgari has kept the circular bezel that surrounds the octagonal dial, which again is inspired by Roman architecture.

How They Wear

If I wanted to draw a direct comparison to the larger 40mm versions, then as I’ve said before, these look the same on the wrist in terms of the style. However, that 3mm downsizing really assists the wearability of the new models. For me, I personally don’t normally gravitate towards anything smaller than about a 40mm watch. But, as we all know, the specs on paper don’t always tell the true story.

Because these are effectively Bvlgari’s version of an integrated bracelet watch, and because of their square design, with the additional width around the lugs, they do wear a lot larger on the wrist, thanks to the wider span across-the-wrist,

So, given this, the 37mm models are probably closer to what a traditional 40mm watch would wear. And it means that if you have wrists that are on the smaller side, they will fit, and even me with a 17.5cm wrist circumference, I feel that the 37mm range wears considerably better than the 40mm, at least in my eyes.

The Octo Finissimo is an extremely flat watch that covers a fair bit of surface area on the wrist, and having a smaller size means it does sit better within the confines of your wrist, whereas I found the 40mm didn’t sit as flat as I’d like and hug it as well because of that large flat square area the watch takes up. In saying this, however, the shape of the wrist does play a part here.

Given these are only around 6.45mm thick, you can easily wear these under a shirt cuff and jacket with no problems. In fact, you could wear these really anywhere, as they’re a watch that kind of straddles different genres.

The sandblasted titanium is obviously much more sporty, so it’s a little bit more conducive to casual wear. But because of the tones and the way it’s designed, you could put it with a suit quite easily and get away with it, as it probably won’t be seen too much unless you pull your shirt cuff up to check the time. The 18k yellow gold, however, can be dressed up, given it’s a full yellow gold watch, and will also stand out much more. It is more of a statement piece.

Comparing them both in terms of comfort, the titanium is super light to the point where you don’t feel you’ve even got anything on your wrist. I think I described it to my wife as almost being toy-like, as it was so light. After wearing it for a little while, you don’t feel as if you’ve got anything on. And it’s not until you look down that you know you actually have a watch strapped to your wrist.

The gold model wears effectively the same, albeit heavier, given the fact that it is a full, solid 18k yellow gold watch. But even still, thanks to the design and the thinness, it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a giant chunk of metal on your wrist, but rather a much more refined, elegant sports watch.

The articulation of the bracelets with the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo range is amazing, and the way it does slink and hug the wrist means it feels good on; it doesn’t really pinch the hairs or catch the skin at all.

The Movement

One of the biggest changes with the 37mm Octo Finissimo is actually underneath the dial. Bvlgari has developed an entirely new movement for the 37mm range, in the form of the BVF 100.

It took three years of development and testing, and is an automatic, micro-rotor movement that measures just 2.35mm thick and 31mm in diameter. Despite being 0.12 millimetres thicker than the movement in the 40mm Octo Finissimo, Bvlgari has managed to reduce the overall volume of the movement by 20 per cent while still giving it a 72-hour power reserve.

Speaking with Jonathan Brinbaum about the movement, he explained just how much work has gone into making this possible. “The 37mm is not only a simple, smaller replica of the 40mm, It’s a full re-engineering excercise. Because not only did we reduce the size by 20%, but we increased the power reserve by 20%.”

A lot of the knowledge that went into this has come from Bvlgari’s work on its smaller movements, including the Piccolissimo and Solotempo movements used in its jewellery watches. As Brinbaum put it, “Miniaturisation and energy are the two enemies in a watch,” and this is where Bvlgari’s experience in making ultra-thin movements becomes important.

The finishing is also what you’d expect from Bvlgari’s high horology movements, with the bridges and mainplate decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève, a perlage finish on the baseplate and a solarised micro-rotor. It is another example of the brand taking what it has learned through its ultra-thin watchmaking and applying it to a more wearable core collection. Brinbaum described this experience as a competitive advantage for Bvlgari, saying, “Miniaturisation, we learned it from thinness.”

Final Thoughts

I have to say that I’ve been fairly impressed with the new 37mm Octo Finissimo range. By shrinking these down to 37mm, Bvlgari has essentially opened up the door to a wider range of customers, with a wider range of wrist sizes, both male and female. For me, and I never thought I would probably say this about a 37mm diameter watch, but, they actually hit the sweet spot.

And this is largely due to the way the case and lugs are designed. They definitely don’t feel like a 37mm watch on the wrist. So in this sense, you get the look and feel of probably what would be a 40mm watch in the traditional sense, but wearing comfortably and nicely as a 37mm would. So it’s the best of both worlds here, and that’s what Bvlgari has done so very, very well.

Each, the titanium and the gold, has two very different looks. Even though they are essentially the same watch, just in a different metal, Bvlgari hasn’t just decided to give them the same treatment. They’ve gone in completely different directions with the matte, sandblasted, and stealthy look of the titanium versus the much more elegant and exquisitely finished 18k gold version.

Bvlgari, for many, has always been a bit more of an acquired taste with the designs, but I also think that’s what makes the Roman brand what it is today: a brand that creates pieces that are not the same, are a bit out of the ordinary, and lets people express themselves for who they are.

If you want to blend in with the crowd, then go buy your standard stainless steel sports watch, and you’ll be quite happy. And this is something I’ve done over the years. However, if you want to stand out from the crowd and wear something that you don’t see all that often on people’s wrists, then the Octo Finissimo is a watch that will definitely do that.

The other thing to add is that Bvlgari is a very serious watchmaker. And having been to their Haute Horlogerie manufacture in Le Sentier in Switzerland and seeing this first-hand, I can say 100 per cent, they do put their money where their mouth is when it comes to their movements.

Jonathan Brinbaum made a similar point when we spoke, saying, “I truly think that now, within the industry, and within a certain set of clients, nobody questions the legitimacy of Bvlgari anymore.”

Bvlgari have become known as the go-to watch when it comes to thin watches, having achieved 10 world records over the last decade or so. And the new 37mm range is somewhat of a testament to this. Bvlgari have taken their know-how when it comes to thin movements and applied it to their core range, which I think is quite cool.

After having both pieces on my wrist for a significant amount of time, I found these to be something you could wear on a daily basis quite easily or pull out for certain occasions, which would be more the case with the gold watch. However, I’d quite happily wear a full gold Octo Finissimo on a daily basis.

All up, I’ve been pretty impressed with the Octo Finissimo 37mm range. They are highly wearable pieces. The titanium is super light on the wrist, which does take a little while to get used to, mind you, but once you do, it’s one of those watches you can wear without even thinking.

And the gold? Well, that is just a statement piece on the wrist. And if you have the budget to extend to buying the gold, I would highly recommend it!

References & Specifications

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Titanium

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 18k Yellow Gold

Availability: Available through Bvlgari Boutiques, or online at Bvlgari.com