Introducing: The Next Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch — An Artistic Alternative To Skeletonization

Two years ago, Bvlgari introduced the Octo Finissimo Sketch, with its dial printing executed in pencil-sketch style. It was a stroke of brilliance from Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. Now, two years later, the brand is celebrating its 140th birthday. To mark the occasion, Stigliani took his pencil out of the drawer once more, this time to sketch the view from the back onto the dial of three limited editions.

There is a time-only version in rose gold and one in stainless steel. There is also a third model, a chronograph GMT. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, there is no photography of this one available yet.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch — the rear view on the dial

The premise of the trio of new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch watches is simple. The movement is displayed on the dial in pencil-sketch form. I hinted that it is an alternative to a skeleton dial, but that is not entirely accurate. The sketch shows the back of the movement, the view that one can see through the exhibition case back. It doesn’t display the movement as it would look if the dial weren’t there. In more ways than one, this is an artistic impression of a skeletonized dial.

The difference with the 2022 versions is that the earlier ones featured regular dial features, including hour markers, sub-dial, numerals, and wordmark, all executed in sketch style. This time, the sketch portrays the caliber along with some additional notes, such as “ruby” and “Côtes de Genève.”

Stigliani did not land on the sketch concept by accident. There is a long tradition in Italian art of treasuring sketchwork. Just think of the numerous Da Vinci sketches that are so prominent in the public conscience even today. It makes sense for Bvlgari to hint at this bit of cultural heritage.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch specifications

Technically, the new watches are identical to the 2022 versions. This means you get a 40mm case with a 6.4mm thickness. Naturally, this comes at the expense of water resistance, which is rated at 30 meters. The gold version is 18K 5N rose gold and is limited to 70 pieces. The stainless steel variant is limited to 280 pieces.

Inside ticks the caliber BVL 138, which is a mere 2.3mm thick. However, it does have a 60-hour power reserve, ticking away at 21,600 oscillations per hour. Additionally, it features a sub-second layout with the sub-dial at 7 o’clock.

Initial impressions

The original Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch models were very well received. It comes as no surprise, then, that the brand would riff on the concept some more. To me, the first version was conceptually and aesthetically a bit stronger, but I like the look of these too.

The rose gold version, limited to 70 pieces, is priced at €51,000. The steel version comes in at €17,800 and is limited to 280 pieces. Additionally, the GMT chronograph that we cannot show you yet is limited to 140 units, priced at €20,800.

What do you think of the new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Sketch models? Let us know in the comments below!