TRACKING TIME THE BEST OF LVMH WATCH WEEK

2023's first watch show was held in Singapore last month featuring spectacular new creations from brands that are part of the LVMH group. We take a look at many that stood out

BULGARI: MAKING A MODERN ICON EVEN MORE RELEVANT

BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO ULTRA 10TH ANNIVERSARY

This striking version of the Octo honours the last decade that Bulgari has spent revolutionising the world of modern horology with its ultra-thin watches, starting with the Octo (2012), the Octo Finissimo (2014), and finally the Octo Finissimo Ultra last year, which with the 1.8 mm thickness of its 40 mm titanium case set a new benchmark for the industry. This new version, which is limited to just 10 pieces, comes with a dial that features the numeral 10, as against the numeral 12 in the original version.

It comes in a specially made presentation box which doubles up as a watch winder that also sets time. It requires the watch to be placed in the box, and the digital screen next to it programmed to the desired time. A button is then pressed to start the cycle and the box closed. On opening, 20 seconds later, the watch will be perfectly set to the desired time and fully wound.

In a nod to the digital times that we live in, this mechanical watch also features a QR code engraved on the ratchet of its barrel. By scanning this code, the owner will be able to access a personal mini website that features videos and photographs that display the manufacturing process of each numbered timepiece.

Each watch is also accompanied by an NFT artwork created under the artistic direction of Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director of Bulgari Watches. It tells the story of his decades-long experience in the world of the Octo and the path that led to the birth of the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The timepiece itself thus becomes the vault of the corresponding NFT work, a timeless relationship guaranteed by Bvlgari Singularity technology. Thanks to the blockchain, it certifies the indivisible link between a Bulgari creation and its associated NFT work of art.