Tap the image to enlarge
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 40mm Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. 102714
The Octo Finissimo has accumulated more ultra-thin world records than any other collection in recent watchmaking history, and this skeletonised 40mm piece shows why the engineers, not just the designers, deserve credit. The case geometry — an octagon cut from 110 individual facets inspired by the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome — is the same architectural thinking applied to a movement: the BVL 128SK, hand-wound, running at just 2.35mm thick, its blackened bridges chamfered and circular-brushed to the same standard as any solid dial watch. A dedicated decoupler prevents overwinding, which in a movement this thin is not a courtesy feature. At 5.37mm the profile does not so much sit on the wrist as disappear against it, and 39 grams means you register the strap more than the case. The skeletonised dial makes no attempt at low-light legibility — this is a watch to read in daylight, and what you are reading is the movement itself, framed by sandblasted titanium and secured on black alligator with a simple pin buckle. The 65-hour reserve is visible through its dedicated indicator, which earns its place on a manually wound watch you may well take off for two nights and not worry about.
- Reference
- 102714
- Brand
- Bvlgari
- Collection
- Octo Finissimo
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 5.37mm
- Case material
- Titanium
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- BVL 128SK
- Functions
- Small seconds, Power reserve indicator, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 65 hours
Learn more about Bvlgari
Sotirio Bulgari was a silversmith from a village in Epirus who arrived in Rome and opened a shop on Via Sistina in 1884, later moving to the Via Condotti address the company still occupies. The Latinised V in the logo is a deliberate reference to classical Rome, and the house has drawn on Roman architecture and coinage ever since.
Two designs define it. The Serpenti, a coiled snake bracelet watch that first appeared in the 1940s, is the piece most associated with the name. The Bvlgari Bvlgari of 1975, with the brand name doubled around the bezel in the manner of a Roman coin inscription, began as a limited run for clients and became a permanent line.
Watchmaking became serious in 2000, when Bvlgari bought Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth and with them a genuine complications capability. Since 2014 the Octo Finissimo has set a series of world records for thinness across different complications — tourbillon, minute repeater, automatic, chronograph — which is not the sort of thing a jeweller was expected to be doing.
- 1884
- Sotirio Bulgari opens his first shop in Rome
- 1975
- The Bvlgari Bvlgari, with the name doubled around the bezel
- 2000
- Acquisition of Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth brings complications in house
- 2014
- The Octo Finissimo begins a run of world records for thinness
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo range (14), Automatic Watches (1,759), Leather Strap Watches (1,005), Dress Watches (532), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (374), Skeleton Watches (314) and Titanium Watches (179).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 5.37mm is unusually slim for a 40mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 65-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 102714 | LONGITUDE-WG-R-S | 15210ST.OO.A056KB.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £17,325 | £17,325 | £17,950 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 65 hours | — | 70 hours |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 65 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
More Bvlgari watches like the Octo Finissimo
In stock, and close on style and price
