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Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 40mm Mens Watch
Ref. 103431
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Stepping up in Bvlgari's range
The Octo Finissimo has spent the better part of a decade accumulating world records for thinness, and this steel version with its sun-brushed blue dial represents the collection at its most wearable. The case is 6.40mm deep — shallower than many dress watches with no depth rating to speak of — yet carries 100m of water resistance and an in-house automatic movement inside it. That movement, the BVL 138, runs on a solid platinum micro-rotor and is finished with Côtes de Genève ribbing; at 2.23mm thick it is among the slimmest self-winding calibres made anywhere, and the 60-hour reserve means a long weekend away without winding. The octagonal case is cut across 110 facets, so the watch catches light differently at every angle, and the blue lacquer dial — metallic and sun-brushed rather than the matte sandblasted finish of earlier titanium references — shifts between deep navy and brighter azure depending on where it sits. The small seconds sub-dial sits at 7 o'clock, slightly off-centre, which breaks the symmetry just enough to read as considered rather than accidental. The integrated bracelet continues the case geometry without interruption, and the triple-folding clasp is designed to sit flush within the links, so nothing catches on a cuff or digs into the underside of the wrist.
- Reference
- 103431
- Brand
- Bvlgari
- Collection
- Octo Finissimo
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 6.40mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- BVL 138
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 60 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo range (14), Back in Stock (3,225), Stainless Steel Watches (3,084), Automatic Watches (1,759) and Blue Dial Watches (840).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 6.4mm is unusually slim for a 40mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
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 | 103431 | 1-37-02-08-02-63 | 49.9300.3620/21.I001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £12,900 | £12,700 | £13,900 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap | Ceramic bracelet |
| Power reserve | 60 hours | 70 hours | 60 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
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 60 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
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.
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