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Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Watch
Ref. 103464
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Stepping up in Bvlgari's range
The original Octo Finissimo arrived in titanium and rewrote expectations for how thin an automatic watch could be — the BVL 138 Finissimo movement at its centre measures just 2.23mm, still the thinnest automatic calibre made, finished with Côtes de Genève stripes, circular graining, and hand-chamfered bridges decorated to a standard the caseback exists to show off. The 2021 stainless steel variant, this one, was drawn to solve a practical problem with that original: 100 metres of water resistance in place of the titanium's more cautious rating, which pushed the overall case to 6.40mm. That remains extraordinarily shallow for what it contains, and the 46mm lug-to-lug span lies flat enough that the watch disappears beneath a cuff. The design refuses colour. The octagonal case plays satin-brushed surfaces against polished facets, the silvered dial carries a vertical-brushed finish with rhodium-plated indices, and the bracelet continues the same geometry into the wrist — its folding clasp recessed flush into the underside links so nothing interrupts the line. The result is a watch that reads as a piece of architecture before it reads as a watch, which is precisely what Bvlgari intended when they hired the firm that designed the case.
- Reference
- 103464
- Brand
- Bvlgari
- Collection
- Octo Finissimo
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 6.40mm
- Lug width
- 30mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- BVL 138 Finissimo
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46mm
- 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 Silver Dial Watches (702).
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
- 46mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
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 | 103464 | 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.
What size strap does it take?
30mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs 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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