IN-DEPTH: Ultra-thin heavyweight – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic in gold
The story in a second: Bulgari’s latest take on the Octo Finissimo Automatic is the anti-gold gold watch. How about a riddle to start your Monday off right? When is a gold watch not a gold watch? When it’s Bulgari’s darling, the Octo Finissimo Automatic, in rose gold. Now, obviously it’s a gold watch, but it looks and wears like no other gold watch I’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing. The case While the movement and other elements of habillage are important to this watch, really, it’s about the case (and bracelet — more on that shortly). The design, the material, the treatment. All of it really. Let’s start with the familiar. The Octo Finissimo case itself is a pretty well-known quantity by now. It’s a much thinner (5.15mm to be precise) version of the regular Octo, which is an evolution of Genta’s original design. The Octo Finissimo Automatic is all sharp lines; the only curves to be seen are the bezel (even that is encompassed by an octagonal frame) and the crown. Everything else is facets and angles. The resulting look is instantly iconic, a strong, decidedly contemporary look that, unlike many high-end avant-garde designs, manages to be…
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Magical cylindrical tunnels of water. Riding inside a barrelling wave is considered by some to be the be-all and end-all of surfing. And while Hublot’s latest addition to the Spirit of Big Bang collection doesn’t exactly call for a rashie or a coating of wax, it does capture the essence of the sea, with an azure-coloured barrel-shaped case. Exclusive to Hublot boutiques and limited to 100 numbered pieces worldwide, the trademarked tonneau-shaped case measures 42mm across and perfectly captures the brand’s “Art of Fusion” mantra. Crafted from microblasted and polished blue ceramic, it features white composite resin side inserts, a set of titanium screws, and titanium pushers and crown that are finished with an insert made of rubber. Visible through the open-worked dial and its engraved display caseback is the HUB4700 automatic chronograph movement – which some may recognise as Zenith’s famed El Primero – with a 50-hour power reserve and a running rate of 5Hz. And in yet another melding of materials, a blue alligator strap is stitched onto white rubber. Originally introduced in 2014, the Spirit of Big Bang collection does exactly what it says on the tin. It captures the spirit of the Big Bang while sharing…
Editor’s note: Seiko’s divers are the stuff of legend, and deservedly so. And while their back catalogue is full of more classics than is frankly reasonable, the recent re-release of the so-called ‘Turtle’ stands out. The Turtle offers size, retro style and that indestructible Seiko build in spades, and all for a price that’s seriously hard to beat … Seiko dive watches have a massive — at times fanatical — following. It’s these guys and gals who are responsible for giving the brand’s cryptically coded watches their colourful nicknames – the Tuna, Monster, Sumo and, in this case, the Turtle. Officially, the Turtles we’re looking at here are known as SRP775 (black gilt dial on bracelet), SRP773 (blue dial on bracelet) and SRP777 (black dial on silicon). From now on, collectively, we’ll just call them Turtles. But wait, there’s more. These SRP77 divers are actually reissues of the original Turtles – historic divers from the 6309 family, produced from 1976 until 1988. Not only is this new version a faithful homage to the original, it also represents nigh-on unbeatable value for money. The case It was the broad, cushion-shaped case that inspired the watch’s nickname, because if you look at it from a distance and…
Just 10 years ago, buying a Grand Seiko meant either having to buy a plane ticket to Japan, convincing a relative/friend/acquaintance/that-guy-you-met-one-time to buy a ticket to Japan, or navigating your way around Japanese online retailers – searching every page for an image of your heart’s desire and then using Google translate to confirm that they even offered international shipping. You see, despite having a history that stretches back to 1960, it wasn’t until 2010 that Grand Seiko was properly introduced to the world. Once one of Japan’s best kept secrets, Grand Seiko was born from Seiko’s desire to show the world what Japanese watchmaking could do. And in the years since, the innovative brand has become one of the most influential. Still, as Felix put it last month, “there remains an air of mystique around the Japanese brand”. And while his excellent video explained some of the essentials, I thought I’d add some more meat to its bones with this list of 11 key models from the collection, and just why they matter. The Calibre 9S – SBGR311 Modern Grand Seiko is built off the mighty calibre 9S. Found at the core of many of the brand’s exceptionally finished cases,…