Italian jewelry company Bvlgari has released the world's thinnest mechanical watch, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc, measuring just 1.7 mm thick. The previous record holder, the RM UP-01 Ferrari by Richard Mille, is only 0.05 mm thicker — about the thickness of a human hair.
All 170 components that make up the Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc movement are mounted directly on the case back of the watch, rather than on a separate surface like its predecessors. To protect the movement, the case back is made of tungsten carbide, an ultra-strong metal alloy, while the front of the case and strap are made of sandblasted titanium.
The new watch is the result of work on the Octo Finissimo Ultra, which held the record for four months in 2022 before the release of Ferrari’s collaboration with watchmaker Richard Mille. “Octo Finissimo is an opportunity for innovation and design, and a source of many challenges for Bvlgari’s R&D department,” says Antoine Pin, director of Bvlgari’s watch division.
According to Bvlgari, this thickness was achieved by “optimizing” the front of the sapphire case. “Thanks to the patient and meticulous steps of our engineers, we were able to reduce the thickness of the watch by a critical tenth of a millimeter,” the company said in a statement. The final version is about the same thickness as a five-pence coin.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc is also incredibly precise: it is the thinnest watch ever to receive the chronometer certification from the independent Swiss watchmaking organization Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). To receive this certification, a watch must be no more than four seconds slower and six seconds faster per day.
The Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc will be released in a limited edition of 20 pieces. The case back will feature a QR code that will lead to an online instruction manual for the watch. The kit will also include a case that will automatically wind the watch with the push of a button.
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