This year’s edition of the Geneva Watch Days has just come to an end and proved to be a fascinating one, featuring creations both from major maisons and from smaller independent brands. Highlights for me included the Moser Pioneer Flying Hours and, for a more modest budget, the Dennison Dual Time.
Today, however, I want to focus on the watch I liked the most at the event, though ironically, it was also the one I felt I needed the least.
I’m talking about the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Limited Edition with Lee Ufan, a South Korean artist who reinterpreted Bulgari’s modern icon through an unconventional treatment of the case and bracelet.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Lee Ufan characteristics
The starting point is the now-iconic Octo Finissimo in titanium, reinterpreted through the interplay of stone-like textures and mirror-polished surfaces, a hallmark of Lee Ufan’s work. Both the case and the bracelet have been hand-finished, one could say “artfully distressed”, to create an irregular surface reminiscent of natural stone. The dial, on the other hand, left untouched compared to the rest of the watch, is reflective and gradient, and as is customary in Bulgari’s artistic collaborations, bears no logo.
My personal opinion: a stunning timepiece, elevated by Lee Ufan’s masterful touch, especially remarkable given that watches are not the medium he typically engages with in his artistic practice.
But did we need another Bulgari Octo Finissimo Limited Edition?
Not really, but let me explain.
My perspective comes from the belief that the Octo Finissimo line is a true icon of contemporary watchmaking. Think about it: what other brand has managed to bring such a genuinely different design, with such an unconventional approach, as Bulgari did in its pursuit of perfection in ultra-thin watchmaking? Probably only Richard Mille, and to some extent a few independents.
Even though secondary market prices don’t particularly reward this model, long time collectors around the world consistently regard it as a modern watchmaking icon.
And while I find the base model incredible, I can’t deny being amazed by almost all of the limited editions released over the years: both those created solely by the maison, above all the Sketch, and even more so the artistic collaborations. The versions with Tadao Ando are beautiful, and my favorite remains the one with Kazuyo Sejima, which I hope to add to my collection soon. I find the idea of removing the Bulgari logo from the dial to give artists maximum freedom of expression truly brilliant.
The issue, however, is that there are simply too many. I have no doubt that all 150 pieces of the Lee Ufan edition will sell out, with some demand left unsatisfied. But that’s not the point: the focus of a maison should be fostering genuine interest in a watch, not artificially boosting attention through endless collaborations and limited editions.
The reality is that Bulgari, like many brands today, belongs to a large group, and in the end profit is what matters most. The days when designs like the Royal Oak or the Nautilus, initially underappreciated, slowly grew into icons over time are long gone. My concern is that, in the long run, a design as remarkable as the Octo Finissimo might never be allowed to become the true icon it deserves to be.
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