Bulgari Lee Ufan Limited Edition and Tourbillon Marble Octo Finissimos

From incredibly daring to incredibly elegant, these two new limited editions cover a wide range of possibilities for the 11-year-old iconic model. One of the main advantages of Bulgari Octo Finissimo watches is their ability to become an ideal canvas for experimenting with design and general finishing. Bulgari introduced two different approaches to Octo Finissimo: one is rough and textured, but otherwise simple, the other is soft and elegant, but impressively complex.

First of all, a limited edition of 150 copies created by Korean artist Lee Ufang, who lives in Japan. Thanks to his friendship with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the brand’s inimitable product development executive, he took on the mission to transform the Octo Finissimo titanium watch, measuring 40 x 5.5 mm, into something more sculptural.

Each case is hand-crafted in a rough, polished aesthetic, complemented by a mirrored dial, black hands, and indexes. This design is inspired by the sculptural works of Li Ufang, where the stone is placed on a mirrored surface. The watch is equipped with an ultra-thin BVL 138 self-winding movement and a micro rotor. Despite the thickness of only 2.23 mm, the power reserve is 60 hours. This watch is more of a work of art than a tool, and has a water resistance of only 30 m, but it is also a wonderful interpretation and result of the collaboration of two craftsmen.
Next up is something more elegant, more Italian and much more sophisticated: the new Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Marble, measuring 40 x 5.75 mm, with a satin-finished platinum case, a blue alligator leather strap and Blu Incanto marble. Although this is not the brand’s record-breaking manual-wound tourbillon movement, the 1.95mm thick BVL 268 movement is still impressive, with a power reserve of 52 hours. The watch is available in a limited edition of 30 copies. Both models are already on sale. The price of the limited edition Lee Ufan is 22,000 euros, and the Tourbillon Marble is 170,000 euros, including taxes.

In the watchmaking world, there are successful collaborations, mediocre ones, and (unfortunately) not many outstanding ones. This job is special. Having met Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, you can immediately understand how thoughtful he is about design and how critical his view of the smallest details is. His love for art (and Japan) is deep, and that’s why he was lucky enough to see interesting collaborations with people like Tadao Ando. However, Lee Ufan is on a completely different level.
Octo Finissimo Automatic debuted in 2017. The Octo Finissimo Automatic watch, recognized as the world’s thinnest automatic movements, followed more complex and subtle models such as the Tourbillon and Minute Repeater. Being the simplest representative of the ultrathin watch dynasty, the Octo Finissimo Automatic is an ideal platform for joint projects. We’ve seen the mesmerizing dials by Japanese architects Tadao Ando and Kazue Sejima, the sketchy dials by talented Bulgari designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the cloud dials by Laurent Grasso, and even the daring laser tattoos by artist Mo Coppoletta.
Lee Ufang (born 1936) is a famous South Korean artist and sculptor, one of the representatives of the avant-garde Japanese group Mono-ha (object school). To emphasize the relationship between natural and man-made objects, Ufan uses natural stones placed on mirrors or steel plates in the Relatum series. Ufan has turned his idea into an ultra-thin octagonal clock with great effect.

Inspired by the architectural motifs of Imperial Rome in a daring modern interpretation, the stepped octagonal profile and 110 facets of the case form the basis of the iconic design of the Buonamassa Octo Finissimo watch. First released in sandblasted titanium, the new watch, created as part of the collaboration, is also made of titanium, but with an unexpected pattern designed by Ufan. The central motif in Lee’s work is the contradiction between a stone and a mirror: the former symbolizes fixed boundaries, and the latter — limitless possibilities. Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani reports: “I was particularly surprised by the flexibility of this unique design. Each change changes the nature of the watch and its target audience. The appearance is transformed.”