For 2021, Bulgari introduced a new stainless thin steel Finissimo Chronograph with a push-button GMT function.
Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo S Chronograph GMT comes in a 43 mm stainless steel case, with an integrated steel bracelet, and measures just 8.75 mm thick. A transparent caseback reveals the nicely finished 3.30 mm thick caliber BVL 318, that despite looking like a manual wind movement — without a large central oscillating weight obstructing the view, nor a micro-rotor taking up precious real estate — the mainspring is instead wound by a peripheral rotor (and can hold 55-hours of power reserve max). The 4Hz 37-jewel movement has striped bridges, polished jewel countersinks, perlage on the mainplate, and a traversing balance bridge with an index regulated balance wheel and spring, not a freesprung balance.
On the front, the dial features a blue sunray finished that bursts from the center of the dial. Silvered, azurage stamped counters and silver applied luminous indices (with an Arabic numeral at 12), silver luminous Dauphine-shaped hour and minute hands, contrast the blue dial and display the time. A silver baton-shaped center seconds hand indicates elapsed chronograph time when activated. The three counters use blued baton-shaped hands to indicate small seconds at 9, chronograph minutes at 6, and a second-time zone at 3 o’clock.
The Octo Finissimo S Chronograph GMT time is set using the small crown at 3 o’clock, while the local time hour hand can be jumped ahead in one-hour increments using the pusher on the left case flank. A screwed-down crown adds to the sportiness, although the clear caseback is secured to the case with 4 screws, and does not screw-in into the case the way most 100 meter+ water-resistant watches do. Still, water-resistance is 100 meters, which is far better than 50 meters should you want to use the watch around water. (Ref. 103467)
Retail is $16,500.
