All roads lead to Rome, according to the saying that placed the Eternal City at the centre of the ancient world. The same is true of OCTO: nurtured by the octagonal motifs adorning the Basilica of Maxentius, the watchmaking shape was born in the 2000s in the form of Grand Complication models, before gradually drawing closer to the very heart of the symbol in 2012 – when the hours and minutes version was launched, showcasing the well-known design. It is now reinterpreted in an approach that pushes the formal purity of the octagon to its very limits.
Ancient philosophers vaunted the principle of ‘quintessence’, meaning the most refined version of a material or a concept. Bulgari has chosen to strive towards this pure ideal by offering an additional version of its OCTO line, a highly refined model embodying this quest for absolutes.
The new OCTO ROMA epitomises the very heart of the collection, while endowing it with an extra dimension. Known for their structured case featuring 110 facets, OCTO watches introduced a new form-focused approach based on a strong and innovative design centred around the geometrical octagon shape.
The collection is built around four major pillars: the classic OCTO watches; the Velocissimo chronographs; the ultra-thin Finissimo models of which the design finds new expression in the mastery of extreme slimness with the Small seconds; and the Finissimo models with horological complications, such as the spectacular Minute Repeater and the Tourbillon – both of which hold world slimness records in their respective categories.
The new OCTO ROMA embodies the ‘fifth element’ by introducing an elegant, modern and urban touch tending towards absolute purity, while respecting the design fundamentals of the model.
