Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic Chronograph GMT “Nuclear Option” for Revolution & The Rake
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic Chronograph GMT “Nuclear Option” for Revolution & The Rake
First, a flashback to 2020, when we launched our Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT in sandblasted titanium, with a fully luminous dial designed by the incredible Fabrizio Buonamassa.
As you may recall, the objective with that watch was to create the ultimate “tool” version of the stunning record-setting automatic chronograph with the peripheral rotor. A
ny tool watch needs to have luminous indexes and hands.
But with a dial that is only 0.3mm thick, the indexes and hands were just too thin to be coated with LumiNova.
The solution then proposed by the incredible Fabrizio Buonamassa was to paint the entire dial with LumiNova so that all of the all the indications would stand out in negative relief.
Buonamassa’s team went through quite a few dials.
Some were too luminous so that even in normal light they were glowing, and some were not luminous enough.
Finding the right balance here was pertinent as we wanted a dial that looked like a normal white dial chronograph in daylight but as soon as you moved into darkness, it glowed with perfect visibility and remained luminous for a long time.
Eventually, we found this balance.
But there was a second prototype that was made that featured an altogether different dial. It was a dial that was so luminous that it basically glowed bright green all the time.
It was so incredibly luminous that it almost gave the illusion of the watch having an LED screen.
Accordingly, we named this dial the “Nuclear Option”.
Even though it was passed over for the “White Light” project, we couldn’t stop thinking about the dial.
The rest, shall we say, is now history, which has led us to the 2021 Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ceramic Chronograph GMT “Nuclear Option” for Revolution & The Rake, our third timepiece with our friends at Bvlgari, a limited edition of just 30 pieces.