Like every year, the month of January was mainly driven by the SIHH and all the novelties that we’ve presented to you during this hectic week. Hosting eighteen large brands (among them Richemont brands) and seventeen smaller Independents, yet, there are always several brands exposing their novelties elsewhere in the city of Geneva. One of these brands …
Bulgari made quite an impact last year when they unveiled their record-breaking, ultra-thin Octo Finissimo Automatic. In total, the sand-blasted titanium case measured just 5.15mm thick, an incredible achievement and one that in my opinion, looks absolutely superb on the wrist. Others, however, found it simply too thin, not to mention, also quite expensive. Fortunately for those people, Bulgari’s new Octo L’Originale SoloTempo Titanium offers a very similar aesthetic, in a slightly thicker case and at a more wallet-friendly price point.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury group, recorded revenue of EUR 42.6 billion in 2017, an increase of 13% over the previous year. The group also shows a sustained growth in organic revenue, with a 12% increase. The group profit is up 18%, at EUR 8,293 million. All business divisions recorded double-digit organic growth, with the exception of Wines and Spirits. For what is our main concern here, the watchmaking industry, LVMH (owner, among others, of TAG Heuer, Hublot, Zenith and Bulgari) reports an ‘Excellent year for Bvlgari and good progress at Hublot and TAG Heuer’.
As part of their Pre-Baselworld 2018 collection, Bulgari unveils a new version of its Octo Tourbillon Sapphire, now with a black-DLC steel case. In the dark, its luminescent Tourbillon movement shines blue light and reveals its inner working in complete transparency. Here’s an early hands-on look at this bold piece.
Born from a distinctive perception of elegance, the Octo is a perfect illustration of Bulgari’s Italian design flair and expertise in creating fascinating-shaped watches. Right from its introduction in 2012, its faceted, octagonal case has imposed its strength and personality becoming an instant classic. With a modernized design and materials for 2018, here is the Bulgari Octo l’Originale Velocissimo Chronograph.
Now it makes zero sense to compare the very first luxury sports watch to the very latest in this desirable segment, at least not from a consumer’s perspective (the vintage AP RO Jumbo is of course not for sale anymore.) However, it does, when looking at if and how the luxury sports watch segment has developed over the past 4.5 decades. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402ST was introduced in 1972, and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic was introduced in 2017. Forty-five years, only a handful of competitors in all those years and only one serious competitor survived: the Patek Philippe Nautilus. But will the new Bulgari become a serious competitor for the uncrowned king of the luxury sports watches?
The end of the year is close, so it is time, before 2018 starts, to recap what happened in 2017. Yesterday, we looked at the industry and the 5 main highlights of the year. Today, we move back to watches, with the 5 pieces that created most conversations. Controversial, innovative, unexpected or loved… There were some great pieces in 2017 and these 5 are the ones that, for us, should be remembered. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive. Please share with us in the comment section which watches made an impression on you.
All of you here might know the story behind the creation of the “Luxury-Sports Watch”, a long-lasting trend that started back in 1972 when a certain Gerald Genta designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The idea began with a thin, integrated watch in stainless steel, featuring attributes from haute-Horlogerie and sports-watches, and priced over most of the gold watches at that time… Who could have imagined, back in the 1970s, that these watches could become so popular today? Well, as a demonstration that the Luxury-Sports Watch is fully alive, here are 5 of them, all introduced in 2017.
As you’ve probably seen through the live feed we provided to you, today was the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, also known as the Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry, celebrating the best watches (via 12 different categories, for 16 different prizes) of the year. While in 2016 the “Aiguille d’Or” (the prize for the best watch of the year) went to Ferdinand Berthoud and their superb FB1 watch. Well, if a brand can’t win twice in rough the GPHG, the “Aiguille d’Or” will, however, remain in the hands of the Scheufele family, as the winner of the GPHG 2017 is Chopard and the impressive Full Strike.
A few weeks ago, luxury Italian brand, Bulgari, in conjunction with our friends at Watchonista, hosted a fun event simply called “The B. Dinner” in Rome. The idea was to bring together a group of watch enthusiasts (writers, photographers, collectors, etc.) from around Europe and introduce them to Bulgari’s “Rome”. The Eternal City is, after all, the spiritual and physical home of the brand and as such a great source of inspiration for its designs. What followed was an immensely enjoyable experience that was far more insightful than I think anyone was expecting.