A Closer Look at Bulgari’s Octo Roma Worldtimer
The lull in travel has put many on hold for crossing the international dateline or any changes in time for that matter, except for a few business travelers, those seeking asylum from the threat of violence, and those with special permission to move from one country to another. Thus, there haven’t been a lot of models released for such endeavors. Those of us who enjoy traveling the globe, or who long to see friends and loved ones believe that one day soon, the floodgates will once again open. Bulgari is helping to keep that eventuality within the horizons of our minds with their latest and timely release. In anticipation that restrictions will ease and world travelers will once again need a timepiece that provides multiple timezone readings. The Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer piques our excitement as a step toward new dawn, and it merits a closer look and inspection.
History of the Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer
GQ takes us back to the beginning when the Octo Roma was first designed in Rome during the middle part of the 2000s as a Gerald Genta brand which became the acquisition of Bulgari, receiving a rebranding to the name of the parent company. It received the Bulgari name in 2010, and then a refresh in 2010. The Octo family was born in a collaboration between Guido Terreni and Fabrizio Buonamassa with a redefinition of the eight-sided timepiece that gave it an ultra-slim profile and a contemporary flair. It’s the finest melding of the expertise of Swiss watchmaking with its roots going back to Rome, Italy with numerous mechanical upgrades and tweaks in the design. Bulgari equipped it with an in-house movement and took the collection forward with multiple variants within the family to establish the DNA, and build the branches of the family tree from there. In 2014 the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon was released with the Minute Repeater variant 2015, both known for their ultra thinness ranging from 3.12 mm in depth to a slight 1.95 mm for the movements. The overarching case depth for the first, at just 6.85 mm. The most recent is the Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer.
A closer look at the Octo Roma Worldtimer
The case
The Octo Roma Worldtimer features a case that measures a moderate 41mm in width, and a depth of 11.35 mm. A Blog To Watch, shares that the material of the case is stainless steel with a brushed finish if you choose the blue dial. The second option is a DLC-coated stainless steel case with a black dial. Both are covered with a sapphire crystal lens. The eight-sided shape of the case inspires its name in part, the “Octo,” while its origins of Rome provide the other portion. The lower portion of the case bears an octagonal shape. Unlike other members of the family, it’s all but concealed by the round bezel that gives the piece the appearance of a round shape which is not entirely the case. The angular base becomes apparent when you take a closer look. The case back is an exhibition style that reveals the inner workings of the mechanical movement beneath. It is covered with a clear flat sapphire crystal.
The dial
The black dial features a matte black background with bright white indices sporting the numerals 12 and 6 at the appropriate designations, with the rest of the indicators in a stick form. A Blog To Watch shows the 240 hour rotating disc that works in conjunction with the city disc, also rotating with adjustments for both made via the crown. There is also a 12-hour time display. Both make up the Worldtimer function. The blue sunburst version features applied markers. The black dial has applied markers that have a luminous coating for high visibility in conditions of low lighting. The crown is a screw-own style with a ceramic insert.
The movement
The movement that powers Bulgari’s Octo Roma Worldtimer is an in-house BVL257, which is a new movement that is inspired by the BVL designation, developed by Le Sentier manufacture. There are 261 components in the movement alone. It’s an automatic power plant that beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour or 4 Hz. Functions include seconds, minutes, hours, a 12-hour time display, and a 24-hour time display with world time, and 26 jewels. The power reserve is 42 hours. It measures 33 mm in diameter and 6.03 mm in thickness.
Strap/bracelet
The bracelet material depends on the variant. Reference 10381 comes with a bracelet made of stainless steel. The watch affixes to the wrist with a clasp style closure, also made of stainless steel. Reference 10396 features a fabric bracelet with an attractive rubber bracelet or a weave design and a pin and buckle style closure. This watch is water-resistant to 100 meters.
Pricing and availability
The Bulgari Octo Roma Worldtimer has a starting price of $8,350.It’s not yet available, but you can consider this your heads up. The high-end luxury timepiece is set to drop in October of 2021.
Final thoughts
The announcement of the pending delivery of the Bulgaria Octo Roma Worldtimer offers a bit of excitement that causes the heart to stir for those who are once again looking forward to traveling. The multi-dimensional world timer is a piece that inspires travelers to look forward to the time when the borders will once again fully open. We’re not quite there yet thanks to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but see hope on the horizon. We all have something to look forward to in Bulgari’s newest release that is almost here. We have a little time to prepare for its arrival. Bulgari has not yet disclosed how many versions of this powerful new member of the family will be released, although it’s not indicated as a limited edition.
