The Sound of Bvlgari and the Serpent: Octo Chiming Watches and More Unveiled at Geneva Watch Days 2024

At the ongoing Geneva Watch Days (GWD) 2024, Bvlgari has presented a veritable symphony of time, with the new Octo Roma and Octo Finissimo variants at the heart of the ‘Sound of Bvlgari’. Music-inspired Bvlgari Aluminium and bejewelled Serpenti Pallini have been unveiled as well. 

GMT India takes a closer look at the latest GWD novelties from the Maison.  

Bvlgari Octo Chiming Watches

The new Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon and Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon variants reinvent Bvlgari’s soundscapes. Complementing these two chiming timepieces is the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, re-introduced by the brand in full carbon; it’s a high-tech musical instrument that holds a record as the thinnest chiming watch ever created. 

Bvlgari Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon

The chiming of the new Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon, one of the most complex timepieces created by Bvlgari, soothes the soul. It features the queen of complications in watchmaking – the minute repeater – wherein four hammers mark the time with a tune composed by conductor Lorenzo Viotti. This horological marvel is equipped with an innovative openworked metal dial. Essentially, it reinvents the melody of gongs by adding the tritone, a characteristic interval of classical music. In the grande sonnerie mode, the BVV 800 calibre of the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon automatically chimes the hours and quarters as they pass, and repeats the hour every hour. It can also repeat the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand.

Bvlgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon 

The Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon produces a rich medley of notes emanating from two extremely complex mechanisms that are visible as a dual ballet on the dial side: the tourbillon and the minute repeater with three hammers, rendering the time at will. The Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes, striking the quarters on three notes, courtesy of the modified BVL428 calibre carillon. 

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon

A feat of absolute finesse and harmony in music and engineering, the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon combines the inimitable Octo Finissimo design with an extraordinarily complex minute repeater calibre that chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand. It is made from multi-layered CTP (Carbon Thin Ply), which is both ultra-lightweight and rigid. It runs on the BVL362 manufacture ultra-thin manual winding mechanical movement with minute repeater and small seconds.

Bvlgari Aluminium GMT X Fender® Limited Edition

The Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender® Limited Edition marks an exceptional collaboration between Bvlgari and Fender Custom Shop. The Bvlgari Aluminium and the Stratocaster, two icons in their respective realms, come together to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the legendary electric guitar. Paying homage to the legendary Stratocaster, the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT is presented in the original colours of this iconic instrument. The sunburst finish – a nod to one of Fender’s signature lacquered looks – and the same creamy white hue bring this limited edition of 1200 watches to life. The brown rubber bezel, the second time zone – dark brown for nighttime and creamy white for daytime hours – and the rhodium-plated and polished indices and hands, reminiscent of guitar frets, keep the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT attuned to the legendary Stratocaster. The brand has also redesigned the model’s Velcro strap for a perfect fit even during the most intense riffs. The ‘Fender®’ inscription on the DLC-coated titanium caseback underscores the incredible power of music to unite people across the globe.

The brand will be releasing the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender® Limited Edition with 140 sets (70 for each of the two time zones on the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT). These will include the limited-edition Bvlgari Aluminium GMT watch, its bespoke case (whose design was inspired by iconic guitar cases), and a book tracing the 70-year history of the Stratocaster.

Additionally, Fender will create, upon request, 70 Stratocasters in collaboration with Bvlgari at their Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California. Each of these unique guitars, handcrafted by the finest artisans at Fender Custom Shop, will showcase the exceptional quality of these instruments. Their glossy lacquer finish revives the vintage aesthetic of the original model – the same colours are featured in the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender® Limited Edition.

Bvlgari Serpenti Pallini High Jewellery Watch 

With dazzling suppleness, the double-coil Serpenti Pallini spirals around the wrist. The design draws inspiration from the historical Pallini of 1955, resembling the skin of an exotic serpent. Its scales are composed of countless small gold beads or brilliant-cut diamonds, each individually set on a gold mesh through a technique derived from the en tremblant method developed in 18^th century Paris. Sliding into yellow, rose, and white gold under a canopy of diamonds, the iconic serpent now comes with the Maison’s Piccolissimo calibre – a marvel of miniaturisation; it allows Bvlgari to revisit the lines and proportions of its iconic serpent creation. This marks the first contemporary interpretation of Serpenti Pallini in yellow gold, whose solar brilliance returns to the forefront, lending a stunning vintage style to the jewelled reptile.