Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Vianney Halter
Bulgari has unveiled a new collaboration with independent watchmaker Vianney Halter, stemming from a meeting three years prior. The watch is described as a blend of Bulgari's Octo Finissimo design and Halter's aesthetic, with a focus on human connection and creative constraint. This project allowed Bulgari to explore new case construction techniques and push the boundaries of its Finissimo movement while maintaining its signature thinness.
The collaboration was inspired by a "fateful meeting" between Bulgari's Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and Vianney Halter, with the resulting watch described as "half Octo, half Vianney."
The Octo Finissimo's identity was considered strong enough to withstand a deep transformation, with Bulgari's design team challenged by Halter's ideas.
Halter viewed collaboration as a way to move beyond his workshop's limitations, emphasizing the importance of the human relationship preceding the project.
Buonamassa Stigliani initially met Halter without discussing watches, focusing instead on shared interests like aviation and space exploration.
The constraint for the collaboration was to use the Octo Finissimo's base calibre and maintain its thinness, precluding complications like a tourbillon.
Buonamassa Stigliani pushed the design towards Halter's Antiqua aesthetic, aiming for a result that was immediately recognizable as both an Octo and a Vianney Halter piece.
Bulgari's in-house teams learned new techniques, particularly in case construction with 26 components for the bezels, rivets, and gaskets, and in developing the movement while controlling thickness.
Halter sees collaborations as a test of an independent watchmaker's ability to integrate with larger entities and make their work accessible to a broader audience.