This Legendary Sports Watch Just Went Full Stealth Mode

The Octo Finissimo gets a striking all-black DLC revamp.

Close-up of a black wristwatch with a matte finish, featuring a textured black fabric strap. The watch face is black with minimalistic hour markers and hands, and the number 6 is prominently displayed. The crown is also black and textured for grip. The background is a gradient of pink to orange.

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By Brad Lanphear

Published September 18, 2025

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Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo owns “thinness” in the watch world.

The series has broken records for case height in the past, and although it is no longer the leader, it is by far the most well-known and adored “ultra-thin watch.”

Black Bulgari wristwatch with a textured black strap, octagonal case, and minimalist dial featuring black hour markers, black hands, and a small seconds subdial at the 7 o'clock position. — The Octo Finissimo looks sleeker than ever.

Since its introduction in 2017, Bulgari designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani’s angular, multi-tiered luxury sports watch has been decorated with various materials, textures and colors.

But, much like with suits, shoes and leather jackets, all-black is hard to beat in a watch. Bulgari takes this philosophy to its logical conclusion with a new Black DLC Titanium Octo Finissimo Automatic.

Matte black Bulgari wristwatch with a textured black fabric strap, featuring a minimalist dial with black hour markers, black hands, and a small seconds subdial at the 7 o'clock position, set against a gradient pink to orange background. — The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic has a small seconds subdial.

The case and dial retain the original Octo Finissimo Automatic look, but are dimmed with a matte-black DLC coating. Only the hands and indices stand out with a glossy coating to allow for legibility.

This stealth-mode iteration emphasizes the sporty aspect of the modern luxury sports watch by swapping out the customary bracelet for a rubber strap with a texture mimicking woven fabric.

Darker than the inside of a coffin on a moonless night

Previous iterations of the Octo Finissimo Automatic have had a similar grainy matte case and bezel, but achieved the look by sandblasting titanium. Bulgari masked the titanium base with a DLC coating this time to achieve the desired deep black finish.

Black Bulgari wristwatch with a matte finish, featuring an octagonal bezel and a minimalist dial. The dial has black hour markers, black hour and minute hands, and a small seconds subdial above the 6 o'clock position. The watch crown is visible on the right side. — The dial has a matte black plate with glossy hands and indices.

Where previous references have played with contrasting finishes to emphasize the Octo Finissimo’s intricate geometry, this version kept a uniform texture befitting Batman or Darth Vader.

Side view of a black wristwatch with a round face and a textured crown on a gradient pink to orange background. The watch has a black strap attached to angular lugs. — The Octo Finissimo has a 5mm-thick titanium case.

Aside from the lack of pigment, the most notable feature of this Octo Finissimo Automatic is the strap, which is only currently available on two other references. It is a black textured rubber with DLC-coated titanium end links and a pin-buckle strap that matches the case.

Tiny but powerful

On their own, tiny watch cases are not that impressive. It’s the automatic movement that places Bulgari’s marquee watch in a league of its own.

Despite being in service since 2017, the Bulgari caliber BVL 138 is still at the cutting edge of horological innovation, if only because it packs a 60-hour power reserve into a 2.23mm-thick movement.

Close-up of the back of a Bulgari Octo watch showcasing its intricate mechanical movement. The movement features polished metal components with a striped pattern, visible gears, and purple jewel bearings. The rotor is engraved with "BVLGARI" and "Pt 950." The black case surrounding the movement is marked with "BVLGARI," "OCTO," "Titan," "SWISS 3 ATM," and other technical details. — The Octo Finissimo runs on Bulgari’s 2.23mm-thick Caliber 138 automatic movement.

That still leaves room for the platinum micro-rotor and 31 jewels, both visible through an exhibition caseback secured by eight exposed hex screws. The movement plates are also decorated with Geneva stripes, creating a far more ornate view than the dial under which it sits.

Like most of the best modern luxury sports watches, the Octo Finissimo Automatic walks the line between sporty and dressy. But this blacked-out reference strays into sporty territory with one of the sleekest finishes this fan-favorite design has ever received.

Availability and price

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Black DLC Titanium will be available in October from Bulgari for $15,500.

It is a regular production model that joins the standard Octo Finissimo lineup.

Black Bulgari wristwatch with a matte finish, featuring a round dial set in an octagonal case. The dial has minimalist black hour markers, with the numbers 12 and 6 prominently displayed. There is a small seconds subdial at the 7 o'clock position. The watch has black hour, minute, and second hands, and a textured black strap.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Black DLC Titanium

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Bulgari caliber BVL 138 automatic
Water	30m

$15,500 at Bulgari

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.