The New World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch Makes the U.S. Quarter Look Thick

The watch-making world has long been locked in an arms race to build the thin watches. Bulgari has routinely been a critical player in creating extraordinarily thin, recording-setting timepieces.

In 2014, the brand launched the world’s thinnest Tourbillion. In 2016, it was the world’s thinnest Minute Repeater. In 2020, it was the world’s thinnest Chronograph. In 2021, it was the world’s thinnest Perpetual Calendar. 

And in a shocker to no one, the brand took the lead overall for the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with the launch of the original Octo Finissimo Ultra back in 2022, which was barely thicker than a U.S. quarter (1.8mm thick, to be exact), yet packed 1 70 piece movement that resulted in eight new patents for the brand. 

What was shocking is that Richard Mille swooped in later that same summer to reveal the Richard Mille RM UP-01 in partnership with Ferrari, which was 0.05mm thinner. 

With the newly unveiled 2024 Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC Edition, Bulgari has snatched the world’s thinnest mechanical watch crown back and looks poised to hold-on to it for years to come.

The newly crowned world’s thinnest mechanical watch measures just 1.7mm thick. Bulgari

It’s just 1.7mm thick and now officially thinner than a U.S. quarter’s 1.75mm specification, according to the U.S. Mint. As the name indicates, it’s also formally COSC-certified for accuracy, a standard that only roughly 6% of all Swiss-made watches manage to meet. 

After so much focus on the watch movement, this time Bulgari shaved off additional girth from an already skinny watch by reworking the watch’s crystal.

Setting and winding the watch also sounds fascinating. It involves placing the watch in a companion case. Owners can then set the watch’s time via a digital interface on the box with a push of a button

Of course, owning a piece of watchmaking history isn’t painless. Only 20 pieces will be made for a cool $529,000 each.

Watch Bulgari’s official Youtube reveal of the innovative timepiece.

Bulgari