tadao ando unveils second octo finissimo watch for bulgari at watches & wonders 2021

bulgari has unveiled its latest timepiece collaboration with japanese architect tadao ando at the digital edition of watches and wonders 2021. aiming to construct and interpret time the in the most refined way, the collaboration has resulted in the 160-piece octo finissimo.

images by bulgari

tadao ando has engraved his international reputation through the use of cement and glass combined with the creative use of light in his architectural projects. these three elements are the common thread running through his architectural work, which embodies the absolute search for purity. for his second collaboration with bulgari (see the first one on designboom here), the architect has created a second special edition which picks up on the japanese mikazuki concept (三日月). while the theme of time remains central, this new model embodies a different approach.

mikazuki (三日月) represents the crescent moon, which is the first stage of the next moon (新月) that will in due course become full (満月). this evolution symbolizes the transitory nature of time, with the shadow of the earth partially masking the moon to reveal only a crescent. for civilization, the moon has always embodied time, acting as a clock and calendar for humanity and nature. japanese culture expresses temporal contingencies with a specific character – the 月 – which can be read as meaning both month and moon. amid the spiral of the night sky, the crescent moon represents hope in the night, embodying a prosperous future.

the bulgari tadao ando limited edition takes a minimalist approach to the theme of time on the deep blue lacquered. the time spiral is born and uncoils from the base of the seconds hand, while the gold crescent moon is positioned at 5 o’clock. in two essential graphic elements, tadao ando expresses his vision of time on a watch made from black ceramic and featuring a transparent caseback bearing the architect’s signature.

project info:

name: octo finissimo tadao ando limited series

company: bulgari

in collaboration with: tadao ando

presented at: watches and wonders 2021