While we admire and appreciate greatly Genta’s masterpieces, the AP Royal Oak and the Patek Nautilus, we often either forget or some of us probably don’t recognize yet that there’s another very original masterpiece from Genta, a watch that was also originally sold as his own brand name i.e. Gerald Genta, now called as Bulgari Octo Finissimo.
When you put the Octo side by side with the Royal Oak and Nautilus, you instantly recognize that there are several design cues and similarities that these watches share like the octagonal shape in the bezel, case or the dial, the integrated bracelet case design and the overall angular and non-round case shaped profiles.
Interestingly, even the case sizes are similar. In this particular comparison photo, the Nautilus 5712 is 40mm, the AP 15510 is 41mm and the Octo is 40mm.
This begs the question as to why does the Octo look much bigger than the Nautilus even when both watches are marketed as 40mmm?
The answer lies again in the case shape where the Nautilus has an intelligent case design with those ears on the case sides which aren’t included in the case size of 40mm yet they come in handy to enhance the wrist presence and heft of the watch. And then they’re not just an aesthetically design element rather they’re the pivots which hold the case together.
If you measure the bezel size of both the Octo and Nautilus from 2 to 8 o’clock position, they’re both 40mm but since the Octo has a squarish case design as opposed to the Nautilus’s eared case design, it looks much bigger and substantial, which could be a positive for you if you like bigger watches.
Here’s a comparison shot for all the three watches on a smaller-ish 6.5” wrist.
They’re all very wearable watches and showcase the best that Genta had to offer, yet with the difference that due to different case design, they look different and their sizes and heftiness on the wrist are different too.
What’s common between them is that although they all have very different bracelet designs, yet they offer a similar and premium experience on the wrist, again due to their unique looks, fine watchmaking attributes and aesthetics.
And then looks aside, what beats inside those beautiful cases and dials, are all in-house and highly decorated movements, with Octo being the thinnest of all and all made of stainless steel.
So is there anything other than the size and case shape that separates the Octo from the other designed watches of Genta? Is it the brand name that we fall for, or is it the hype train that drives the market and the desirability?
Whatever the reason, the current situation presents an incredible opportunity for the buyers to acquire the very original designed watch of Genta, the Octo at a great value, when it’s counterparts like the Royal Oak and Nautilus sell for much above their retail price.
Let aside the retail price for Octo, we have this incredible example of blue dial Octo available for nearly 40% off its retail price on our online store at https://www.calibre24.com.au/product-page/bulgari-octo-finissimo-blue-dial-model-103431-full-set-2022
Will the Octo also eventually catch up with the prices of Nautilus and Royal Oak, time will tell; but looking at and comparing it with the other two Genta designed watches, it for now sure is a bargain, that many are missing in probably the chase for the other two.
