EDITOR’S PICK: Bulgari shows their dangerous side with the Octo Ultranero

Felix Scholz

Editor’s note: The Octo is so hot right now, which is kind of odd considering that the design is decades old, and has been in Bulgari’s stable since 2010. And while much of the glory has (deservedly) been laid at the slender feet of the Octo Finissimo, the ‘regular’ Octo is no slouch in the looks department either. Just take this inky black and blood red stunner as an example …

Bulgari has unveiled some of their latest collection in advance of Baselworld, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on a few key pieces. One model that particularly took our fancy was this crimson and black take on the Octo Ultranero.

The changes on this latest version of the Octo are purely cosmetic — it’s still a 41mm black DLC-treated steel case rated to 100m, powered by Bulgari’s in-house BVL 193, mounted on a sporty black rubber strap — but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a different story to tell. The dial is black lacquer, polished to a gloss black finish. On top of this, Bulgari has added blood-red indices and hands to the mix. The result is impressively moody, adding a touch of drama to the typically stealthy Ultranero.

Red is a pretty bold colour choice, typically associated with passion and danger – especially against the slick black backdrop of the Ultranero, but this watch also amps up the sports factor. The rubber strap and primary colour highlight means it doesn’t look out of place in more causal settings — as you can see, it wears well with denim — though while I appreciate the contrast of the case and the matt rubber strap, I’d love to see a slightly dressier option on black alligator with matching red stitching.

Bulgari Octo Ultranero (ref. 102738) Australian pricing

Bulgari Octo Ultranero (ref. 102738), $9950