With the 2011 Octo Quadri-Retro Chronograph (ref. BGO45BSCLDCHQR) Bulgari keeps on consolidating the legacy of Gerald Genta: an independent brand that they have recently, um, absorbed. This particular model, for example, is a face-lifted and rebadged version of the Gerald Genta Arena Chrono Quattro Retro “wristboard” model that was presented two years at Baselworld 2009 if memory serves me well.
Gerald Genta
Bvlgari Octo Bi-Retro in Steel and Ceramic
Under its stainless steel and ceramic skin, the Bvlgari Octo Bi-Retro (ref. OBR.Y.1C) is essentially the same gorgeous Gerald Genta Octo Bi-Retro with its exterior slightly tweaked to be more in line with the Italian fashion brand’s current design language.
The Hellraiser: Gerald Genta Octo Tourbillon Sunray
The 2009 Gerald Genta Octo Tourbillon Sunray (ref. OTR.Y.20.925.CN.BD) brings you an unusually styled yellow gold case combined with a complicated automatic caliber featuring a finely executed tourbillon escapement. Of course, the most interesting part of this watch is neither its brutal body nor the mechanism (although the tourbillon does look like a real piece of art), it is the dial with its two squares (one for hours and the other for minutes) and an octagon that gets the lion’s share of attention here. Looking like an ancient puzzle box, the part makes a strong, almost (vaguely) frightening impression when the first time you see it.