A few years back, Bulgari discontinued their Octo Solotempo line of watches, a line that included almost all of their sportier Octo models. The Solotempo (“ST”) line was probably my favorite line of theirs, while the Finissimo collection really never did anything for me, despite how much critical acclaim it’s received, and the Roma collection always just looked a little strange and too plain for my tastes… I liked the ST line so much that I now actually have a Bulgari Octo Ultranero America’s Edition that was part of the ST line. Aside from the not-so-great silicone strap that came with that watch, I definitely am partial to an Octo ST back to Bulgari’s changes over the last few years, the discontinuation of the ST line meant Bulgari was down to two Octo lines: the Roma and the more expensive Finissimo. I think Bulgari realized that the more “ornate” look of the Roma wasn’t everyone’s favorite, because they came out with a completely revamped Roma model last year in 2023. They introduced a new sportier-looking version of the watch in steel with blue, grey, and white dial options, at least for the time-and-date models. The new watch looked a lot better than previous iterations of the Roma, but Bulgari no longer had any models in the lineup that really filled the void of their largely blacked-out Ultranero models of the past. With Bulgari’s newest release of black DLC Octo Roma models, that finally changes.
Bulgari has released a DLC Octo Roma in both a time-and-date model and a chronograph model. I think the time-and-date is easily the model to get here and will only be focusing on that one in this article. For this new release, Bulgari has gone with an all-black look with the case, strap, most of the dial, and seconds hand all being blackened. The 41mm, 100m-water-resistant case looks great in DLC-coated stainless steel, which should hold up much better against scratches and daily wear than PVD-coating… and on that note I’d again like to call out the $258,000 PVD-coated Romain Jerome Tourbillon Pokémon watch for its $258,000 price tag with PVD coating. Back to Bulgari, what really helps these new updated Octo Roma models compared to the previous ones is that they’ve gone with a Clous de Paris dial pattern instead of just a flat or sunburst colored dial. The Clous de Paris pattern dial really makes the watch look a little more well thought out, especially when taking into consideration that the pattern flows down to the silicone strap this specific watch comes on. It all just works.
Speaking of straps, the watch comes with two of them, which is definitely an upgrade to the older Solotempo Ultranero models. The first looks like a Clous de Paris pattern silicone strap that you see in the pictures, while the second is a black alligator strap. That’s definitely a nice inclusion and helps to justify the price of the watch a little more, although I’d still like to see all Octo Roma models about $1,000 or more less than what the retail prices are now if they really want this line to gain significant market share. This is a great looking, highly wearable sports watch that could be very popular at the right price.
Bulgari is using their in-house Cal. BVL 191 automatic movement. This is the same movement that was used a number of years back in my Octo Ultranero. All I can say is if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The movement was first developed by Bulgari in 2013 and has been in use ever since. It has a power reserve of 42 hours, beats at 28,800 v/h, and has ceramic ball bearings to optimize the rotor’s movement and minimize lubrication issues. The movement also allows for hacking seconds and features some decent decorative elements.
After Bulgari released their new steel versions of the Roma last year, it makes sense for them to look to some of their better designs from the Solotempo line for future inspiration. Resurrecting the Ultranero look in this new Roma line was a very solid idea and I hope they’ll introduce a black DLC version with rose gold accents again, because those old black DLC and rose gold accented Ultraneros were absolutely beautiful watches. As long as Bulgari keeps up the good work, we may see the Roma line surpass that of the Finissimo in terms of popularity. Yes, the Finissimo line is higher end in lots of ways… Yes, it offers more metal types… Yes, it offers more exotic complications… But in terms of looks and wearability? Likely the two biggest factors that determine whether someone wants to wear a watch or not? I think the new Roma wins all day long.
The new Bulgari Octo Roma in black DLC is priced at 8,050 USD.