Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Bulgari · Octo Finissimo
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 41 mm Slate 18k
Reference 55017OR.33
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Bulgari
- Collection
- Octo Finissimo
- Model
- Bulgari Octo Finissimo 41 mm Slate 18k
- Reference number
- 55017OR.33
- Year / era
- 2001 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- Moon phase
- Movement
- In-house automatic chronograph
- Case material
- 18k white gold
- Dial type
- Slate grey
- Strap / bracelet
- NATO textile strap
- Water resistance
- 300 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 41 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- 18k white gold
- Bezel
- Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Slate grey
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- NATO textile strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 11B — In-house automatic chronograph
- Movement type
- Manual-winding
- Frequency
- 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Moon phase
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, small seconds
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2001 – 2009
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
Gérald Genta / Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 41 mm Slate 18k sits within Bulgari's Octo Finissimo line, introduced in 2001. It carries the house codes established since 1884 — 18k white gold case, slate grey dial and in-house automatic chronograph — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
The House
Bulgari
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1884
- Founder
- Sotirio Bulgari
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Tier
- Luxury
- Major collections
- Octo Finissimo, Serpenti, Bulgari Bulgari, Diva's Dream, Aluminium
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · In-house hairspring production
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic, chronometer certified · In-house automatic chronograph · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house manual-winding
- Notable watches
- Bulgari Octo Finissimo 36 mm Salmon Platinum (1955) · Bulgari Octo Finissimo 42 mm Silvered Sapphire (1984) · Bulgari Octo Finissimo 42 mm Meteorite Stainless (1952) · Bulgari Octo Finissimo 39 mm Silvered 18k (1953)
Brand history
Bulgari has spent more than 142 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Octo Finissimo, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Sotirio Bulgari established Bulgari in 1884, working from Italy at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Bulgari calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1884
Sotirio Bulgari founds Bulgari in Italy.
1899
Bulgari earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Bulgari to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Bulgari enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Bulgari continues to produce Octo Finissimo, Serpenti, Bulgari Bulgari and other icons in limited numbers.
More Octo Finissimo
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 36 mm Salmon Platinum
Ref. 49825OR.24
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 41 mm Mother-of-pearl Stainless
Ref. 26660ST.16
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 42 mm Silvered Sapphire
Ref. 62116OR.72
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 42 mm Meteorite Stainless
Ref. 89471ST.26
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 39 mm Silvered 18k
Ref. 28117OR.62