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 42 mm Meteorite Stainless
Reference 89471ST.26
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Bulgari
- Collection
- Octo Finissimo
- Model
- Bulgari Octo Finissimo 42 mm Meteorite Stainless
- Reference number
- 89471ST.26
- Year / era
- 1952 · 1950s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Flyback chronograph
- Movement
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial type
- Meteorite
- Strap / bracelet
- Oyster bracelet
- Water resistance
- 30 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 42 mm
- Case thickness
- 14.1 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Bezel
- Unidirectional ceramic 60-minute
- Crystal
- Flat sapphire with Cyclops lens
- Dial
- Meteorite
- Hands
- Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
- Indexes
- Printed minute track with applied batons
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 33B — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 65 hours
- Number of jewels
- 21 jewels
- Complications
- Flyback chronograph
- Functions
- Annual calendar, moon phase
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1952 – 1956
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
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 42 mm Meteorite Stainless sits within Bulgari's Octo Finissimo line, introduced in 1952. It carries the house codes established since 1884 — stainless steel case, meteorite dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
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.