Entrepreneur Jean-Christophe Babin spotted wearing a Bulgari

Jean-Christophe Babin, the architect of Bulgari's renaissance as a serious Swiss manufacture, was recently spotted at what appears to be a corporate or media event in an open courtyard setting, arms folded with quiet confidence — and on his wrist, an unmistakable Bulgari Octo Finissimo in rose gold, paired with a dark brown leather strap. The image carries a certain symbolism: the man who arguably saved Bulgari's watchmaking credibility wearing the watch that proved it.

The Octo Finissimo line, introduced in 2014 shortly after Babin took the helm, has since accumulated an extraordinary tally of world records. The family has claimed titles for the world's thinnest tourbillon, thinnest minute repeater, thinnest perpetual calendar, and thinnest automatic movement — the latter being the BVL 138, measuring just 2.23 mm. The rose gold Octo Finissimo Automatic (reference 103035) houses this calibre within a case just 5.15 mm thin, making it one of the most technically compelling dress watches in contemporary horology. The octagonal case with its layered, faceted bezel is directly inspired by the Bulgari Octo architecture originally designed by Gérald Genta in 1977.

From the image, the watch presents a square-ish octagonal case silhouette in warm rose gold with a dial that appears light-toned — consistent with the sandblasted or satin-finished dials seen on Finissimo automatics. The brown leather strap and the watch's relatively slim profile against the wrist confirm the Finissimo rather than the thicker Octo Roma variants.

For collectors, the Octo Finissimo rose gold automatic occupies a genuinely respected position. It is not a watch bought for brand recognition alone — the movement architecture is legitimate, the case finishing is exceptional, and Bulgari's manufacture credentials at Valfleurier and Le Sentier are well established. Grey market demand remains steady.

Babin wearing his own product without theatrics is a mark of genuine conviction. At an estimated retail of around $18,800 for the rose gold automatic reference, this is an accessible entry into serious Italian-Swiss horology — though seeing it on the wrist of the man who built the line gives it an unmistakable additional layer of context.