Chef Niko Romito spotted wearing a Bulgari

Niko Romito, the Abruzzo-born chef behind the three-Michelin-star restaurant Reale, was recently spotted wearing the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique in sandblasted titanium, reference 102713 — a pairing that feels less like coincidence and more like a philosophical statement. Both the man and the watch operate at the intersection of radical minimalism and uncompromising technical depth.

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique Ref. 102713 is built around the ultra-thin BVL 138 calibre, measuring just 2.23mm in height. The movement is finished by hand with Côtes de Genève striping, anglage, and perlage — traditional haute horlogerie decoration applied to a movement that most wearers will rarely see, which is precisely the point. A platinum micro-rotor enables the slim profile while winding efficiently, and small seconds at 6 o'clock provide the only complication. The sandblasted titanium case measures 40mm and sits at a record-breaking 5.15mm total thickness, a specification that earned Bulgari a Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix in 2017.

The octagonal case architecture of the Octo Finissimo draws direct inspiration from the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome, channelling Roman civic geometry into a thoroughly contemporary object. Since its debut, the Octo Finissimo line has accumulated an extraordinary run of world records — thinnest tourbillon, thinnest minute repeater, thinnest perpetual calendar — cementing Bulgari's credibility not just as a design house but as a serious movement manufacturer. The sandblasted titanium variant, in particular, has attracted collectors who want the technical achievement without ostentation.

Niko Romito's culinary identity is built on stripping Italian cooking to its structural essentials — fewer ingredients, greater intensity, no decorative excess. That sensibility maps cleanly onto the Octo Finissimo Ref. 102713, a watch that achieves maximum impact through reduction rather than addition. For a chef who has spent decades resisting complexity for its own sake, this is a coherent choice.

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique in sandblasted titanium retails at approximately $9,900 USD. On the secondary market, the reference trades close to or slightly below retail, reflecting strong but measured demand — making it one of the more accessible entry points into serious ultra-thin collecting.