Cal. BVL 128 is an ultra-thin hand-winding movement with power reserve indicator from Bulgari. Marketed as “Finissimo”, it is closely related to the micro-rotor automatic Cal. BVL 138, which is also known by that name, and has less in common with the higher-end Bulgari Finissimo movements, including the contemporary Cal. BVL 268 tourbillon. The power reserve indicator is affixed above the barrel on the rear of the movement, where the micro-rotor is placed on its automatic cousin.
Bulgari uses Cal. BVL 128 in the hand-winding Octo Finissimo watch with power reserve. This watch was introduced in the third quarter of 2014, months after the record-setting Octo Finissimo Tourbillon debuted at Baselworld 2014.
Unlike the 1.95 mm tourbillon Cal. BVL 268, the time-only 3.23 mm Cal. BVL 128 is a more conventional design. Gone are the peripheral ceramic ball bearings supporting the wheels, with conventional jewels used instead. Yet the movement is still exceptionally thin, thanks to a complex 3-dimensional design and numerous trade-offs made. Everything from the timing adjustment to the shock protection was modified to reduce the height of the movement, and the wheel train is sunk deeply into cavities in the movement.
Cal. BVL 128 is also a wider movement than usual at 36.60 mm, giving more room to relocate the wheels and other components. In fact, it is actually much larger by volume, at 2,346 mm3, than Bulgari’s conventional 3.80 mm Cal. BVL 191, which measures 1,956 mm3 despite having a central automatic winding rotor. The flying tourbillon Cal. BVL 268, in contrast, measures 32.60 mm diameter, giving it a total volume of just 1,627 mm3.
Cal. BVL 128 Applications
Bulgari uses Cal. BVL 128SK in the following models:
- Cal. BVL 128
- 2014-present Bulgari Octo Finissimo (hand-winding)
- 2015-present Bulgari Roma Finissimo (later called Bulgari Bulgari Roma Finissimo)
- Cal. BVL 128SK
- 2016-present Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton (also called Squelette)
Cal. BVL 128SK
A skeletonized version, Cal. BVL 128SK, was introduced in 2016. It adds two additional jewels and is 0.12 mm thicker, bringing it to 28 and 2.35 mm, respectively. This was part of a wave of skeletonized movements produced by Bulgari in the following years.