At Dubai Watch Week 2025, Bvlgari returns with a story rooted in cultural dialogue, artistic precision, and modern horology. This year, the Roman Maison presents a standout collaboration with celebrated Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej (Instagram), reimagining the Octo Finissimo as a canvas for Arabic calligraphy. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the seventh edition of Dubai Watch Week becomes the stage for one of Bvlgari’s most significant regional partnerships to date.
Since its debut, the Octo Finissimo has been praised for its architectural lines, radical thinness, and sculptural presence. It has set ten world records and reshaped the conventions of contemporary watchmaking. For 2025, Bvlgari extends this legacy through a collaboration that bridges Milanese design thinking, Swiss engineering, and Emirati artistic heritage.
Mattar Bin Lahej, known for his fluid calligraphy and monumental public artworks across Dubai, lends his signature script to the Octo Finissimo’s titanium case, bracelet, and dial. The engraving draws inspiration from the words of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: “The future will be for those who can imagine, design, and implement it. The future does not wait, but it can be designed and built today.” The result is a timepiece that feels both deeply local and globally resonant, a wearable expression of vision, heritage, and craftsmanship.
The collaboration grew from a creative exchange between Bvlgari’s Executive Director of Product Creation, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, and Bin Lahej. Their conversation centred on merging the precision of Swiss horology with the emotional rhythm of Arabic calligraphy. This fusion is at the heart of the limited-edition Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo, produced in only 70 pieces.
Powered by the BVL 138 ultra-thin automatic movement, the watch embodies Bvlgari’s pursuit of mechanical excellence, from its 1.80 mm depth to the Aiguille d’Or award that cemented the Octo Finissimo as a modern masterpiece. Here, innovation meets cultural storytelling, creating a timepiece that speaks in two languages: one of design, and one of identity.
At Dubai Watch Week, Bvlgari’s booth presents an immersive world built around the collaboration. A window display highlights the engraved titanium watch framed by Bin Lahej’s calligraphic forms. Inside, watchmakers offer live demonstrations, while dedicated spaces invite visitors to experience the craftsmanship up close.
The Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo is more than a special edition, it represents Bvlgari’s ongoing commitment to championing cultural exchange and celebrating creativity across the Middle East. By engraving the future into titanium, Bvlgari and Bin Lahej offer a powerful reminder: imagination is timeless, and craftsmanship knows no borders.
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