When it comes to watch designing, there’s no name as revered as that of the late Gerald Genta. Responsible for some of the most iconic designs like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, Gerald Genta went on to create his own brand, a canvas to further express his artistic vision for watches.

The Bulgari group later acquired the designer’s eponymous brand in 1999, but it wasn’t until Bulgari was acquired by luxury conglomerate LVMH that we’ve seen Bulgari brand Gerald Genta’s designs as their own. At the start, this involved minor cosmetic changes that allowed the brand to accustom us to the takeover by labeling the watches “Bulgari by Gerald Genta”. Yet in more recent years we’ve witnessed Bulgari take more drastic steps in fully incorporating Gerald Genta’s designs into their own offerings. The collection that best represents this transition has to be the Octo line.

As the name would suggest, the Octo takes on an octagonal form, something of a rarity in the watch industry. The octagon is however a signature of the late designer. What’s particularly impressive about the Octo is it’s multiple facets (110 in total) with alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces. As visually captivating as it is, the Octo Chronograph actually comes in a very reasonable 41.5mm diameter giving it a sort of retro-chic vibe.

Where the crown on the original Genta-branded Octo was rounded with rivets, the Bulgari Octo Chronograph’s crown takes on a bolder look that to my eyes is better suited to such a powerful case design. The crown is adorned with a black ceramic cabochon.  The pushers blend in perfectly with the geometric case as their angular edges follow on the octagonal form. You’d almost thing they were crown guards.

The dial also follows keeps the octagonal form of the multi-faceted case, Just like the original Octo. But that’s where the similarities end. This is a part of the watch where Bulgari have truly made it their own, with a more traditional tri-compax chronograph layout on a minimalistic glossy black lacquer finish, adorned with vertically satin-brushed hour markers and baton indexes. This is quite a departure from the multi-colored dials of Genta-branded Octo pieces that many found a tad over-the-top.

The faceted and polished Dauphine hands lend a more classical look to the dial, though I wish one side was satin-brushed for better legibility under less favorable lighting conditions; especially with a dial that’s so black that the hands sometimes appear to vanish completely.

The watch is equipped with the BVL 328 calibre, based on the Zenith El Primero chronograph movement. Besides the custom Bulgari rotor, the movement also boasts a silicium escapement. The finish also surpassed my expectations with its perlage and Côte-de-Genève stripes. I have to give Bulgari credit for going with a movement as highly regarded as the El Primero rather than a lesser ebauche with a chronograph module.

The black alligator leather strap is befittingly wide for such a structurally impressive and imposing case, tapering down towards the buckle end. And while the integrated look achieved through the two recesses in the case is visually pleasing, it does limit your choice of aftermarket straps down to custom one-off jobs. For the average Bulgari buyer however I highly doubt this is a cause for concern.

All in all I think Bulgari have done a pretty good job in retaining the Genta look while transforming the piece into an easily identifiable Bulgari design. It’s much cleaner than the retrograde pieces of the same line, (which I actually really like) and no doubt caters to a larger demographic of watch buyers than some of the other Bulgari/Genta pieces.

More information on www.bulgari.com