BVLGARI Octo Maserati GranSport & GranLusso Review

Nothing good usually comes of it when too many hands are involved, but in the case of these two Italian icons, the situation is different. Bulgari and Maserati teamed up to create a head-turning watch with the Octo Maserati Grandsport.

BVLGARI Octo Maserati GranSport & GranLusso Review

Although this is not the first Maserati watch in history, it is the first that truly represents the brand and its image. The Italian automobile manufacturer tried its hand at watchmaking, but in my humble opinion, it missed the mark… until it created this watch with the master hands of a well-established and respected watchmaker.

Appearance

Introducing the BVLGARI Octo Maserati Grandsport. This watch is an exception to the rule that if too many hands are involved, the result will be spoiled. Here two minds are better than one. The main differences between the two new Maserati BVLGARI watches are:

The GranSport (image below/left) is a steel watch with black DLC coating; It has a black rubber-textured dial and brushed steel numerals with a slight electric blue tone. The GranSport uses a black perforated soft calfskin strap with a deployant buckle.

The GranLusso (image below/right) has an 18-carat rose gold case with brushed finish, an anthracite gray sunray dial with rose gold-tone accents, a soft brown perforated calfskin strap and an 18-carat gold deployant buckle.

Dial

One of the things I believe Maserati needed was a no-nonsense watchmaker like BVLGARI was that the minute x 10 scale and minute hand resemble the revolutions (RPM) dial on a Maserati's dashboard (see image below); Bulgari achieved this by using retrograde minute hands on the 41.5 mm GranSport and GranLusso. They also used a less conspicuous jumping hour indicator on the right side of the dial to emphasize the instrument panel appearance. I think it's pretty genius and Maserati has finally achieved the look it's always been trying to achieve.

The back of the 41.5mm case uses a smoky sapphire glass case back, which is a hindrance for those who like to watch what's "under the hood" and watch the movement in action. As if the Gotti-sized Maserati trident logo on the caseback wasn't already obstructing your view. As they say, act like a Roman in Rome.

As someone who likes to watch the movement in action, this wasn't the best choice, but as a sports car enthusiast, I can also see its appeal as it adds a sporty "smoked windows" look to the back of the watch. I think it's a smart choice because it literally screams "Maserati" with a thick Italian accent!

Kaliber BVL 262: Micro-Mechanics of Maserati GranSport and GranLusso

Both of these watches are powered by a 33-jewel automatic movement known as caliber BVL 262; It beats at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4 Hz and can continue to work for approximately 42 hours. The mechanism is decorated with côtes de Genève, chamfering and snail pattern workmanship. In summary, this is a stunning watch both inside and out, and successfully represents both iconic Italian brands.

CHECK OUT OCTO WATCHES