Bulgari

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Bulgari Gerald Genta Octo Bi-Retro Steel Ceramic review PART 2

One of the intriguing details on the Octo Bi-Retro Steel Ceramic is the deployant buckle.  The rubberized strap is connected to a solid stainless steel butterfly deployant clasp.  I actually prefer a deployant over a standard tang buckle as I find it easier to remove and put on, it doesn’t wear out the strap as much, and it feels more comfortable on my small wrist. 






The buckle itself has alternating polished and matte finish with the signature BVLGARI logo lightly engraved. 










Most deployants have either spring loaded buttons or a spring loaded detent that you squeeze to release the buckle.  The Bulgari deployant has a novel mechanism that I have never seen before.  It has two pivoting points that near forms a ‘V’ shape.  As you squeeze the two buttons from each opposite side it narrows the two bars and releases the clasp.  I was intrigued because this design relies on a small ‘C’ shaped hard plastic/rubberized spacer that fits in between the two buttons.  I noticed that if I apply about 10 pounds of pressure with my finger nail I could pop out the little gray colored spacer.  At first I was slightly worried that I would accidentally lose this or have it pop out when I was driving an ATV or walking around Waikiki Beach, but the good news is that it was very secure and I did not encounter any problems with it.






And here's a video showing the mechanism for the deployant clasp and the little gray colored spacer:



Next let's take a look at the strap which is one of favorite features of this watch.  I have extensive wrist time with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubberclad and the Panerai 233 on a OEM rubber strap and I have to say that the Bulgari rubberized strap is one of, if not the most comfortable straps I’ve ever worn.  It's one of my favorite features on the watch.  Why?  Because of the supple nature of the rubber and the wide width of the Bulgari strap.  Although the case of the Octo Bi-Retro Steel Ceramic feels larger than the 43mm diameter in the specifications, the width makes the strap feel like it naturally wraps around the wrist.  I absolutely love the faceted angles on the exterior of the strap.  It matches the angles on the lugs, caseback and case and forms a beautiful cohesive line all around the watch.  I have small wrists but the Bulgari Octo Bi-Retro fit perfectly and comfortably throughout the day. 

















The strap does have to be cut for fitting, but it was very easy to measure and even with my small wrist I still had space to remove more if needed. 
The interior side of the rubber strap has raised ‘G’patterns fashioned after the Gerald Genta logo.  It adds texture that prevents movement on the wrist.  The outer side of the strap has small rectangular dimples that gives it a matte texture and provides a good grip when picking up and strapping on the watch. 

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