Haute watchmaker Bovet 1822 and Pininfarina – designers “per eccellenza” of airplanes, yachts, and more than 100 Ferrari cars to date – have joined forces again to create a new timepiece that is light and harmonious, transparent and powerful, with ten days of chronometric power reserve for a single barrel hand-wound movement with flying tourbillon.
By Victoria Townsend Haute watchmaker Bovet 1822, and Pininfarina - designers “per eccellenza” of airplanes, yachts, and more than 100 Ferrari cars to date - have joined forces again to create a new timepiece that is light and harmonious, transparent and powerful, with ten days of chronometric power reserve for a single barrel hand-wound movement with flying tourbillon.
This sixth timepiece — the Flying Tourbillon OTTANTASEI — is the fourth tourbillon in the Pininfarina series that began in 2008. First presented this January in Geneva, the OTTANTASEI received special honours this week when journalists were invited to the Bovet DIMIER 1738 Manufacture, castle and workshops in Switzerland, and the Pininfarina headquarter offices in Cambiano, Italy, to learn more about it.
“For the OTTANTASEI”, explained Bovet Owner CEO Pascal Raffy at the Cambiano presentation, “I wanted something light, in both transparency and weight. It had to be thin, ergonomic and have the visual identity of the Tourbillon Ottanta… With a flying tourbillon…. And a dial with perfect symmetry and balance.”
And the result? For Pininfarina Group Chairman Paolo Pininfarina, “There is more “pininfarina” in this one. The case is inspired by the field of aerospace, where “visibility” is the key word. We know how to bring light into our designs for airplanes and helicopters, crucial for the pilot and nice for the passengers. And we have more expertise now with watches. Even if the scale is different, rigidity, transparency and water-resistance are similar. I am wearing it now; it is light, new, very comfortable and user-friendly.”
The 44 mm round cases weigh 51.66 gr in red gold, and 15.54 gr in titanium, with a total thickness of 12 mm including the front and back sapphire crystals. Two long sapphire crystal walls, laser – engraved on the inside with “Pininfarina” and “limited edition” result in the total transparency of the timepiece and views of the movement. “You can see everything inside” said Chairman Pininfarina.
And what we see is a harmonious configuration of three distinct circles that outline the skeletonized single barrel and its concentric power reserve indicator at 10 o’clock, the hours and minutes display at 2 o’clock, and the 1 minute flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. The two dials — thin rings rather than solid discs — require particular expertise to machine, decorate, hot-stamp and lacquer. Hand-chamfered finishes and decoration of Côtes de Genève, with Clous de Paris unique to the collection’s tourbillons, attest to the extreme high quality of fine watchmaking.
The new caliber 17BM03, fully developed and manufactured by Bovet (including the balance spring) boasts patents: for spherical winding, and tridimensional toothing with multiple gearing, with a third patent for the double-sided tourbillon.
Frequency of 18,000 vph. Water resistant to 30m.
Limited Numbered Edition of 86 movements total with 3 case options.
18K RED GOLD CHF 180’000 (excl. taxes)
TITANIUM or TITANIUM with black DLC: both CHF 165’000 (excl. taxes)
Complemented with a black rubber strap with blue alcantara lining and buckle to match the case.
Five year guarantee.
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