This fourth tourbillon marks a significant turning point in
the development of the collection while simultaneously highlighting the
Pininfarina distinctive design codes. The Tourbillon OTTANTASEI remains
faithful to the essential lines that characterize the collection laid down by
the Tourbillon Ottanta® in 2010. While a mere glance is enough to confirm its
membership of the BOVET by Pininfarina family, the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI is
bursting with technical innovations and stylistic changes all harmoniously
planned around a detailed series of specifications. The word “light”, with its
dual connotations of luminosity and limited weight, was the watchword for every
stage in the development of this project.
The case of the timepiece fully embodies this “philosophy”.
The technicians and watchmakers at the Manufacture DIMIER 1738 together with
the designers at Pininfarina pooled their expertise to come up with an
unprecedented perspective on the originality and fascinating technology
inherent to the movement, once again entirely developed and manufactured by
BOVET. Four large sapphire crystals occupy the main surfaces, while contrasting
elements in titanium or gold trace the essential contours of the collection’s
design and guarantee the qualities required for its sportier traits. Far more
than just a case, it recalls a whole lexicon of aviation and evokes the glass
surrounding the cockpit ofan aircraft or helicopter. Without making the
connection explicit, the Italian designers and technicians at BOVET 1822 took
an active interest in the subject while developing the case, given that the
constraints of rigidity, transparency and water-resistance are, relatively
speaking, very similar. To create maximum light and transparency, the upper and
lower crystals have specific and complex forms. Two long side crystals enclose
the case and embrace the profile ofthe middle perfectly. The accurate machining
and delicate metallization ofthe sapphire crystals provide superb views of the
movement, while the touch of elegance synonymous with both Houses is present
through the laser-engraved words ‘Pininfarina’ and ‘limited edition’ on the
inner concave surfaces of these sapphire crystal walls. Of course, the
distinctive screws designed by Pininfarina used on all the timepieces in the
collection are also a feature. As regards the crown, although its winding
surface is identical to all of the collection’s tourbillons, its top is set
with a sapphire crystal laser-engraved with the emblematic Pininfarina logo
above a polished mirror surface—an aesthetically stunning and ingenious way of
showcasing the third dimension.
The case of the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI also features a clever
casing-up system via the case back, ensuring greater transparency and
lightness, as well as optimal dimensions for complete ergonomic comfort. The
net weight of the metal for the entire case is 51.66 g for gold and 15.54 g for
titanium! With its 44 mm diameter and a thickness of 8.85 mm and 12 mm with and
without the sapphire crystals respectively, the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI offers
maximum comfort whatever the shape of the wearer’s wrist.
A quick glance at the movement is enough to conclude that
here, once again, all efforts have been concentrated on the principles
oflightness and transparency. Three distinct circles outline the movement’s
organs and vital functions, with the balance and harmony that are so dear to
Pascal Raffy. The eye alights first and foremost on the single barrel and its
concentric power-reserve indicator at 10 o’clock. Then, it moves on to the
hours and minutes displays featuring the same configuration at 2 o’clock,
before finally considering the flying tourbillon in the airy space freed up at
6 o’clock.
So in order, we have: the driving organ (and its
power-reserve indicator), the display, and finally the regulating organ. It is
difficult to imagine anything clearer. To fully grasp both the density and
absolute coherence of this new caliber, we must begin the chronological
unveiling of its secrets with the exclusive winding system. The 10-day autonomy
of the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI should involve twice as many turns of the crown
than that required by the spherical differential developed and patented by the
watchmakers at DIMIER 1738. The extreme miniaturization of this mechanism has
inspired them to file a second patent for the three-dimensional multiple
meshing teeth, which drastically reduce clutter while optimizing the watch’s
operation. The timepiece can thus be wound twice as quickly to give it the
power required for 10 days of autonomy.
The plate underpinning the entire movement highlights the
perfectly accomplished and delicate synergy between lightness and transparency
on the one hand, and increased structural rigidity on the other. Half a day of
machining and EDM is required to create a single plate. The craftsmen from the
decorating workshops then require a full day to ensure the unrivalled quality
finishes. Sandblasting, drawing, beading, Côtes de Genève and hand-chamfering
are just some of the artisanal skills that feed into the process, and the
slightest mishap can cause irreparable damage. Note that this genuine feat of
three-dimensional magic involves decorating and, in particular, chamfering both
sides of the plate as well as all its vertical walls.
To achieve the outstanding technical performances of the Tourbillon
OTTANTASEI, the technicians and watchmakers opted for a single barrel with
extraordinary characteristics. Measuring just 1.04 m long with a developed
force of 1 kg, it can provide 240 hours of energy with optimum consistency. In
tune with the spirit of the timepiece, the barrel is skeletonized according to
the five-spoke wheel theme that has been chosen for the design of this caliber.
It can be found at several locations on the plate, the barrel bridge, the
ratchet and the tourbillon bridge.
Like the decorative features detailed further on, the gear
train and its finishes perfectly embody the spirit of fine watchmaking
practiced by BOVET 1822 and its Manufactures DIMIER 1738. Every wheel in the
finishing gear train has been painstakingly angled and chamfered by hand, while
the pivots of their axes are rolled in the traditional manner for quality and
performance that border on perfection. It is this gear train that leads us to
from the barrel to the display and, ultimately, to the spectacular tourbillon
carriage.
The highly original flying tourbillon carriage is made up of
no fewer than 104 components. Its many innovations include a unique bridge at
the center of its axis. In addition to its balanced masses and subsequently
reduced lever effect, the tourbillon carriage seems to move more freely than
ever before within its own space. This ingenious construction owes its
existence to the patented double-sided tourbillon, which features the
escapement and balance spring positioned on either side of the central fixation
point, thus enhancing both the watch’s chronometric performances and aesthetic
quality by clearly revealing the escapement and balance spring on both sides of
the caliber. This innovative construction and single fixation point both
contribute to the superbly weighted thickness of the movement, and of the
timepiece itself.
The 18,000 vph of the balance are maintained by a spring
manufactured traditionally at the DIMIER 1738 workshops—an art mastered by
fewer than ten watchmaking companies around the world. The balance-spring
felloe is an exact copy of the one equipping the legendary Ottanta® tourbillon.
Cloaked in the blue of Pininfarina’s corporate logo, it takes the form of a
figure eight surrounded by the zero that graces the collection’s many
tourbillons.
Other factors that underline the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI’s
lineage to the BOVET by Pininfarina family include the finishes developed and
designed specifically for the collection, which magnify the alternating
surfaces and volumes of the movement. 34 shades ranging from black to white are
used on the various strata that make up the volume of this movement. The same
applies to the bipolar Clous de Paris circular décor developed exclusively for
the collection’s tourbillons, which is featured here in two sumptuous plates
screwed to the barrel bridge.
This enchanted journey into the heart of a transparent
movement then leads us to the astonishing power-reserve indicator. The barrel
engages with a wheel that turns one way or another, depending on whether the
watch is being wound or is unwinding during operation. The center of its axis
features a feeder screw on which a meticulously polished steel cone moves
vertically. When the timepiece is being wound, the cone travels up the screw
and activates a lever against the wall via a ruby runner. The second arm of
this lever culminates in a toothed rack that meshes with a pinion located on
the axis of the indicator. Thus, during winding, the hand notches up the values
it encounters before “spending” them through a reverse movement when the
timepiece is operating, resulting in a precise and unprecedented expression of
this invaluable function.
As usual, the two dials of this timepiece were entirely
manufactured in the BOVET 1822 workshops. Involving thin rings rather than
solid disks, the various machining, decorating, lacquering, and hot-stamping
operations all required the care and incomparable expertise of the House’s
craftsmen to achieve the excellence that has established the reputation of
BOVET 1822 for nearly two centuries. The immaculate white lacquer of the dials
is also a nod to the history of the House and the pocket watches it
manufactured at the dawn of the 19th century.
Three case options are available to collectors, who have a
choice of 18-carat red gold, grade 5 titanium, or black- DLC-treated grade 5
titanium. To perfect the coherence of the entire collection, the traditional
black rubber strap boasts a refined design, a blue alcantara lining, and the
collection’s traditional buckle to match the material selected for the case.
Once again in this collection, the quantity of movements
manufactured will be limited—to just 86 in this case—which the collector can
choose to grace with one of the three cases on offer. A plate bearing the
individual number of each movement will be meticulously screwed to the back of
the case chosen to adorn the timepiece.
The virtuosity of the craftsmen at the BOVET Manufactures
combined with the recognized technical expertise and reliability of the various
mechanisms and their peerless finishes allow every aspect of this exceptional
caliber to be showcased with perfect transparency. Buoyed by the excellence
demonstrated daily by the BOVET 1822 craftsmen in each of their creations,
Pascal Raffy has opted for an international five-year warranty as a testament
to the irreproachable quality of the Tourbillon OTTANTASEI ...in all its
transparent glory.
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