Finally debuted, this is the new ultra high-end watch based on the partnership between watch maker Bovet and famous design house Pininfarina. The watch is also a loose celebration of Pininfarina’s 80th anniversary. The watch shares both the Bovet and Pininfarina name on the dial. The famous design firm is probably best known for their contributions to Italian car maker Ferrari. Visually a Bovet, the new Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch proudly displays the modern style and use of innovative materials that Pininfarina is accustomed to showcases in their designs. The watch has far too many little technical details to cover by me, so below this article I will place some tech specs direct from Bovet. The watch will come out soon and be limited to just 80 pieces.
The Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch can be worn in few different watches. First, the case can be placed in a special alcantara-style calf leather strap to be worn on the wrist. The case is reversible, meaning that it can be mounted with the front or back facing you. The time can be read from both sides (though the small one-handed dial on the rear of the watch isn’t as precise as the time on the main dial. The watch can also be taken off the wrist straps and used as a pocket watch or a table clock. It comes with a little stand as well as a titanium pocket watch chain. As such, this watch clearly fits into the convertible watch list that I wrote about here.
There will be three versions of the Bovet Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch, one with this DLC coated steel and titanium case, and another two models in titanium, with either 18k white or rose gold bezels instead of the black DLC bezel. The case is going to be 46mm wide and very complex in construction. There are 8 phrases engraved on the side of the case that each represent one decade of Pininfarina’s existence. See below for the text of the phrases (you will have to translate them). The case is attractive. Nothing ultra-exciting, but then again, I might have to get my hands on it to change my opinion. This is often the case with such timepieces. You can see the large pocket watch style crown at the top of the watch with the guard over it. Most Bovet watches share this design trait.
Inside the watch is a marvelous movement that looks as good as it should operate. It is the automatic Bovet made Calibre 16BA01. It has a micro-rotor in solid platinum on the rear of the watch, and a number of functions. The Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch has the time (with smaller single hand dial on the back of the watch), special seconds hands that makes a revolution each three minutes, but has indicators for each minute, big date indicator, power reserve indicator (watch has about 80 hours of power reserve), and a unique 80 second tourbillon. On the side of a case is a minute repeater style lever, but it is used to flip the watch over or transform it into one of its other forms. The movement alone has 514 parts, and is interestingly made mostly from brass. Quite beautiful in design and decoration. The type of movement you feel proud taking home to mother.
Even with all the decor and skeletonization, the watch dial itself isn’t hard to read. Chalk that up to large, lumed hands and a dedicated hour marker ring around the dial. Using the watch as a pocket watch or table clock isn’t going to be very common I suppose. But Bovet is all into the “multi-purpose” luxury watch when you are spending the big dollars. I do find it interesting that the watch is totally reversible, and attractive on both sides. Bovet claims that the process of “changing” the watch is pretty smooth. This mostly involves removing the straps or re-attaching them. The Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch will likely dazzle enough collectors, and is certainly a good addition to Bovet’s collection that needs a few more “modern” pieces in its lineup. Price is going to be about $280,000 – to $300,000.
Tech specs from Bovet:
Movement
Calibre Bovet 16BA01
Diameter 36.00mm
Height 12.60mm
Number of components
Complete movement 514
Tourbillon cage 70
Big date 75
Number of jewels 62
Power reserve 80 hours minimum
Frequency 21,600 Ah (3Hz)
All components are developed, manufactured and decorated by Dimier 1738 according to criteria defined by the Fleurier Quality Foundation.
Base plate
Material Brass
Decoration Sand-blasted, drawn flanks, micro circular graining (1738 grains Ø 1.50mm), chamfered and polished by hand, hand-polished sinks
Colour finish NAC
Bridges
Case back side
Material Brass
Decoration Sand-blasted, drawn flanks, micro circular graining (grains with Ø 1.50 and 1.00mm), chamfered and polished by hand, hand-polished sinks, rear display bridge with vertical Côtes de Genève and circular bipolar Clou de Paris
Colour finish NAC
Dial side
Material Brass
Decoration Sand-blasted, drawn flanks, chamfered and polished by hand, vertical Côtes de Genève on underside, circular grained
Colour finish NAC
Barrels 2 barrels in series. Snailed barrel drums and covers, circular-grained open ratchet with 5 arms, chamfered and polished by hand Wheels and pinions Circular-grained wheels, hand-polished mouldings and chamfers
Burnished pivots with rounded and burnished ends
Springs, jumpers and steel parts
Fine brushed, drawn flanks, chamfered and polished by hand (no “wire” springs)
Automatic
Off-centered platinum micro-rotor, shot-blasted, chamfered and circular- grained
Tourbillon
Rotation 1 turn in 80sec
Balancing By special Pininfarina screw
Tourbillon bridges Stainless steel, block polished, drawn flanks, chamfered and polished by hand, sinks polished by hand, fine-brushed underneath
Cage bridge Stainless steel, block polished, chamfered and polished by hand on both sides
Cage wheel Stainless steel, circular-grained, chamfered and polished by hand on both sides
Balance Inertia: 9.80mg/cm2
Mass: 72mg
Arms in a figure of 8 shape within a 0 (evoking the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina)
Rim and 4 special Pininfarina screws in CuBé treated in blue Pininfarina
PVD, block-polished.
Total weight 0.48g
Indications
Dial side Hours and minutes shown by central hands
Seconds by crown engraved and lacquered in a window at 3 o’clock
(1 t/3min)
Power reserve indicator hand at 9 o’clock
Big date by 2 overlapping disks at 6 o’clock
Movement side Hour hand at 12 o’clock (reading accuracy: ¼ hour)
Exterior
Case Type AMADEO Convertible (double sided wristwatch, table clock, pocket watch)
Diameter: 46.00mm
Height: 18.50mm (on crystals)
Water-resistance: 10 Atm (100m – 300ft)
Material Middle: Grade 5 titanium (Ti5), circular fine-brushed
Bezel and back: Stainless steel DLC
Crystals Bezel: Sapphire, domed, anti-reflection treatment on inside
Back: Sapphire, flat, anti-reflection treatment on inside
Crown Fine-brushed DLC titanium. Polished Pininfarina 80th anniversary logo
Chain Shot-blasted grade 5 titanium
Engravings Middle: 8 phrases evoking the 8 decades of Pininfarina
“La linea, la forma deve diventare sobstanza, materia viva” 1930s
“Le cose che abbiamocreato appartengono albi altri” 1940s
“La vita di un uomo è troppo corta per condurre a buon fine un’impresa” 1950s
“Col tempo, lo stile consente di notare qualcosa di fiù vivo del ricordo della bellezza” 1960s
“La tradizzione del nuovo” 1970s
“In quasi sessant’anni di vita lo stile Pinninfarina è sempre stato corrente” 1980s
“La Pininfarina è un’azienda giovane” 1990s
“Pensare, disegnare e constrire automobili è soprattutto una responsabilita sociale” 21st century
Movement Individually numbered (xx/80) on screwed plate
Dial Flange: Brass, with anthracite colour treatment
Lower plate: Rock crystal with metalized surface and transfer printing
Dial feet: Secured by special Pininfarina screws
Strap Material: Rubber with calf velour-finish lining
Fixing: Special Pininfarina screws
Buckle Pin-type buckle in grade 5 titanium, fine-brushed and shot-blasted, chamfered and polished by hand with “Pininfarina” engraving
Watch box Exclusive black leather, blue Pininfarina stitching, engraved plate with
individual numbering (xx / 80)