PHILHARMONIC ENSEMBLE
The Roman watchmaker combines two major complications in a case crafted like a sound box to amplify the notes sounded out by Westminster chimes.
To rephrase Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), without music, watchmaking would be a mistake… To delight our melodious passions, Bvlgari proposes a novel sensorial and visual experience with its Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon watch. Its 44 mm-diameter titanium case boasting a matt finish was imagined like the stage of a venue devoted to listening to classical music. Every single detail plays a role in propagating the sound. The caseback, for example, is hollowed and covered with a grid which enables the sound of notes to travel outside the case. Niches, partitions and openings inside the case ensure the different sound sequences are powerfully and majestically diffused.
The new BVL428 caliber, regulated by a tourbillon, breathes life into a three-hammer chiming mechanism. The first plays the note C for the hours, the second a series of mid-re-C notes for the quarters, whilst the last ring out the mid note for the minutes. This hand-wound skeletonized movement is, by the way, equipped with two barrels, one ensures that time display is running smoothly and delivers a power reserve of 75 hours whilst the other is dedicated to the sound mechanism. It winds automatically once the notes have been chimed. A pusher nestling in the case-middle activates the minute repeater on request. The sapphire-crystal caseback offers a breathtaking vista over the components and the power reserve indicator.
This limited numbered edition available in just 15 pieces is complemented by a black rubberized alligator strap attached by a folding clasp.
Price: EUR290,000
By Dan Diaconu