SpotlightBulgari ‘Ring In’ Success With Their Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie And Carillon Tourbillon Chime Watches And Other Novelties At Geneva Watch Days 2024
Bulgari’s mastery in horological acoustics shines through with the new Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie, the Carillon Tourbillon, and the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon watches—setting the right ‘tone’ for minute repeater timepieces
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Over the years, Bulgari have been consistently upping their haute horlogerie game, while perfectly balancing Italian aesthetics along with fine Swiss watchmaking expertise. The brand, which was once mostly taken seriously as a ‘jeweller’ and not really a ‘watchmaker’ has proven the naysayers wrong. And this is evident with their record-breaking mechanical watches whether it’s the ‘thinnest minute repeater’ or the ‘thinnest automatic watch’. And they are not content resting on their laurels and continuously strive to outdo their last record-setting watch… a feat that comes almost naturally to them now. At this year’s Geneva Watch Days, Bulgari have focused on the realm of acoustics with the launch of some exceptional chiming watches or ‘horological jewels’ as the brand are calling them. Of course, the spread would be incomplete without the iconic Serpenti in its latest avatar. Here are more details.
Bulgari Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie And Carillon Tourbillon Timepieces
The brand are known for their expertise in crafting watches where horological acoustics are concerned and Bulgari have captured this perfectly with the new Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon and the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon minute repeater watches. The theme here is the ‘tritone’, an interval that’s familiar to musicians—also known as the augmented fourth or the diminished fifth. The new chime watches take the creative inspiration from conductor Lorenzo Viotti, who leads the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and the Dutch National Opera. The brand have carefully chosen the Octo Roma case, which allows the sound to travel well, thereby enhancing the acoustics and the tonality of these timepieces.
The most complex watch ever created by Bulgari, the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is a masterpiece when it comes to housing several complications. It features a minute repeater with four hammers that mark the time with a tune composed by Viotti. The watch comes in a 45mm satin-polished titanium case, measuring 11.85mm thick, with a satin-polished titanium crown set with black ceramic insert, a satin-polished titanium push button, and a transparent caseback. The open-worked dial is in brass and has been given a grey DLC treatment with satin-polished rhodium-finished brass hands and indexes. Water-resistant to 30m, the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is presented on a black alligator strap, fitted with a satin-polished titanium folding buckle. It is powered by the BVV 800 calibre, which offers the minute repeater function on two tones, a carillon on three, and a grande and petite sonnerie on four tones. In grande sonnerie mode, it automatically chimes the hours and quarters as they pass and repeats the hour every hour. It can also repeat the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand.
The Bulgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon offers crystal-clear notes and rich tones that stem from two extremely complex mechanisms, visible as a dual ballet on the dial side: the tourbillon and the minute repeater with three hammers, rendering the time at will. The watch comes in a 44mm satin-polished rose-gold case with a thickness of 12.60mm, satin-polished rose-gold crown set with black ceramic insert, satin-polished rose-gold push button, with a water resistance of 30m. It is powered by the modified BVL428 calibre carillon, which chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes, striking the quarters on three notes. It features a sandblasted open-worked dial in brass with a black DLC treatment showcasing polished rose gold-plated hands and indexes, and is presented on a black alligator strap with satin-polished rose-gold folding buckle.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon
Bulgari have reintroduced the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in full carbon as a high-tech musical instrument that holds the record as the thinnest chiming watch ever created. This timepiece exudes finesse and extreme innovation as it stands out as a feat of horological engineering. It features an extraordinarily complex minute repeater calibre that chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand. This has been made possible thanks to the BVL362 manufacture ultra-thin manual-winding mechanical movement with minute repeater and small seconds. Beating at a frequency of 21,600vph, it supplies a power reserve of at least 42 hours. The Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon comes in a 40mm carbon case measuring 6.85mm thick, replete with a polished titanium crown with black ceramic insert, satin-polished titanium push button, and a transparent caseback. It features a carbon dial with openings that form the hour indexes, white seconds indexes, and satin-polished rhodium-finished brass hands. With a water resistance of 10m, it is presented on a matching carbon bracelet with an integrated folding buckle.
Bulgari Aluminium GMT x Fender
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic Fender Stratocaster guitar, Bulgari have teamed up with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), the world’s leading guitar manufacturer, to create the Bulgari Aluminium GMT x Fender Limited Edition watch. Limited to just 1,200 pieces, this model features a 40mm aluminium case with a water resistance of up to 100m. It boasts a brown rubber bezel engraved with the Bvlgari Bvlgari logo, and a brown and cream gradient dial with a sunburst finish, echoing the hues of the classic guitar. The watch offers hour, minute, and seconds functions, along with a GMT 24-hour feature, and includes a date window at three o’clock. The rhodium-plated hands, indexes and 24-hour hand on the dial are filled with Super-LumiNova for enhanced visibility in low-light conditions. To add a unique touch, the DLC-coated titanium caseback is personalised with the Fender logo. The watch is powered by the automatic B192 calibre, offering a 42-hour energy reserve. Presented on a brown rubber bracelet featuring aluminium links, a Velcro strap, and an aluminium pin buckle, it combines the world of music and horology seamlessly.
Bulgari Serpenti Pallini
The Bulgari Serpenti Pallini masterfully blends high jewellery and high watchmaking, showcasing three versions of secret watches, each featuring the miniature Piccolissimo calibre. Pallini, meaning small round beads in Italian, aptly describes the intricate design of these timepieces. Available in three stunning variations—diamond-set in white gold, a combination of white and rose gold, and a mix of white and yellow gold—the double-coil Serpenti Pallini caters to diverse tastes. Each piece represents over 500 hours of exceptional artistry and craftsmanship.
The scales on all models are crafted from small gold beads or brilliant-cut diamonds, individually set on a gold mesh, while the eyes are adorned with pear-cut emeralds. The dials of the first two models are fully paved with diamonds, whereas the third features a mother-of-pearl dial with diamond indexes. Each model is equipped with a diamond-set bezel and green hands. Powered by the manual-winding Piccolissimo BVL100 micro movement—the smallest round mechanical movement created by Bulgari in Le Sentier, Switzerland—the watch beats at a frequency of 21,600vph and offers a power reserve of 30 hours.
