Review: Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei 10-Day Tourbillon

It does sound like an interesting promise! And clearly, the Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei 10-Day Tourbillon is a very appealing watch, resulting of a partnership between the watch manufacture Bovet and the legendary designer Pininfarina. Using the bold codes of the brand, we now have a light, highly aerial piece of sporty wristwatch, with a strong horological content, worthy to be called haute-horlogerie. We told you, an interesting mix!

Bovet OttantaSei by Pininfarina

A challenge with style

The Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei 10-Day Tourbillon is clearly a special watch. We can even say a risky one. Combining the beauty of a skeletonized tourbillon, with a slim profile, together with a bold, recognizable design, while having the “touch” of the Italian design studio and keeping it elegant… This was a challenge – and this challenge has been achieved with style. The Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei is unique and audacious and at the same time delicate, aerial and refined.

This is not the first time that Bovet and Pininfarina partnered. This union already gave birth to the Tourbillon Ottanta, launched in 2010. This masterpiece, celebrating the 80^th anniversary of the design studio, was a combination of a highly complex movement (an automatic tourbillon with large date and power reserve, comprising 524 components) and of a convertible case, as being both a wristwatch, a table clock or a pocket watch. Based on the same lines as the Ottanta, Bovet and Pininfarina are now introducing the OttantaSei, with more fundamental codes and an improved lightness and apparent simplicity.

Bovet OttantaSei by Pininfarina

Limited edition

As said, the OttantaSei is all about the essential. It comes back to the simple but recognizable lines of Bovet, with this specific case – a unique combination of a crown and bow at 12 which have been modernized by Pininfarina. The work of the designer was clearly to create light – a word that must be used in all its significations. First of all, the Italian designer brings light into the case and an extreme transparency, by using 4 sapphire crystals. The ones on top and back are large and reveals the entire movement. In addition, the flanks of the case are also opened, using two convex crystals, laser-engraved with the words “Pininfarina” and “limited edition” on the inner surfaces.

The case of OttantaSei is also light in terms of weight and dimensions. The net weight of the metal for the entire case is 15.54g, for this titanium edition. Once on the wrist, the watch can almost beforgotten, as being both hyper comfortable and extremely light. The dimensions of the case are also rather impressive. If the diameter is not especially small (44mm), the OttantaSei measures only 12mm – and in the metal, it feels even thinner than it really is.

Bovet OttantaSei by Pininfarina

Movement transparency and lightness

The same principles of lightness and transparency have been applied to the movement of the Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei. This movement is aerial, highly opened and at the same time technically interesting. Its construction is based on 3 distinct areas, where the display and the functions are linked. The hours and the minutes are displayed at 2, while the gear train that drives the hands is visible underneath. The concentric power reserve at 10 gives echo to this main dial and is located just on top of the large single barrel that provides 10 days of power reserve. Finally, this layout is balanced by the large regulating organ of the watch at 6, an impressive one-minute flying tourbillon. Because of its “flying” construction, this tourbillon is light and slim, participating to the thinness of the entire watch.

The movement of the Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei is highly opened and decorated to even enhanced this aerial feel. The main plate is shaped like a spider web and only serves as a structure to hold the technical elements in place. Besides being long to machine, it is mainly for their finishes that the main plate and bridges must be regarded. Sandblasting, drawing, beading, Côtes de Genève, bipolar Clous de Paris and hand-chamfering are used to reveal the shapes. Being an entirely opened watch, all the surfaces of each part have to be finished with the same attention. Same goes for the wheels, which are angled and chamfered by hand, while the pivots of their axes are rolled. A technically impressive movement that also is a feast for the eyes of haute-horlogerie connoisseurs.

Bovet OttantaSei by Pininfarina

Going to the essential in three versions

The strength of this Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei is to combined several concepts that are usually difficult to mix. The watch has a strong design while being subtle and clean, it is sporty and at the same time aerial, transparent and light. That’s where you can recognize a great designer. By being pure and by going to the essential, Pininfarina and Bovet achieved to create a bold and desirable watch, proving the interest of such a partnership.

The Bovet Pininfarina OttantaSei is available in 3 versions – 18k red gold, grade 5 titanium and black-DLC-treated grade 5 titanium. All are delivered on a black rubber with blue alcantara lining. It is limited to 86 pieces.

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