Bulgari - Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon

0 0 Tuesday 26 January 2021 Edit this post

Bulgari starts 2021 on a high note with the impressive Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, an exclusive timepiece that features a three-hammer chime and a tourbillon regulator, all housed in a case characterised by a bold design.

Bulgari uses the expression Masterpiece of Sound to describe the miracle of tiny complex mechanics that creates a perfect, ethereal chime, here emphasised by a a metal grid on the movement that helps to propagate sound throughout the case body.

Completely manufactured in-house, the new hand-wound Caliber BVL428 is 8.35 mm thick, and comprises a total of 432 components. The titanium case fitted with the Carillon activation push-button on its left side.

The 44 mm case in black DLC-coated titanium with a matte finish has an open-worked titanium middle-case that was specifically conceived to enhance sound performances. The crown, set with a black ceramic insert, and the push button that activates the chime are crafted from white gold.

Titanium is an excellent choice for a chiming watch because this material ensures the clearest possible diffusion of sound. Moreover, the generous proportions of the case maximize sound propagation, allowing for increased torque of the three-hammer construction and more sound power.

The middle case features hollowings within the design to reduce the amount of metal and three openings that correspond to the three chimes, to allow sound to exit from the chamber. Chimes are fixed directly on to the casebody for most effective transmission of sound.

The back is also hollowed with a titanium grid that allows the sound to better propagate to the outside.

Created by hand, in multiple stages, the gongs are hardened at a temperature of 900 degrees, then cleaned before ironing in the oven at 500 degrees. This process contributes to give the metal its crystalline resonance.

The melodic sequence of this Carillon with Westminster chime plays the note C for the hours, the mid-re-C notes in sequence for the quarters, and the mid note for the minutes.

Two barrels equip this 3 Hz ( 21,600 vibrations per hour) movement: the first is in charge of the functioning of the sound mechanism and winds automatically when the bell is triggered, the second guarantees a power reserve of at least 75 hours for the movement when fully wound.

On the dial, the hammers, gongs, tourbillon cage and perforated surfaces are crafted in polished steels, while mainplate and bridges have been treated with PVD.

Water resistant to a pressure of 3 ATM (approximately 30 metres / 100 feet), the watch is matched to a black rubberized alligator strap with a black DLC-coated titanium 3-blade folding buckle.

Available in an ultra-limited edition of 15 pieces, each with an engraved number from 1 to 15 on the crown to indicate its singularity, the Bulgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon ref. 103195 has a price of Euro 860,000. bulgari.com