Italian artistry meets boundary-pushing Swiss timekeeping in Bulgari’s latest chiming timepiece
Bulgari’s haute horlogerie experts have never shied away from tackling some of watchmaking’s most prized and technically demanding complications. And it does so with an unmistakable Italian flair, offering unique contemporary designs backed by the best in modern Swiss timekeeping expertise.
The new Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, limited to just 15 pieces, is the perfect expression of this ethos, an ambitious timepiece combining a three-hammer chime with a tourbillon. Taking inspiration from Italy’s rich operatic heritage, the watch sounds out a ‘Bulgari sinfonia’, a carefully composed masterpiece that requires the most complex of mechanisms to achieve.
The case, true to the distinctive silhouette of Bulgari’s iconic Octo family, is generously proportioned to maximise the impact of the tune generated by the three chimes. These have been fixed directly onto the body of the case for optimal transmission, with the case itself crafted from titanium to ensure the clearest possible diffusion of sound.
Powering it all is the new Caliber BVL428, comprising 432 components. It offers an impressive power reserve of 75 hours, while the function of the sound mechanism is ensured separately by a spring encased in a barrel-shaped container drilled directly in the bridge. Each element has been meticulously finished, which can be admired through the modern, gridded dial design as well as the transparent sapphire-crystal case back.
