Automobili Pininfarina and Bovet 1822 present the new Battista Tourbillon timepiece

It stirred tremendous fervour and stormed the social media as it created history by being the first electric hypercar. It’s the Automobili Pininfarina Battista. So surreal it was that it became a manufacturing marvel and people couldn’t help but to ogle at its feline proportions, swooping stance and a driver-oriented interior which was as opulent and futuristic as it could get. Every example of this Italian masterpiece is bespoke and hand-built for its customers to provide unprecedented levels of finesse, luxury and exclusivity.

Built on similar grounds and in collaboration with Automobili Pininfarina, is a swanky and posh watch finely hand-built by Bovet 1822, a brand which has mastered the artistry of making highly intricate and unique watches to cater to even the most finicky clientele or the corporate nabobs and big boffins.

Based on a vision of legendary styling and innovation, The Bovet 1822 Battista Tourbillon timepiece focuses on a contemporary and scrumptious design keeping sustainability as the key focus. The most dexterous artists are appointed to carry out the highly demanding task of creating one-off pieces that spew exclusivity like a few others can match and ensure quality of the highest standard. Using ground-breaking novel concepts and keeping innovation at the focal point of its operations, the brand has brought about innovation in materials and manufacturing. A classic design enveloped in a sporty blue hue and impeccable fit and finish is what becomes obvious to the pupil as the eyeball enlarges to soak in the visual splendour of the watch.

Sapphire crystals sitting on the silhouette at either side provide it good embellishment and accentuate its appeal. An important takeaway is that the designers contemplated the flowing lines and shape of the Battista hypercar which was the inspiration for the desginers at Bovet 1822. As a result, they carefully designed the watch hands, bridges, dials and other structures that resonate the design of the Battista. Similar instances can be found in the background where the Triangolo pattern on the dials, rehashed into smidgen girth has to be bragged about. The timepiece also features the Pininfarina collaborative flags on the power reserve cluster which is a trademark feature of the brand and brings us to a great deal of historic and future reference. 

Offering plenty of bang for your buck, is the E-Heart which portrays the state of charging as an icon on the Battista. The E-Heart shaped cavity at the back shows Bovet’s patented winding mechanism that makes rewinding the timepiece for a full 10 days of power reserve a promenade in the park and rapid. 

Another unique bit of the Battista Tourbillon is its 3D mien where each part is visible not only through the façade, but also through the exhibition case at the hind and on the sides. The 4.56-cm case catches two portly sapphire crystals, enhancing the lightness and uncensored beauty. 

One might appreciate the asymmetrical dials which feature Battista’s Triangolo pattern to apparently create the shape of the number 90 as a homage to Pininfarina’s 90-year legacy. Such great is their thoughtfulness that the tourbillon cage is inspired by the distinctive Impulso wheels and centre-lock ring. 

Inspired by the Battista, is the two-tone colouring of the bridges. Its patented winding system in the Battista Tourbillon promises balanced weight distribution and its spherical differential halves the number of turns it would’ve taken to provide 10 days of power reserve while increasing its torque at the same time. Even the hair spring has been made in-house. 

Bovet will be producing only 1,000 timepieces a year, with each having 30-percent fully tailored production to make sure every example of this model happens to be the showstopper and an intricate work of art seen like nothing else. 

Just how in the Battista hyper-GT, new processes involving the use of tanning seat leather with olive leaves and recycled materials make their way, the BOVET Tourbillon mechanical timepiece has also been made such that it doesn’t exploit the scarce resources while offering a quality making the watch built to last. BOVET manufacturing processes are also designed in a way that it recycles all the waste produced in the process. Even the batteries aren’t disposable to make sure there isn’t haphazard extraction of resources.

With so many idiosyncrasies in the design, manufacturing processes and features, the Battista Tourbillon is a watch which is likely to appeal greatly to those seeking for signature Pininfarina traits and utmost exclusivity. Its precision and style augment its appeal. The only disheartening factor is the price then.