The Bulgari Octo Roma Central Tourbillon Papillon tells the time with a mechanism that has never been seen before. Inspired by a butterfly, two retractable hands travel along a graduation to indicate the minutes. Meanwhile, an aperture at 12 o’clock shows the current hour. The watch appears in a rose gold case and is powered by a flying tourbillon.
The watch comes in a rose gold case that measures 41 mm in diameter. The octagonal shape is complemented by brushed and polished surfaces. The crown is also made of rose gold and bears a decorative insert of black ceramic. Meanwhile, on the back, the sapphire crystal case back allows a view into the watch. Last but not least, this Octo Roma is only water-resistant to 50 metres.
The Bulgari Octo Roma Central Tourbillon Papillon tells the time using a patented mechanism inspired by the butterfly. Two retractable diamond-shaped hands move on a disc. One of the two moves along the minute track to indicate the minutes. As soon as it reaches minute 55, it folds in. In the meantime, the second hand has reached minute 00 and turns 90 degrees to indicate the minutes of the next hour. Meanwhile, the hours are displayed at 12 o’clock in the window. When the hour is complete, the disc jumps to the next one.
The BVL 332 manufacture movement drives the unique time display. It uses 330 parts and 30 jewels. The watch is wound manually and has a maximum power reserve of 60 hours. To keep an eye on the latter, Bulgari places a power reserve indicator on the back of the watch. Furthermore, the flying tourbillon can be seen in the centre of the front. The balance inside works at a frequency of 3 hertz and drives both the hands on the ball-bearing disc and the jumping hour.
The watch appears on a matte black strap made of alligator leather with a rose gold folding clasp. The Octo Roma Central Tourbillon Papillon is available now. The price is 130,000 euros.
