BOVET 1822, crafters of beautifully-designed and sophisticated timepieces, reveals the exquisite new Battista Tourbillon, created alongside the pure-electric Battista hyper GT

Working closely with Automobili Pininfarina, BOVET has created a timepiece that perfectly complements the Battista, with unrivalled craftsmanship and attention to detail

The two brands share a vision and expertise in making beautifully designed and handmade pieces of art, passionately created by dedicated teams focused on a sustainable future

Powerful
Precise
Beautiful
Elegant

These words describe the new Automobili Pininfarina Battista AND the new Battista Tourbillon from BOVET 1822.

Designed alongside one another, both ground-breaking objects of art share the same design vision based on legendary styling and innovation.

The Automobili Pininfarina Battista has been recognized for its design excellence with several awards to its name already, as production of pre-series Battistas reaches completion and clients prepare to take delivery of the world’s first pure electric hyper GT later this year. Each vehicle is bespoke to the client’s personal specification, ensuring unrivalled exclusivity.

In the same manner, BOVET 1822 has received numerous awards in the watchmaking industry, and the House is renowned for its bespoke work. The new BOVET Battista Tourbillon and the Automobili Pininfarina Battista hyper GT are poised to reinvent modern luxury.

Two Brands Rooted in Design

The Pininfarina name is characterized by its rich history in design excellence and craftsmanship, creating automotive artwork for more than 90 years. BOVET echoes this ethos in horology, with generations of artisans over its almost 200 years of history-shaping incredible, meticulously detailed timepiece artistry.

This mutual expertise was apparent from the very beginning, of BOVET and Automobili Pininfarina’s partnership in creating the Battista Tourbillon timepiece alongside the Battista hyper GT, when BOVET owner Mr. Pascal Raffy and the Automobili Pininfarina Design Team met for the first time in Cambiano, Italy.

“At Bovet 1822, the human element is essential, and so it is for Pininfarina,” explains Mr. Raffy. “Cars and timepieces share the same values: design and performance. When you start a project and there is no interest other than the pursuit of perfection, passions do not just add up – they multiply.”

This shared vision and expertise become apparent in every aspect of the collaboration. The unique skills of both houses led to the creation of a one-of-a-kind timepiece that simply could not have been be realized without the shared development process between the craftsmen at BOVET 1822 and the design team at Automobili Pininfarina. The completely in-house development and manufacturing of this hand-made masterpiece of horology, constructed by the world’s most skilled precision artisans, offers the freedom to create highly bespoke parts and decorations with utmost precision while assuring that the highest quality standards can be met.

The creation of a client’s Battista is a process of virtually unlimited personalization, with more than 128 million combinations for the interior color and materials alone, ensuring the only limits are the dreams of the client. Because of the expertise between BOVET and Automobili Pininfarina, this can be taken a step further, giving clients the possibility to express their own personalities and that of their bespoke Battista through the Battista Tourbillon as well.

“Since the day we first connected with Pascal Raffy and the artisans of Bovet 1822, we felt mutually inspired by the opportunity to create another art form for clients desiring the pinnacle in design and watchmaking,” says Per Svantesson, Chief Executive Officer, Automobili Pininfarina. “With the unveiling of our first timepiece, we aim to showcase another step forward in the world of artisanal horology.”

In a luxury world where conglomerates and big groups dominate, it’s rare to find two independent, family-owned Houses, at the pinnacle of their respective fields, collaborating.

A Future Vision of Luxury

The first timepiece in this partnership celebrates the creation of the first automobile designed and completely assembled in Cambiano – Battista – and the role of the pure-electric hyper GT in the ongoing luxury revolution. With Battista, Automobili Pininfarina is at the forefront of this new movement towards sustainable, responsible luxury and takes another step in the collaboration with BOVET 1822.

“The world is becoming more sustainable and the future is definitely in electric cars,” notes Mr. Raffy. “This is what is so exciting about the beautiful Battista, which combines engineering excellence with hand-made attention to detail, like the fine timepieces of the House of BOVET. The Battista is a stunningly-designed hypercar, with almost 2,000 BHP, but it is 100% electric and sustainable. We all need to move in this direction, and Automobili Pininfarina is inspiring us to use new methods and materials, and look at our processes with an eye to sustainability as well.”

Purity in Design

The Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET design teams worked hand-in-hand in the creation of the Battista Tourbillon. Already from the very first meeting between the teams, the shared vision and drive to push the limits of what is possible became clear. This focus on innovation, both in style as well as in materialization and manufacturing, was a key point from the very beginning. This vision for the future, shared by both Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET 1822, was of great importance to Mr. Raffy, inspiring not just the Battista Tourbillon but the start of a fruitful partnership between both houses.

The Battista Tourbillon is an expression of the shared design values between BOVET and Automobili Pininfarina. With a focus on lightness and purity, the timepiece extends Battista’s design philosophy and brings it to another dimension. Detailing inspired by Battista’s most characteristic design features can be found in every part of the timepiece, including the movement’s mechanical components.

The exquisite craftsmanship of BOVET made it possible to design remarkable details that only the most skilled artisans can manufacture by hand. Box sapphire crystals on both sides ensure that the inner beauty of this mechanical masterpiece can be enjoyed and admired, opening up the view of the movement visible from all sides. In addition, the sapphire crystals are shaped at 12 and 6 o’clock to integrate the specially- designed Vegan rubber straps.

The process of manufacturing a timepiece at this level of complexity and quality is based around the highly skilled artisans from the house of BOVET, who make nearly every component of their timepieces in-house at the production facility in the village of Tramelan, Switzerland.

The Battista Tourbillon features exquisite detailing inspired by the design language and features of the hyper-GT itself. Every element of the timepiece’s design has been crafted to reflect Automobili Pininfarina’s PURA design philosophy, which uses elegant simplicity and lightness as its starting point.

Applying the design know-how and philosophy of Battista on such a small-scale object was an enormous challenge, though, requiring a completely different approach from both design teams, automotive and timepiece. Combining this different expertise from both sides, the timepiece incorporates fresh and groundbreaking ideas within a classically-oriented watchmaking structure coupled with extraordinary finishing.

Inspiration for this came from Battista’s most recognizable features, like the exterior curves and design details. The Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET design teams took these shapes and created watch hands, bridges, dials, and other structures that connect the design of Battista to that of the timepiece. The design features more fluid, Pininfarina-style shapes compared to traditional timepieces. As an example, the flying bridge above the two main dials of the timepiece has a subtle three-dimensionality that is unique and reflects the curves of the Battista.
Throughout the entire timepiece, references to Battista can be found. Subtle background characteristics such as the Triangolo pattern on the dials or the top of the Battista reimagined in miniature and viewed through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back, marry the timepiece and the hypercar.

The timepiece features the Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET collaborative flags on the power-reserve dial, a signature Pininfarina detail that celebrates both companies’ heritage and future.

The E-Heart of the Timepiece

One of Battista’s most recognizable features, the E-Heart represents Automobili Pininfarina’s spirit for constant innovation. It is the physical element that, besides being functional, acts as an icon on Battista and all the following automobiles.

Where in Battista the E-Heart indicates the state of charging, in the Battista Tourbillon the E- Heart-shaped aperture of the Big Date on the front, and on the back shows BOVET’s patented differential winding mechanism; the mechanism that makes rewinding the timepiece for a full 10-days of power reserve easier and quicker.

This way, the E-Heart doesn’t just find a place in the timepiece for visual reference, it has an actually shared function as well.

The Timepiece

The Battista Tourbillon truly represents the pinnacle of haute horlogerie. From the exquisite details and finishing of each and every component to the utmost complexity of the movement, the timepiece is a showcase of high watchmaking at its finest. Each element, whether functional or decorative, is designed to represent the shared values of Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET.

The construction of the Battista Tourbillon results in a highly three-dimensional appearance, with each part of the movement and its complications clearly visible both from the face of the timepiece as well as through the exhibition case back and the exposed sides. The 45.6- millimeter case consists of two large sapphire crystals, enhancing the lightness and purity of the design.

The two-tone blue dials on the face of the timepiece, for the first time in the almost 200-year history of BOVET, are asymmetrical, featuring Battista’s Triangolo pattern and shaded from light to dark blue, while together forming the shape of the number “90,” a reference to the Battista Anniversario and Pininfarina’s 90-year heritage. On the power-reserve dial on the left, the famous Pininfarina collaborative flags icon can be found, with the “F” for Pininfarina on the left and the Lotus Flower for BOVET on the right, we’re on the right dial the big date complication takes pride of place.

Further references to Battista’s design can be found throughout the face of the timepiece. Above the two main dials, the flying bridge resembles Battista’s curves, and the “V” in BOVET, while the tourbillon cage is inspired by its Impulso wheels of the Battista with their center-lock technology. The hands of the timepiece and the hour-indication ring are a reference to the curves of Battista’s exterior.

“The Battista Tourbillon truly represents the Automobili Pininfarina design philosophy on a small scale,” explains Luca Borgogno, Chief Design Officer, Automobili Pininfarina. “By pushing the boundaries, we reached a level of detail and design quality that has not been seen before. It makes a perfect match with the Battista itself.”

Through the exhibition case back, the main structure of the movement can be admired, which is an abstract representation of Battista’s curves that wrap around the teardrop-shaped Goccia roof like a clamshell. The two-tone coloring of the bridges supports this reference to Battista.

The fine detailing in Iconica Blu is combined with traditional finishing such as Côtes de Genève, angling, and polishing. In addition, Super-LumiNova has been generously applied to all the hands, including the seconds’ indication structure on the top of the tourbillon cage, the ring underneath the tourbillon, as well as the hand of the power reserve, the indices, and even the Big Date display.

Finally, the signature of Battista “Pinin” Farina, the legendary designer who started it all, graces the dial above the date display. Battista famously said, “Above all, it must be beautiful.” And the Battista timepiece and car certainly meet and exceed this expectation.

The Movement

The Battista Tourbillon features a brand-new movement using Bovet’s patented double face tourbillon, running at 18,000 vibrations per hour, with an incredible 10-day power reserve with just a single barrel. This movement started from a clean sheet of paper and was done specifically for the Battista Tourbillon, following the design input from Automobili Pininfarina. Developing this new movement, placing the hour and minute hands in the center, adding a grand date, and redesigning the tourbillon cage was done entirely in-house by BOVET, working closely with the APF design team.

The patented two-sided flying tourbillon is attached at the center of its axis, and the weight distribution of the escapement and balance-spring drastically reduces the lever-arm effect and friction, another example of the high precision and complexity of this movement.

The miniaturization of the winding mechanism resulted in a second patent — a mechanical watch with 10-days of power reserve would typically require twice as many turns of the crown to wind; however, the exclusive winding system in the Battista Tourbillon and its spherical differential halves this number.

The hairspring and the regulating organ of this new tourbillon movement are manufactured in-house – BOVET 1822 is one of only a handful of companies in the world that can produce its own hairsprings and escapements.

The Human Touch

Both houses emphasize the importance of hand craftsmanship in their products. At BOVET 1822, in combination with the most modern manufacturing methods, an artisan hand-finished every component throughout the production process, whether it is polishing, angling, teeth-cutting, hardening, engraving, or decorating. And, at the end of the process, each and every timepiece is assembled, by hand, by master watchmakers.

When Mr. Raffy took over the brand in 2001, it was his desire to verticalize the manufacture and to bring all the skills of high watchmaking under one roof. 20 years later, this dream has become a reality, and Mr. Raffy takes pleasure in keeping the traditional skills alive, while at the same time pushing the limits of high watchmaking.
This alchemy of the traditional and the modern distinguishes BOVET in the watchmaking industry. Limited to less than 1,000 timepieces a year, with 30% of its production bespoke, BOVET 1822 can lavish this kind of attention to detail on each and every timepiece.

Each Battista hyper GT is meticulously hand-finished at Automobili Pininfarina’s bespoke facility in Cambiano, Italy, with every element of the car the driver and passenger interact with impeccably detailed by a team of experienced and passionate artisans. Every client specifying a Battista is invited into the Automobili Pininfarina family to work with the design and engineering teams to create their personal, perfect Battista. This element of the human touch underscores every aspect of this collaboration.

On the Wrist

Surprising light both in weight and in transparency, the Battista Tourbillon makes quite an impression when worn. Though at 45.6mm, the Battista could not be considered small, the configuration of the re-designed BOVET bow at the 12 0’clock positions makes it possible for the timepiece to fit just about any size of wrist. And, thanks to the skeletonized structures of the movement itself and the sapphire crystals on both sides, the Battista is thin and extremely comfortable.

The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, in perpetual motion thanks to its astounding 10- day power reserve, is mesmerizing and a key point of focus when checking the time. The big date on the right-hand dial keeps you on schedule, and it is easily set thanks to a corrector on the side of the case.

The Battista Tourbillon makes an immediate statement as soon as you put it on your wrist, and if you have it on when stepping out of your Automobili Pininfarina Battista hyper-GT, not another word needs to be said.

Sustainability Front and Center

The Battista pure-electric hyper GT has been created to showcase design elements that herald a new era of luxury, where sustainability and elegance are one. The Automobili Pininfarina Design team believes that luxury can and must be sustainable, without compromise to quality or beauty. By challenging the in-house team and the company’s partners to reconsider and re-invent materials and processes, the journey toward a sustainable future accelerates. In the Battista hyper GT, new methodologies have been introduced for tanning seat leather with olive leaves, recycling materials throughout the production process, and creating innovative new materials by combining offcuts of leather and wood.

Mechanical timepieces are by their very nature sustainable, as they are meant to last virtually forever with the right care and service, and they use no disposable batteries. In addition, the BOVET 1822 manufacturing processes have been reconfigured to capture and recycle any and all waste, including metal, oils, treatments, and other materials. With the Battista Tourbillon, the decision was to not use alligator leather straps, but instead a new two-tone rubber strap was designed and produced that is 100% Vegan.

The new Battista Tourbillon from BOVET 1822 and Automobili Pininfarina is the result of a collaboration that celebrates the past of both Houses and has its sights firmly set on the next century.

A stunning tribute to the revolutionary Battista hyper-GT, the Battista Tourbillon combines the traditional and the modern in a unique and head-turning way.

Welcome to the future of luxury.