Bulgari Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon wins 'Best Complicated Watch of the Year' Prize

China: the “Best Complicated Watch of the Year” Prize
goes to the Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon, Gérald Genta Collection

After the Watch of the Year 2010 Prize recently awarded in Switzerland, Bulgari is honoured by readers of the Chinese specialised magazine Time Square

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Readers of the Chinese specialised magazine Time Square have voted the Bulgari Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon, Gérald Genta Collection, as the Best Complicated Watch of the Year. The Prize was officially presented on November 5th to Mr. Lelio Gavazzi, in charge of the Chinese market for Bulgari. This reward comes just weeks after the Watch of the Year Prize awarded by the Swiss magazine Montres Passion to the Bulgari Octo Bi-Retro Steel/Ceramic, Gérald Genta Collection.

In both cases, these distinctions pay tribute to the work done by Bulgari combining the competence cultivated in the field of mechanical movements by the Manufacture Roth & Genta in Le Sentier, with Bulgari’s entirely complementary qualities in terms of a powerful brand image and strong stylistic identity. The prestigious Prize awarded by Time Square once again confirms the success of these synergies.

The award is all the more significant in that the choice made by the readers of this specialised magazine renowned for its extremely professional approach perfectly conveys the level of expertise and maturity attained by Chinese devotees of exceptional horology, as well as the public in general. This is hardly surprising when one considers that China has known and mastered time measurement systems for over one thousand years, as is testified by the famous Su Song water clock (1088, Kaifeng), the hydraulic clock driven by the power of water and already featuring horological principles such as the escapement and chain transmission. This extremely complex astronomical clock built by Su Song prefigured China’s sophisticated knowledge in the field of time measurement.

In keeping with this spirit of discernment, the Prize awarded by Time Square readers pays tribute to a highly sophisticated watch: the Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is undoubtedly the ultimate embodiment of horological complexity – and all the more so in that the self-winding movement driving it features a Tourbillon regulator, a retrograde hours display, along with power-reserve indicators for both the movement and the striking mechanism. This exceptional calibre, GG 31002, is in itself a concentrated blend of excellence and symbolises several centuries of human and horological history.

The complexity of the twin-barrel mechanism naturally lies in its 863 components, and is also evidenced in the internal organs dedicated to sound, meaning the different types of sound that this musical work of art is capable of playing. Within this model, the most accomplished horological artistry is further enhanced by specific parameters relating to metallurgy and acoustic science.

The gongs are made from a dedicated steel alloy featuring a diameter similar to that of a piano string playing high notes. The Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is equipped with four such gongs, suspended between the movement and the inner surface of the case, and which are thus able to vibrate freely and to produce their respective sounds without any hindrance. Each is of a specific length in order to produce its own particular note, and each has its own hammer that hits the gong at a pre-defined spot. The rhythm, the speed and the force of the strike are all essential in order to generate the purest and clearest possible tone.

Thanks to these four gongs, the Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is capable of playing the Big Ben or Westminster Chime. This authentic masterpiece can also perform two other major audible functions: the Grande Sonnerie and the Petite Sonnerie. In Grande Sonnerie (or grand strike) mode, the mechanism sounds the hours and then repeats the hour each time it prepares to sound the following quarters – the first, second and third – much like the chime of a belltower. This so-called “in passing” strike mode operates automatically, without any intervention by the wearer of the watch, whereas the Petite Sonnerie(or small strike) mode signals the hours and the first, second and third quarters, also in passing. One may of course choose to switch to silence mode. Finally, the Repeater mode provides an audible indication when the owner so wishes, by pushing a repeater slide that triggers the striking mechanism – a mode referred to as “on demand”.

The dial of the watch features alternating black lacquered and cloisonné sections, with the left-hand side between 1 and 5 o’clock carrying the strike/silence indications, striking mechanism power-reserve, time-display power reserve and Grand/Small strike mode. It also features the minute disc. Meanwhile, the left-hand side provides the retrograde hours indication. The model is clothed in a white gold case with two beaded crowns at 3 and 9 o’clock, respectively serving to adjust the time functions and to activate the striking mechanism.

This exceptional creation is all the rarer in that assembling its movement calls for a full year’s work, meticulously accomplished by the watchmaker personally responsible for it. It embodies a degree of expertise that the readers of Time Square clearly appreciate at its true value, and the Best Complicated Watch of the Year distinction also crowns the work accomplished by Bulgari. In January 2010, CEO Francesco Trapani officially announced the incorporation of the sophisticated expertise of the Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Genta & Roth in Le Sentier within the powerful and prestigious Bulgari brand image, as signalled on the dials by the reference to the calibres developed there. The awarding of this Prize now brings yet another major token of recognition and justification of this decision to merge these respective strengths.

Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon in a nutshell:

Self-winding movement, Grande Sonnerie Westminster Chime, retrograde hours display, power-reserve indicators, disc-type minutes display; 21,600 vph, 48-hour power reserve.
43 mm white gold case, transparent caseback, 18-casrat white gold crown set with a falcon’s eye cabochon; cloisonné dial; water-resistant to 30 metres.
Alligator leather strap, triple-blade folding clasp in 18-carat white gold.

This message has been edited by ED209 on 2010-12-02 21:57:54

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Congratulations to Bulgari and Gerald Genta

By: patrick_y : December 2nd, 2010-23:32

Hope to see this crown jewel of the Bulgari watch line up in person someday. As well as to hear the Westminster chime.

congrats!

By: playtime : December 3rd, 2010-06:30

re: Octo

By: DRMW : December 3rd, 2010-09:27

Congrats to Bulgari for winning the 'Best Complicated Watch of the Year' Prize. They must like the design of the case on the Octo as much as we all do! -MW

Congrats to Bulgari!

By: dxboon : December 3rd, 2010-20:19

The complexity of the watch is to be admired, and their win is well-deserved. I personally don't care for the look of the timepiece's dial, but it's a great example of horology. Cheers, Daos

Can you imagine what Bulgari could win?

By: MTF : December 4th, 2010-04:55

Congratulations to Bulgari and the folks at Le Sentier for the recognition. The Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is a fine striking watch from the Collection Gerald Genta but can you imagine what award Bulgari could win if they unleashed their really (real...

lots of hope

By: axisskin : December 4th, 2010-14:41

Congratulations to Bulgari!

By: pingtsai : December 5th, 2010-12:09