Barely two years before its 80th anniversary, the famous Italian design studio Pininfarina decided to celebrate this landmark in grand style.Nothing could more worthily symbolise such a prestigious jubilee than a prestigious timepiece. Based on this conviction, and after compiling a comprehensive and demanding set of technical specifications, Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman and CEO of Pininfarina Extra, set out in search of the ideal partner. This challenge was as daunting as the ambitious project itself, since it meant pinpointing within the small world of high-end manufacturers exactly the right brand with a history and an identity on a par with the prestige of Pininfarina, and which would be able to handle such a complex mission in record time. After carefully prospecting the field and after a first encounter with Pascal Raffy, owner of BOVET 1822 and DIMIER 1738, Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale, Paolo Pininfarina was convinced he had found in BOVET the brand with which he would co-write a new page of history that would magnify their respective legendary pasts while sharing a common vision of the future. Four watches in oneThe development and the entire production of the exclusive new 514-part movement that would drive this watch was entrusted to DIMIER 1738. The calibre is housed in a convertible case (based on the AMADEO concept) enabling the owner to wear the watch on the wrist while displaying one or other of its faces, to combine the watch with an exclusively designed titanium chain for use as a pocket watch, or to transform the watch into a table clock. All these changes can be quickly and easily performed as the need or fancy arises.80 hours in 80 secondsIn tribute to Pininfarinas 80th anniversary, the design engineers of DIMIER 1738 created a tourbillon performing one complete turn in exactly 80 seconds, whereas each such revolution traditionally lasts one minute. In order to achieve this, they created an intersection in the going train. After the third wheel, the train is divided into two separate reduction trains: one powering the seconds crown which makes one revolution every three minutes, and the other specially designed one transmitting its energy to the tourbillon cage to ensure it completes each of its traditions in 80 seconds. This solution turned out to be both simple and ingenious. It is worth noting that the rim of the balance wheel is designed to form a figure 8, which is centred in the ring forming an 0, thus again subtly evoking Pininfarinas 80th anniversary with characteristic attention to finer details. The upper pivot of the tourbillon cage bears a hand that naturally does not display the seconds but instead runs over eight segments symbolising the decades in the history of Pininarina by pointing to eight emblematic phrases penned by Pininfarina and engraved around the rim of the case middle. The correct poising of the balance-springis guaranteed by a dedicated Pininfarina screw. DecorationThe quintessence of the partnership between BOVET and Pininfarina undoubtedly lies in the decoration of this automatic tourbillon model. The former has contributed its exceptional expertise in the field of mechanical architecture, as well as its perfect mastery of numerous time-honoured and modern decorative techniques; while the latter displays its mastery in terms of design, elegant lines and colour associations. The design engineers in the R&D department of DIMIER 1738 developed an exterior and a motorisation that merge seamlessly into a unique and coherent whole, thereby successfully endowing the final result with excellent clarity and depth despite the extreme complexity of the movement.A promising futureThe Tourbillon OTTANTA jointly signed by BOVET and Pininfarina is naturally produced in a limited, numbered series. Even before the fruit of this first partnership had reached maturity, the enthusiasm and passion shared by Mr Pascal Raffy and Mr Paolo Pininfarina led them to conclude a long-term partnership that will give rise to other timepieces each of which will be the stuff of dreams for devotees of sophisticated and elegant mechanical timepieces.