BASELWORLD 2019 NOTABLES
ZENITH
Defy Inventor
Now made in serial production, the Defy’s
blue silicon-blade-based replacement for the
traditional spring balance buzzes (at 18 Hz)
with the sound of the future. Chronometrically
precise, reliable and stable, Zenith’s oscillator
is the star here. It’s made from a single element
(compared with thirty or so components of
a standard regulating organ) and eliminates
contact, friction, wear and deformation. The
oscillator’s vibrations are fascinating to behold
inside their equally futuristic and lightweight
44mm case made of titanium and Aeronith
(an aluminum-polymer composite). Despite all
appearances, however, the three hands tell the
current time, not the time in the future, and they
do so with chronometer-certified hours, minutes
and seconds indications. Price: $17,800.
BULGARI
Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT
Now the thinnest mechanical chronograph, with its
3.30mm thick mechanical manufacture GMT chronograph
movement (Caliber BVL 318), this Baselworld 2019
highlight measures 6.90mm thick, with a 42mm diameter
titanium case and sandblasted titanium dial. The debut
underscores Bulgari’s reign as the top maker of ultra-
thin watches, with this latest the fifth ultra-thin model in
as many years. The new watch retains the still-unusual
peripheral winding rotor seen in last year’s record-
breaking Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic and
adds a GMT function (local time is set by the pusher at
9 o’clock). Bulgari’s new ultra-thin movement is fully
integrated and displays classic chronograph functions.
Price: $17,600.
SUMMER 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 67