WATCHES & TIMEPIECES
AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Inside the Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork , another object of fascination , the Calibre B1.618 . Watch enthusiasts since they can remember , Emmanuelle and Rodolfo Festa Bianchet freely admit their fascination for this complication . Its ability to overcome the effects of gravity by rotating is founded on a principle in which the mathematics determine the physics and come ever so close to aesthetics , a truth of the same magnitude as that of the Fibonacci sequence .
Skeletonized , the calibre is made entirely of black DLC titanium . It was designed and developed and is now manufactured by Bianchet in La Chaux-de-Fonds , in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry . The process of making a Bianchet is focused as much on quality as on technical excellence , the main objective being to obtain a perfect balance between form and function . The Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork has a power reserve of 105 hours .
DEPTH OF PERCEPTION
Yet this calibre is not satisfied with just a noble complication . The execution , too , captures the imagination with graphic force and true originality . Conceived from the outset as a skeletonized movement , the Calibre B1.618 is all about a sensation of plumbing untold depths , a feeling only accentuated by the curves , whose radii , progression and interlacing are also derived from the Fibonacci sequence .
Instead of following a traditional design that builds on concentric circles , which in effect only reflects the requirements of the mechanics , Bianchet has decided to make the Golden Ratio an integral part of its creation . As if a mathematical object in motion , the spiraling Fibonacci curves are found at the heart of the movement , evoking the double-mirroring of a mise‐en‐abyme , less a stylistic effect , and more a measure of the young brand ’ s depth .
62 The Art of Luxury Issue 49 2021