Bulgari reveals grande sonnerie perpetual calendar
On the quiet, Bulgari just put out one of the year’s most complicated watches
By Chris Hall
This is the Bulgari Octo Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar. It was released without much fanfare by Bulgari over the summer – and now we’ve got the official pictures and information, we can tell you about it. One reason it was perhaps not given the full red-carpet treatment is that this is a one-off creation, doubtless destined never to see the light of day between Bulgari’s Le Sentier factory and the high security safe of a collector. But when a brand is making watches of this calibre, even individually, we will sit up and pay attention – especially when said brand is also forging ahead with some of the world’s most pared-back watchmaking at the same time. The Octo Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar does as the name suggests, and that alone would be highly impressive. But in a rare display of haute horlogerie modesty (or perhaps just gracious concern for those of us who have to type the name out again and again), the watch does in fact have a few more strings to its bow. As well as a perpetual calendar, it also features a tourbillon, moonphase and GMT function. And on the chiming side, it doesn’t stop at the grande sonnerie; the watch also houses petite sonnerie and minute repeater abilities.
(If you need a reminder, a Grande Sonnerie chimes every hour and every quarter-hour. A Petite Sonnerie just chimes the hours, ...
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