A natural balance of lines and visual harmony flowing from the Golden Ratio 1.618: the Carbon Orange Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork watch is an ultra-sensorial, mathematical and mechanical object. The architecture of the movement, the design of the case – all the proportions have been thought out and designed according to the principles defined by the Golden Ratio 1.618.
The Titanium-Dust-Infused Carbon used for the case is a new composite consisting of carbon fibre interlayered with titanium powder to make it more luminous, more precious, with unexpected moiré reflections.
Bianchet thus lays the foundations of its inspiration through its faith in beauty, balance and the harmony of curves, its passion for contemporary design coupled with a sensitive, pure intuition, nourished by a rational mathematical approach and Italian emotional roots.
Orange is the colour of passion and fire!
The colour of the movement of flames oscillating between yellow and red, the movement of the sun, rising and setting in a palette of shimmering hues. Like the colour of passion, the one that inhabits the creators of Bianchet.
Serene, patient, demanding of themselves, the brand’s two founders meet challenges in a realm where audacity rhymes with exclusivity. Their passion is for innovation, for design, for elegance. A state of mind, intimate and genuine, which can be summed up in these three foundational words, the brand’s motto: “Ignite Your Passion”.
Orange is the colour that captures the connection with life, earth and movement.
1.618 – The Golden Ratio as inspiration and absolute guide.
The relationship between meaning and culture, between mathematics and mechanics, is fundamental to Bianchet‘s thinking, which builds on the work of the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci and the Golden Ratio of 1.618 to transpose the mathematical proportions underlying the pure beauty and harmony of the universe into the world of ultra-contemporary independent watchmaking.
Both surprising and self-evident, this approach to watchmaking finds its manifestation in the Bianchet Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork Carbon Orange. The architecture of the tourbillon movement and its spiral bridges, the design of the case, the Italian aesthetic; the choice of carbon, titanium and rubber; the dynamics of materials, shapes, textures and colours – everything within and without the Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork Carbon Orange expresses the energy, harmony and balance of a contemporary watch.
1.618 – A balance of proportions, a harmony of arcs that hints at perfection.
Mathematically proportioned, faithful to the founding principle of the Golden Ratio, the arcs of the tonneau-shaped case are accented by two fine bands of rubber, like coloured seals, that act as a highlighter, revealing the harmony of the lines.
These colour inserts – a hallmark of the Bianchet aesthetic – fulfil a design and engineering purpose whilst defining the chromatic theme that extends through the hands and hour markers, the tone-on-tone rubber insert of the crown and the strap. Here, the colour of energy and fire – Orange! – further reinforces the connection between the chosen materials and elemental forces.
Titanium-Dust-Infused Carbon, a new material that combines carbon fibre and titanium powder.
To manufacture the cases and specific components of its watches, Bianchet works with an expert partner who has absolute mastery over advanced carbon technology. Not just any kind of carbon, but a pioneering composite that translates technological prowess into a refined, incredibly lightweight yet resistant aesthetic: during the production process, a subtle coat of titanium powder is deposited on each layer of carbon plural.
Approximately 1 kilogram of titanium powder is carefully distributed between the 32 layers of carbon fibre to produce the composite material for 10 watch cases.
The result is a distinctive, unequalled finish with regard to the way reflections play off each other, from the deep black of carbon to the metallic luminosity of titanium: a moiré effect that alternates between glossy and matte in a random pattern unique to each piece. The material retains the black colour – with its sleek and sporty vibe – of carbon, and at the same time becomes more luminous, more precious. It took two years of research and development to achieve this result. A Bianchet exclusive.
Shock-resistant to 6000G.
And because understated elegance now naturally fits in with an active lifestyle, the watch has been designed to be shock resistant up to 6,000 Gs – as well as water resistant to 5 ATM (about 50 metres). The 105-hour power reserve adds a further dimension of comfort and wearability in everyday life.
It is precisely with the attention to detail on this particular point that Bianchet distinguishes itself, too: the choice of shorter lugs enhances both the case’s compact aesthetics and its feel on the wrist. The soft natural rubber strap – available in ‘Orange’ and in black – naturally follows through in this spirit.
An Italian aesthetic sensibility – with an ultra-contemporary spirit
1.618: for Bianchet, it was only natural that all should be connected to the Golden Ratio.
By choosing to integrate the mathematical “divine proportion” into the entire creative process of the watches, the founders of Bianchet naturally infuse a harmonious relationship into the watch object, like a master painting of the Italian Renaissance or an architectural ensemble like the Pantheon in Rome.
Thus, one can sense the presence of the past, the existence of this Italian classical heritage – Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, the masterpieces of Italian Fine Arts … – which is combined today in Bianchet creations that claim both profound influence, while nourishing a work of aesthetic research applied to watchmaking.
The result is a new expression, deliberately ultra-contemporary, in a tonneau-shaped case whose taut lines respond to mathematical algorithms based on the Golden Number. The tonneau case, whose tensed curves correspond to mathematical algorithms based on the Golden Ratio, is 43 mm wide, 50 mm high (long) and 13 mm thick. It combines modern materials such as carbon and titanium with natural rubber, which plays both an aesthetic and a functional role, reinforcing the unexpected dialogue between a pure and raw aspect, while being very sophisticated.
A contrast of colours and materials where form not only follows function. Indeed, the two are intimately connected in a harmonious interplay. The Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork Carbon Orange asserts itself with force and discretion, with a presence and personality all its own.
1.618 – The Golden Ratio generates a sensation of harmony and perfect balance of curves.
In the hand, on the wrist, to the touch – the different materials, the arcs they trace and the apparent weightlessness of the Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork, they all combine to make it an extension of the wearer that is both distinctive and instinctive, a sensation that naturally flows from the Golden Ratio.
Just as it ensures maximum protection and a remarkable, perfectly ergonomic fit, the case offers maximum visibility: the sapphire crystal on the dial side and on the case back provides an unobstructed view of the watchmaking marvel that is the Bianchet titanium tourbillon.
The mastery of the titanium tourbillon.
At the heart of the watch: the Calibre B1.618. The plate, wheel bridges and tourbillon cage are all made of titanium. A material already known to be difficult to work with, it is doubly formidable when applied to watchmaking, and even more so in the construction of a tourbillon.
Yet it is precisely this amazing combination of extremely low weight and superior rigidity that makes it ideal for the tourbillon, where compensating for the effects of gravity is of paramount concern. The way the mechanism achieves this, through its rotation, is based on a principle where mathematics determines physics – all the while remaining intimately connected with aesthetics.
The titanium calibre is adjusted to 6 positions, ensuring a running precision of -4 to +4 seconds per day. The lubricating oils are enhanced with nanodiamonds (diamond nanoparticles) to reduce friction to an absolute minimum.
Rigorous execution, down to the last detail.
1.618: this calibre reaches beyond a noble complication and a noble material. The execution, too, is striking in its visual power and originality. Rather than mimicking a traditional design based on concentric circles that merely addresses mechanical requirements, Bianchet makes the Golden Ratio an integral part of its creation.
Like a mathematical object in motion, the quarter-circle arcs of the Fibonacci spiral wind their way into the heart of the movement, evoking a mise en abyme that gives an unsuspected depth to the whole.
Several variations of hand-finishing on the plate and bridges, each one distinctive, underline the complexity of the calibre’s architecture and its spectacular arcs. Each surface is given its own finish; even the areas of the movement that are remotest from the naked eye are the object of meticulous finishing.
Polishing, satin-finishing, bead-blasting and circular graining all serve the interplay of light and textures, whilst the black DLC coating contrasts beautifully with the reflections of the rhodium-plated cogwheels.
Bianchet Carbon Orange Tourbillon B1.618 Openwork Technical Specifications
Features
- Shock resistance: 6000 G
- Water resistance: 50 meters (5 ATM)
- Weight: 42g
- Swiss made: Imagined, crafted and hand-finished in Switzerland
- Warranty: 5 years
Movement – Calibre B1.618
- Materials: Main plate, bridges and tourbillon cage in Grade 5 titanium
- Tourbillon:
- 60-seconds, hand-wound, 6 positions
- Antimagnetic tourbillon cage
- Variable inertia balance wheel
- Frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 vph
- Precision: -4+4 sec/day
- Lubricants enriched with diamond nanoparticles to reduce friction
- Finishes:
- Sand-blasted,
- circular-grained,
- satin-brushed titanium plates and bridges with a black DLC coating,
- hand-finished titanium tourbillon cage
Case
- Materials: Titanium-Dust-Infused Carbon and natural vulcanised rubber
- Crown: Grade 5 Titanium
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with antireflective coating, case front and case back
- Dimensions: 43 x 50 x 13 mm
Strap
- Natural vulcanised rubber
- Grade 5 Titanium folding clasp
- Available in orange and black
Int’l retail price
- CHF 55,000 CHF / EUR 55’000 (excluding taxes) / USD 60’500 (excl taxes)
- Limited Series of 21 pieces
Bianchet, the genesis.
The genesis of Bianchet dates back to 2017 – Rodolfo Festa Bianchet is a successful fintech entrepreneur and the CEO of Riflexo, a software firm based in Turin that developed the first online trading application for mobile phones: Trade Interceptor. Inside the app, the TrendRisk engine analyses the psychology of the markets to detect and infer trends. The brains behind TrendRisk: Rodolfo Festa Bianchet, who based all the development work on the Golden Ratio 1.618 and the Fibonacci sequence.
His wife, Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet, was born to a French family of artists and musicians in Rome. As a pianist, she attended the conservatory, she is also an accomplished painter and sculptor, exhibiting in art galleries, her work as an artist was deeply influenced by the concept of harmony and its connection with the world of music and visual arts. She has always been fascinated by the universal beauty that radiates from the Golden Ratio of 1.618 and the Fibonacci sequence. This is something that both Bianchet founders have in common, and why they have chosen to build the brand’s aesthetic expression.Upon selling their software firm to a US company, they began to map out a project around what they both deeply loved, and where they could find and express themselves fully – their passion for watchmaking. Bianchet was born from this shared idea of creating something beautiful, anchored in reality and connected with the divine ratio, with eternity, something that will always remain.