A new chapter in the history of BOVET 1822 and Pininfarina is being written with the announcement of the partnership between BOVET 1822 and Automobili Pininfarina, celebrating the creation of the first automobile designed and completely assembled in Cambiano – the exquisite new Battista pure-electric hyper GT.
Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET 1822 confirm new partnership at Monterey Car Week, marking the world premiere of the first production-specification Battista pure-electric hyper GT
- The collaboration will see a ground-breaking new timepiece unveiled later this year in celebration of the Battista – the first car to wear the Automobili Pininfarina badge
- First production-spec Battista features stunning black exposed signature carbon fibre bodywork, precision-polished forged aluminium alloy wheels and Iconica Blu interior highlights
The new collaboration was officially launched at an exclusive event at Monterey Car Week in California and will see a unique new timepiece revealed later this year.
Automobili Pininfarina is taking the next step to delivering its pioneering pure-electric hyper GT at Monterey Car Week, where the first production-spec example made its world premiere, alongside the US debut of the exclusive Battista Anniversario.
Per Svantesson, Automobili Pininfarina CEO, said: “In creating Battista, Automobili Pininfarina established itself as the world’s first pure-electric luxury car company. We have welcomed clients to our family who are excited by our mission to create sustainable yet collectible art forms. We have challenged our own team members to ensure Battista is beautiful by design, combining seamlessly evocative, pure lines which complement perfectly the most advanced electric powertrain technology in the world.”
“Since the day we first connected with Pascal Raffy and the artisans of BOVET 1822, we felt mutually inspired by the opportunity to create another art form for clients desiring the pinnacle in design and watchmaking. With the unveiling of our first timepiece together later this year, we aim to showcase another step forward in the world of artisanal horology.”
Pascal Raffy, BOVET 1822 owner, said: “The 11-year partnership with Pininfarina is a key foundation for BOVET 1822, and the collaboration with Automobili Pininfarina is a continuation of this. Since the start, we have been working together in design, technology, and engineering, while at the same time utilising the artisanal nature of BOVET 1822 manufacturing. We are two houses sharing the same values, and now we are heading into the future.”
“The world is becoming more sustainable, and the future is definitely in electric cars. This is what is so exciting about the beautiful Battista, which combines engineering excellence with hand-made attention to detail, like the fine timepieces of the House of BOVET. The Battista is a hypercar of stunning design, with almost 1,900 hp, yet it is sustainable and 100 per cent electric. We all need to move in this direction, and Automobili Pininfarina is inspiring us to use new methods and materials and look at our processes with an eye to sustainability as well.”
“We are working on projects that celebrate the Battista and introduce concepts and forms that we have never used before in our timepieces. The Battista is the car of tomorrow, so we are breaking new ground with everything, which fits this incredible partnership.”
Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of the Group, said: “The partnership with BOVET 1822 – started in 2010 – is far more than a collaboration. It’s a commonality of vision based on our passion for beauty, technology and craftsmanship. The masterpieces born in the last 11 years are the expression of this vision and the blend of our skills matured throughout a long history and the passion for future. Today we are proud to write a new chapter of our story thanks to the contribution of Automobili Pininfarina. The new timepiece embodies the same spirit that led to the conception of the Battista with Automobili Pininfarina: an outstanding piece of design, high performing and created with a sustainable approach.”
The rich history of BOVET 1822 and Pininfarina SpA
During an initial meeting with Raffy in 2010, Paolo Pininfarina recognised a kindred spirit with shared values, and the decision was made almost immediately to work together to magnify the legendary past of each House while proposing a shared vision of the future.
In contrast to the notion of a private label, from the very start the concept was based on an active and equal partnership, marrying the specific strengths of the designer and watchmaker, while taking into account the constraints of their respective activities. This was the only way to achieve a perfect symbiosis of technical virtuosity, performance and beauty without compromise, and the partnership continued this way until today.
Throughout this 11-year history, BOVET 1822 and Pininfarina have debuted a number of timepieces, all cutting edge, infused with the spirit of Pininfarina design and underpinning the foundation of BOVET 1822 heritage and tradition. Timepieces realised include the Ottanta, Ottantadue, Ottantatre, Ottantasei, Cambiano, Sergio, and Novanta.
The Future is Now
Moving forward, the Automobili Pininfarina and BOVET 1822 partnership will continue the unique pioneering story between Pininfarina and Bovet, pushing each other to new heights of innovation and design excellence, while at the same time evolving the nature of such a partnership. The new Automobili Pininfarina x BOVET 1822 timepiece will debut later this year.
The Automobili Pininfarina Battista
The Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy and it will deliver a level of performance that is unachievable today in any roadlegal sports car featuring internal combustion engine technology. Faster than a current Formula 1 race car in its 0 -100 km/h sub-two second sprint, and with 1,900 hp and 2,300 Nm torque on tap, the Battista will combine extreme engineering and technology in a zero emissions package. The Battista’s 120 kWh battery provides power to four electric motors – one at each wheel – with a simulated WLTP range of over 500 km (310 miles) on a single charge. No more than 150 Battistas will be individually hand-crafted at the Pininfarina SpA atelier in Cambiano, Italy.
About Automobili Pininfarina
Automobili Pininfarina is based in operational headquarters in Munich, Germany, with a team of experienced automotive executives from luxury and premium car brands. Designed, engineered and produced by hand in Italy, the Battista hyper GT and all future models will be sold and serviced in all major global markets under the brand name Pininfarina. The new company aims to be the most sustainable luxury car brand in the world.
The company is a 100 per cent Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd investment and has been named Automobili Pininfarina following the signing of a trademark licence agreement between Pininfarina S.p.A. and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Pininfarina S.p.A. will take an influential role in supporting design and production capacities based on their unique 90-year experience of producing many of the world’s most iconic cars.
About Bovet
The House of BOVET, based in Switzerland for almost 200 years, artfully combines the most sophisticated watchmaking with the highest craftsmanship, employing artisanal techniques, while at the same time using cutting-edge designs, colors, and materials. Completely hand-crafted in Switzerland, BOVET manufactures all its own components, and does all the assembly, including decorative arts like hand-engraving, miniature painting, polishing, angling and more. BOVET 1822 even makes its own spirals and regulating organs, something only a handful of companies in the worldwide watch industry can claim. This way, BOVET 1822 can guarantee the quality of every step of production, resulting in an incredible attention to detail.
To further ensure this excellence, owner Mr. Pascal Raffy has limited the BOVET 1822’s annual manufacture, and each timepiece benefits from the human touch of the House’s artisans, respecting Swiss traditional processes, and reinforcing its commitment to exclusivity and uniqueness. The House of BOVET continues to innovate, creating new systems, complications, and lengthening power reserves, cementing its legacy in the Swiss watch industry.
About Pininfarina
Global icon of Italian style, Pininfarina is recognized for its unparalleled ability to create timeless beauty through its values of elegance, purity, and innovation. Founded in 1930, Pininfarina has evolved from an artisan concern to an international service Group, supreme expression of automotive styling and an established reality in industrial and experience design, architecture, nautical and mobility beyond automotive. A group employing 600 people, offices in Italy, Germany, China and the United States and listed on the Stock Exchange since 1986. Over the course of nine decades Pininfarina has designed more than 1,200 vehicles and more than 600 projects in different areas, receiving numerous international awards.