Bianchet have made an incredibly brave decision in the creation of the UltraFino Rotondo Flying Tourbillon. They have left behind their signature tonneau case shape to explore alternative geometries with the introduction of a new circular case with integrated bracelet. It’s a departure from one of the brand’s most recognisable features that has long been a core pillar of their identity, so the pressing question is, does it still feel like a Bianchet?
Jumping straight to the case, it measures 39.5mm in diameter with a thickness of 8.9mm in a choice of either Grade 5 titanium or high-density carbon. Those materials make them exceptionally lightweight, weighing 75g or 48g respectively including their bracelets. The round design is most clearly expressed by the bezel and dial that are true circles, while the case is more angular in order to accommodate the integrated bracelet. It trades the modern sportiness of a tonneau case for a 1980s sport chic aesthetic.
The UltraFino Rotondo dial reveals the skeletonised UR01 automatic tourbillon calibre with 60-hour power reserve. It’s essentially the same UT01 calibre from the existing skeleton tourbillon models but with slightly more compact architecture to fit the round case. It’s produced in-house with the bevelled edges alone taking 30-hours to produce. At 12 o’clock you can see the suspended power barrel, which is balanced at 6 o’clock by the flying tourbillon in its titanium case. The tourbillon rotates once every 60 seconds, serving double duty as the running seconds.
As a skeleton display, reading the time is a bit tricky on the standard titanium model as the central hands get a little lost against the exposed architecture below as they are tone-on-tone titanium. The carbon model actually solves that issue by adding a red strip down the centre of the hands, which contrasts to the black finish of the hands and movement on that version.
So, what is the answer to our initial question, does the UltraFino Rotondo still feel like a Bianchet? I think it’s a resounding yes. It’s a bit more refined thanks to the new proportions, but the integrated bracelet keeps it feeling sporty and it makes use of a familiar movement and dial layout. For pricing, the titanium edition is CHF 62,500 (approx. £59,000), and the carbon is CHF 67,500 (approx. £63,750).
Price and Specs:
More details at Bianchet.
