The meteorite fragments symbolise the ephemeral nature of time and humankind’s vision of eternity. Badollet has chosen to integrate this highly symbolic material within the Tourbillon Stellaire. The BAD1630 movement that drives this Instrument of Time is distinguished by its baseplate entirely made from meteorite and by the upper bridge of the tourbillon carriage set with extra-terrestrial olivines. This use of extra-terrestrial materials is unprecedented in the design of watch movements.
This mechanical hand-wound movement, endowed with a 120-hour power reserve displayed on the caseback, indicates the hours and minutes by means of central hands, as well as a tourbillon that is visible through the openworked dial at 6 o’clock. Revealing the symbolic power of the infinitely small, the carriage of the flying tourbillon carrying the Badollet logo and weighing less than one gram is set in a free-spirited and random manner with various shapes of extra-terrestrial olivines, also extracted from meteorite fragments.
The 44 mm-diameter case in 150 palladium-coated white gold of the Tourbillon Stellaire is fitted with a sapphire crystal caseback enabling one to admire the back of the exceptional movement as well as its power reserve. Water-resistant to 30 metres, this stunning model features a glareproofed sapphire crystal protecting an openworked dial revealing the various parts of the movement and its meteorite baseplate. The 44 mm-diameter case in 150 palladium-coated white gold of the Tourbillon Stellaire is fitted with a sapphire crystal caseback enabling one to admire the back of the exceptional movement as well as its power reserve. Water-resistant to 30 metres, this stunning model features a glareproofed sapphire crystal protecting an openworked dial revealing the various parts of the movement and its meteorite baseplate. The caseback also provides a glimpse of the finely openworked and hand-drawn bridges, depicting galactic circles. Produced in an edition that is limited by its very nature, the Tourbillon Stellaire comes fitted with a genuine crocodile leather strap, complete with a folding clasp in 150 palladium-coated white gold.
The Cape York meteorite
The baseplate of the BAD1630 movement was created from the Cape York meteorite, named after the place where it landed, in Melville bay to the west of Greenland. It is thought to have dropped form the sky 10,000 years ago, even before Greenland was inhabited. This meteorite, discovered during a perilous expedition headed by English explorer Sir John Ross in 1818, was particularly important in the daily life of the Inuits, who used it to make arrow heads, harpoons and knives.
Extra-terrestrial olivines
Badollet has chosen to set the tourbillon carriage, not with the usual precious stones, but with sidereal gems: olivines, detected in the dust halos surrounding young stars, as well as in the dust coma of the Hale-Bopp comet.
Galactic circles
Hundreds of millions of stars rotate around a common centre of gravity, thereby forming a galaxy. “Galactic circles”, represented by the bridges of the BAD1630 movement powering the Tourbillon Stellaire, is the name given to describe the path described by these stars as they pursue their rotation.
The 18k white gold case of this exceptional piece is set with 861 diamonds (9.58 K). Its 18K white gold base is set with 643 diamonds (2.30 Ct).
