Press release
The story that brings together the House of BOVET and the design house Pininfarina began in 2008 when Paolo Pininfarina turned to Pascal Raffy, the owner of BOVET 1822 and of the DIMIER 1738 manufactories, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of his company. The Ottanta® tourbillion, unveiled in 2010, was the first fruit of this collaboration and marked the beginning of a long-term partnership between the two houses. In 2011, BOVET presented the Chronograph Cambiano, and at its last salon in January 2012, the tourbillion Ottanta Due.
At the 82nd Geneva Motor Show which took place in March 2012, BOVET 1822 and Pininfarina have cemented their ties still further. At this event the Turin firm has presented the first concept car entirely designed and produced in-house. It is a luxurious, electrically-powered sport sedan incorporating the design and quality of finish that have underpinned Pininfarina's reputation for 82 years. This prestige vehicle has been named Cambiano in a reference to the town where Pininfarina has its offices and production base, but also to the Chronograph Cambiano developed and manufactured by BOVET.
This year the collaboration between the two legendary houses intensifies and takes a new direction, since this concept car receives a special edition Chronograph Cambiano as its clock. The Amadeo® system that equips the Chronograph Cambiano allows the timepiece to be converted into a wristwatch, a miniature table clock, a pocket watch and, in this case, a sports counter, without the need for any tools whatsoever. The ingenuity of this convertible system designed by Pascal Raffy means that the Chronograph Cambiano – a true champion of versatility – can now add the moniker of dashboard clock to its roll of honour. The centre console of the concept car has a housing in which the Chronograph Cambiano is secured by means of its emblematic bow and its attachment at 6 o'clock. When the driver leaves the vehicle, it takes only a few seconds to convert the dashboard clock into a wristwatch.
To mark the vehicle's launch in fitting style and to ensure a perfect match, this special edition Chronograph Cambiano features the same superior-quality materials that embellish the vehicle's passenger compartment. The strap, normally rubber, is here lined with the same leather used for the vehicle's upholstery. Setting it wholly apart, the car has a parquet floor made of solid oak sourced from piles on which the city of Venice is built. The same wood, renowned for its solidity and stability, has been used to manufacture the counters of the Chronograph Cambiano.
Prestige and elegance characterise this first joint project, together with a sense of legitimacy derived from a genuine partnership and the ecological concept of an electric vehicle whose batteries won't be needed to power the clock, since the latter has a self-winding mechanical movement requiring no fuel whatsoever!
Chronograph CAMBIANO Limited Edition
Case: Type AMADEO® Convertible (wristwatch, table clock, pocket watch, sports counter)
Diameter: 45mm
Thickness: 15.45mm
Case-band: Circular satin-finished steel
Bezels & bow: Ball-milled steel
Crown & push-pieces: Polished steel
Water-resistance: 10ATM – 100 metres – 300 feet
Strap: Rubber lined with leather
Buckle: Steel
Dial: Rhodium-plated with solid oak counters sourced from the piles on which Venice is built.
Movement: Type Self-winding chronograph
Diameter: 31.00mm (13 ¾ ‘'')
Thickness: 8.40mm
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours
