A new, resolutely innovative technique for short-time measurement gives the Bulgari Papillon Chronograph an extremely distinctive character. The extraordinary design in several elements of information on the dial, along with its actual readout, endows it with a unique style bearing no resemblance to traditional chronographs. The centerpiece of this remarkable design features the minutes readout through an ingenious mechanism attached to a disk that rotates. This disk performs a full 360° rotation every half hour and also provides two independent lozenge-shaped hands which glide across a 180° arc forming a graduated scale running from double zero to sixty minutes.
Although one of these, which we'll call hand A, is positioned on the semicircular arc with its tip pointing towards the minutes, hand B remains rolled out throughout the disk's rotation. When the former reaches the 55th second on the display side, the latter extends with a gradual quarter-turn to take its place concurrently, aligning hand A with the 00-minute mark. And as soon as the minutes restart from zero, hand A slowly folds back and stays so until the next 55th minute.
The entire set of functions is driven by the entirely in-house manufactured Manufacture Caliber 2319, a Frederic Piguet mechanical self-winding chronograph movement with a column wheel and vertical coupling clutch, as well as an exclusive Daniel Roth complication module. It offers a 38-hour power reserve and beats at a frequency of 21,800 vibrations per hour (3Hz).
This sophisticated movement is finished to exceptional standards including rounded graining on the mainplate and chronograph bridges, along with Côtes de Genève adorning the bridge of the self-winding system. All the edges are chamfered and polished, as are the screw heads. The visible metal movement components are satin-brushed, chamfered, and lustrous.
The level of quality continues in the slightly curved and extremely comfortable double-ellipse case in rose gold, which is water-resistant to 25 meters. A domed anti-glare sapphire crystal protects the split-level dial presented with alternating white-lacquered and black gold satin-brushed finishes, showcasing the exclusive and fascinating personal touch within Bulgari’s collection inspired by Daniel Roth calibers.
The Bulgari Papillon Chronograph model is equipped with an alligator leather strap fitted with a triple-blade rose gold collapsible buckle.