Bianchet unveils the UltraFino Sapphire, a striking new interpretation of its ultra-thin skeleton tourbillon, now reimagined in a fully transparent sapphire case. This creation blends the Maison’s geometric aesthetic with a bold use of modern materials, reaffirming Bianchet’s vision of refined, architectural watchmaking built to endure everyday wear.
A Crystal-Clear Statement of Design Purity
Guided by the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci geometry, the UltraFino Sapphire transforms transparency into a design language. Its curved tonneau case, crafted entirely in sapphire, reveals every detail of the movement’s architectural skeleton. Light flows freely through its structure, highlighting Bianchet’s philosophy which merges the elegance of pure lines, with perfect wearability through lightness, ergonomics, and resilience.
While sapphire watches are often admired but seldom worn daily, the UltraFino Sapphire is engineered for the real world. The sapphire’s hardness and scratch resistance are complemented by a white rubber joint that ensures an exceptional 5 ATM water resistance, a rare feat in the sapphire watch segment where 3 ATM is the norm. The white gasket is not hidden, it’s celebrated, creating a clean graphic line around the case, turning a technical element into a design signature.
One of the Thinnest Full-Sapphire Watches Ever
At just 9.8 mm thick, the UltraFino Sapphire is one of the slimmest full-sapphire watches on the market (leaner than the 11.5 to 23 mm profiles common among sapphire-case peers). Combined with the ergonomic curvature of the tonneau case, it wears with unexpected lightness and comfort, making it a genuine contender for daily use.
Machining a curved tonneau case in sapphire is among the most demanding challenges in watchmaking. The crystal must be shaped with micron-level precision, and the 1.2 mm curvature adds complexity that makes reducing overall thickness exponentially harder. Achieving a case under 10 mm in height required not only perfecting the sapphire machining process, but also creating an exceptionally slim movement capable of fitting within these exacting dimensions, without compromising the resilience and precision of the watch.
A Trilogy of Materials. One Vision.
Bianchet’s approach to contemporary watchmaking embraces materials more often associated with cutting-edge engineering than with traditional ateliers. The grade 5 titanium of the UltraFino offers exceptional lightness, strength, and corrosion resistance, while its integrated bracelet underscores a seamless architectural flow. The high-density carbon composite, crafted into both case and bracelet, delivers remarkable structural rigidity with an almost weightless feel, its deep matte finish revealing subtle layers of its construction. Now, with the full sapphire case of the UltraFino Sapphire, Bianchet adds crystalline transparency to this material trilogy, uniting hardness, scratch resistance, and visual purity. In each version, high-tech materials are not employed for novelty alone, but as integral elements of design and performance, reaffirming that haute horlogerie can be as forward-looking as it is finely crafted.
The UT01: A Technical and Aesthetic Showcase
Inside beats the Bianchet UT01 Tourbillon calibre, an ultra-thin automatic movement just 3.85 mm thick yet shock-resistant to 5000 Gs, a rare combination in haute horlogerie.
Sculpted in grade 5 titanium, the bridges, which are satin-brushed, polished and require over fifteen hours of hand-chamfering, create a structure of striking purity, around which the massive gold oscillating weight comes to life. This rotor, shaped into twelve interlacing Fibonacci spirals, embodies one of the Maison’s most poetic signatures. At the heart of this composition, the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock performs its aerial dance, a symbol of harmony between precision and horological emotion.
Sport-Luxury Detailing
The UltraFino Sapphire is fitted with a white natural vulcanized rubber strap, secured by a grade 5 titanium folding buckle. The choice of white echoes the case’s distinctive sealing joint, creating a harmonious visual flow from case to strap. Soft yet durable, the strap brings a tactile comfort that complements the ergonomic curvature of the case, making the watch a pleasure to wear throughout the day. A second strap in black natural vulcanized rubber offers versatility, bringing a bolder contrast and allowing for seasonal interchangeability.
The new UltraFino Sapphire proves that a sapphire watch can be more than a showcase piece. It can be both a refined and resilient companion, uniting pure lines and architectural elegance with enduring performance.
For more information please visit:
