— The nabucco Tourbillon Cello is the first timepiece in Raymond Weil’s history to feature a tourbillon movement.
“My grandfather’s lifelong love of music combined with my own passion for the cello are the two elements that inspired us to design and develop the nabucco Cello Tourbillon, which is intended as an expression of our brand’s imaginative approach to watch design,” says Elie Bernheim, CEO of the brand.
The nabucco Cello Tourbillon features fine, clean-cut lines creating a striking contrast with the gentleness of the musical intention conveyed through this model. It embodies a clever intertwining of watch components evoking the theme of the cello and enlivening the vibrant heart of this mechanical hand-wound movement
Both sides of this model are fitted with sapphire crystals, providing a plunge into a world of transparency and precision: the movement bridges supporting the tourbillon escapement and mainspring barrel, for example, take the form of the instrument’s distinctive f-holes, while the slender hands are formed in the shape of a cello bow and the five lines of a musical stave are represented in the grooved bezel.
Perhaps the most striking features of the nabucco Cello Tourbillon, however, are the four tiny strings which are stretched taught across the dial of the watch between the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions, combining with the f-hole shaped bridges to create the illusion of an instrument in miniature.
The remarkable musical elements of the mechanism were conceived entirely by the Raymond Weil in-house Research and Development department. The lightness required for the rotating cage harmoniously echoes the steel and titanium case and features an extremely airy variation, despite its generous 46 mm diameter. Carbon fibre sets the perfect finishing touch, stretching along the black PVD-coated sides of the timepiece. In a subtle detail much appreciated by connoisseurs, the screw-lock crown lines up the Raymond Weil logo with the curve of the case, while a genuine crocodile leather strap holds the model firmly to the wrist.