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Nautilus, the awe-inspiring speaker designed by Bowers-Wilkins

Nautilus is an icon of speaker design. Form followed function in a quest for audio perfection; design awards followed. Nautilus was accorded a Millennium Award and has been seen at the Design Council and the Design Museum London. Share

It’s obvious that Nautilus is no ordinary loudspeaker, even before you listen to it. That’s because it’s the product of no ordinary speaker manufacturer. The Nautilus is the end result of the most ambitious research and development project Bowers & Wilkins has ever undertaken – to create, as near as possible, the perfect loudspeaker.

Nautilus demands craftsmanship from skilled people. For instance, the Nautilus shell’s pearlescent finish comes from 12 carefully applied lacquer coats containing aluminium and mica particles, and a unique baking and curing system. Crucial drive unit components are made using a mix of hand-assembly techniques and semi-automatic production. For example, voice coils are wet-wound with high-temperature resin, then baked in a special oven to ensure enhanced performance and durability. This perfectionism makes for a slow production process, but ensures Bowers & Wilkins consistently reach world-class levels of quality.

Nautilus, the awe-inspiring speaker designed by Bowers-Wilkins
Photo: Courtesy of Bowers & Wilkins

Nautilus’s beautifully curved, seamless exterior is moulded from 10mm-thick, glass-reinforced ABS, like a Formula One racing car. Stiff, solid and durable, with no sharp edges to diffract sound, it’s ideal for a speaker enclosure. It comes in three standard colours: silver, black and midnight blue. But, as befits such a unique speaker, Bowers & Wilkins also offer a special service that can match any colour you specify from a sample or colour reference.

Nautilus is a truly ground-breaking high-performance loudspeaker. It received wide acclaim when it launched, and now two decades on it still garners praise including being cited as one of the best high-end loudspeakers ever.

Visit www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk