The Elegance of Bovet
The pyramid that make up Bovet’s comprehensive manufacturing facilities is comprised of 3 foundational points: The Chateau de Môtiers, the DIMIER 1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale and the Bovet 1822 Manufacture de Cadrans et de Sertissage. All three were acquired by Bovet proprietor and CEO Pascal Raffy in an effort to have every watch meticulously created and finished in-house – a feat for an independent brand that caps its production 800 watches a year.
The DIMIER 1738 manufacture in Tramelan, nestled in the Jura region of Switzerland, houses most of the brand’s complications and movement creation. All components, cases and decoration are done in-house, something that’s becoming increasingly rare in today’s age. Bovet even continues to create traditional balance springs instead of using silicon balance springs (which are more commonly used in commercial watchmaking); something that only ten other brands in the industry still do. Their output is such that they don’t just work on Bovet’s incredibly complex pieces, such as the Recital or the Virtuoso, but they also create components for other brands in the industry and even other industries altogether like the medical, electrical and even aeronautical sectors. While the focus has always been on traditional craftsmanship executed by hand in as many aspects of the watch as possible, the Bovet manufacture also houses the necessary facilities and equipment in machining, stamping and electro erosion to be up to par with other brands in the luxury watch industry. And Bovet’s latest releases in 2020 are a testament to the artistic and industrious power the manufacture produces.
THE SECOND CHAPTER
Few brands can effectively combine innovative, futuristic materials and techniques and artisanal craftsmanship as impressively as Bovet does in the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two. The piece is the second watch to be fitted with a sloping “writing desk” case made of sapphire crystal, a material that is notoriously difficult to machine. While sapphire cases have been around for over 40 years in the industry, the use of them has always remained limited and straightforward in terms of design – during production, sapphire can break easily and is difficult to mold in a certain way, so the tilted nature of the Récital 26 Brainstorm posed many engineering challenges. The push for this unique case design came from Mr. Raffy’s desire to display functions differently, utilizing all the visual points available through a sloped sapphire case. In the first chapter of the Récital 26 Brainstorm unveiled in 2019, every function was clearly visible thanks to the movement being fixed on the bottom part of the case rather than in the middle, as is typically done in other watches.
This same construction is done in the Chapter Two, so the sapphire case proudly showcases the domed dial (available in a choice of blue or green translucent quartz or blue aventurine glass), displaying the hours and minutes. The seconds can be read thanks to an index on the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and two rotating domes are placed at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. The dome at 3 o’clock displays the second time zone and has 24 cities printed on it, which you can rotate to choose your second time zone. At 9 o’clock, the dome displays a moon phase indicator, with the moon engraved to reflect the uneven surface of the lunar ground.
Innovation blended with craftmanship
Another show of fine craftsmanship combined with creative innovation are the Miss Audrey and Fleurier 19Thirty pieces. Both pieces feature Bovet’s unique bow and crown positioned at 12 o’clock on their respective cases – a characteristic that makes all Bovet watches instantly recognizable and something that instantly charmed Mr. Raffy many years ago when he was initially introduced to the brand, before he acquired Bovet. Still in a classic 42mm stainless-steel case, the Fleurier 19Thirty today comes to us in a choice of blue or black brushed dial and seconds subdial, embraced by delicate “Fleurisanne” engraving. The 19th century technique has been used by Bovet many times before to decorate the bridges and bars of its movements, and are here hand engraved then lacquered, also by hand, in either blue or black depending on the model.
On the Miss Audrey, the new model comes in a green dial with a beautifully executed guilloché pattern inspired by the lotus flower. The vivid green of the dial is complemented by four diamonds at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, as well as diamonds set on the bow above the crown. The innovation in this piece is evident in Bovet’s patented Amadéo® convertible case, which makes the piece convertible into a pendant, wristwatch or even desk clock. For this reason, the piece comes with a choice of satin or alligator strap and a rhodium plated silver necklace chain.
