Since the beginning of motorized vehicles, time and the automobile have been inextricably linked. Timepieces have always had a place in the world of the automobile, either to measure speed over distance or to ensure that the owner always had the correct time.
But watches and cars have never been as linked as they are now. Today, for the first time ever, two tourbillon timepieces from BOVET 1822 have been engineered, designed, and developed in parallel with the production of a coachbuilt Rolls-Royce. Using the revolutionary and patented Amadeo system, these timepieces can transform from a wristwatch to a pocket/pendant watch to a desk clock and... that’s right, a dashboard clock.
Born in the mind and heart of a Rolls-Royce and BOVET 1822 collector, the concept was to design and produce a bespoke Rolls-Royce and two unique BOVET 1822 timepieces, one for himself and one for his wife, that go hand in glove. Three years in development, BOVET 1822 and Rolls-Royce accomplished something never realized before in either industry.
As the mechanical tourbillon timepieces are meant to be mounted in the car as dashboard clocks, this changed the development completely as now they had to be considered part of the car. As a result, the holder and timepiece -- all 51 components engineered and manufactured by Bovet -- had to be tested like any other part of the car for vibration, security, safety, and more. No other timepiece has ever undergone such scrutiny and testing – up to and including crash tests.
BOVET 1822 was challenged to develop timepieces that could be worn on the wrist and instantly converted into dashboard clocks, mounted into a special holder that slots into the car itself.
Timeless passion – a true collaboration with BOVET 1822
In a move that further demonstrates the clients’ visionary approach to contemporary patronage, two great luxury Houses with a common pursuit of perfection have been brought together at the clients’ behest. World-class craftspeople from the House of Bovet 1822, which was founded on the philosophy of ingenuity and engineering, were called upon to work hand-in-hand with Rolls-Royce’s own masters in their field. The mechanically-minded clients sought to break new ground in horology.
As esteemed collectors of both the Switzerland-based House of Bovet and Rolls-Royce, their vision was to create exquisite, ground-breaking timepieces for their Boat Tail. In an act of tireless endeavor and genuine collaboration, the Houses have come together to re-imagine Rolls-Royce’s iconic centerpiece, the dashboard clock.
The result is an accomplishment never before realized in either industry. Two fine reversable timepieces, one for the lady and one for the gentleman, have been designed to be worn on the wrist, used as a table clock, pendant or pocket timepiece, or placed front and center within the Boat Tail’s fascia as the motor car’s clock.
The Mounting Mechanism
The holder mechanism, designed completely by BOVET, started from a blank sheet of paper, as nothing like this had ever been produced before. The designers and engineers in BOVET focused on adapting the patented Amadeo convertible system, which was introduced in 2010 and is tried and proven, as the base of the system.
The timepieces, the holder, and the Boat Tail car were being designed at the same time, so there were many moving parts to this story. Adding to this was the requirement by Rolls-Royce that the system be developed and mounted into the dashboard at the exact time the interior of the car was finished, as no one wanted to have to open up the dashboard later.
There was a tremendous amount of back and forth between BOVET and Rolls-Royce. So many things had to be taken into consideration – any vibration from the car had to be isolated from the timepieces or compensated for, no noise could emit from timepieces, and the system had to be simple, easy to use, and, above all, safe and secure.
From the start, BOVET was determined to accomplish this project in a purely mechanical way, in keeping with its commitment to its in-house, Swiss Handcrafted production. As a result, the engineers and designers had to devise new solutions as they were encountering challenges that they never saw in watchmaking. The solution they chose was to keep all the mechanical parts of the system on the outside of the dashboard. Usually in anything similar, the fixation system never moves, and the movable piece just slots in, like sliding a CD into a CD player. Here it is exactly the opposite – in the dashboard is simply the place for the holder, which is equipped with all the mechanical pieces.
In addition, a special drawer was designed and produced as well, using the same leather as the seats in the Boat Tail. This holds the timepieces, the straps, the chain, the pendant, when not in use. This drawer slides into the dash as well, neatly and cleanly keeping everything in place and secure. Should the timepiece not be mounted in the holder and put into the dashboard, there is a special laser-engraved and lacquered display plaque in its place, to complete the aesthetic of the dashboard.
The completely unique BOVET 1822 timepieces
Bovet has a long history of creating pair timepieces for worldwide collectors. Conceived to be completely original, the two tourbillon timepieces, one for the husband and one for the wife, use newly-designed 18K white gold 44mm cases, brand new unique tourbillon movements, and special dials on both faces. Using the above-mentioned Amadeo system, which was invented by Mr. Raffy and is patent protected by and exclusive to Bovet 1822, these timepieces are reversible and can be converted without any tools. The gentleman’s timepiece is high polished while the lady’s timepiece is ornately engraved then filled with blue lacquer, entirely done in BOVET 1822’s in-house artisanal workshop.
Both timepieces feature an Obsidian Ayous ebony hand-applied wood marquetry front dial, using the same exact wood from the Boat Tail, with the name of each owner on the dial, along with a hand-sculpted and hand-engraved statue of the Rolls-Royce “Spirit of Ecstasy” on the tourbillon bridge. This statue represents several weeks of work from the artisans in BOVET, fashioning the 18K gold by hand all day every day. The wood marquetry is accomplished by one expert artisan who has worked with wood his entire life.
On the reverse side, the dials are even more personalized. The masculine timepiece features an aventurine dial with the owner’s sky chart overlaid on top. The feminine timepiece features a miniature painting of a flower bouquet on a mother-of-pearl dial, done by one single artisan who specializes in this métier d’art. The flower bouquet theme is a historical hallmark from BOVET 1822’s long history making ornate and highly-decorated pair watches, and this concept was chosen by the owner and personalized by BOVET 1822.
In addition, both reverse dials have hand-engraved bespoke sculptures of the coachbuilt Boat Tail, lacquered to match the color of the car, with miniature painting for the details (wheels, door handle, mirrors, and more). Getting the color exactly right was difficult, but BOVET was aided by the relationship between Rolls-Royce and BOVET. The sculpture of the car is amazing in its detail and is a true and accurate representation of the coach-built car – a true work of art accomplished by Bovet’s artisans. As a finishing touch for this side of the dial, the name of each owner’s “better half” is engraved on the tourbillon bridge.
Weight was a real concern for this project, as there were restrictions from Rolls-Royce from the start – BOVET was given a maximum weight for the timepieces and the holder which could not be exceeded. In watchmaking, weight is rarely an issue for a complicated timepiece, so the decision was made to reduce the case size as much as possible, to 44mm, which necessitated creating an entirely new case.
