Virtuoso XI

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Virtuoso XI - Bovet 1822
Bovet introduces its very first full skeleton timepiece

The delicate dance when skeletonizing a movement is to remove enough material to enhance the aesthetics and completely show the inner workings, while still keeping the movement robust enough to function impeccably. Take away too much material from the bridges, for example, and they could deform and damage the performance of the movement.

For this reason, the Virtuoso XI flying tourbillon movement, first used in the Virtuoso VIII, already endowed with beautiful and finely finished details, was re-engineered specifically to be open worked. The original movement’s Grand Date was removed and the gear train relocated to a more aesthetic position, and the entire movement was designed to be skeletonized. The bridges and plates were made as thin as possible from the start, and where they couldn’t be made any thinner due to structural requirements, angling and beveling makes them appear thinner than they actually are.

With the Virtuoso XI, the movement was specifically conceived and designed from the start to have enough space to engrave both sides of the bridges and plates, and room to admire them, and the result is exceptional. More transparent than any timepiece that Bovet has ever produced, every aspect of this high watchmaking movement is on full display.

Virtuoso XI

Hand-Finishing

The first step once the components are produced is to finish them all by hand. They are beveled and angled in preparation for the next step, the engraving. The finishing is all done thanks to the expertise of the artisans, who know just how much material they should remove to achieve the perfect symmetry and shape. Some of the parts can take hours to bevel and angle to get them just right. Remove too much material and the piece has to be discarded and the process starts over.

Traditional Hand-Engraving

The hand-engraving for the Virtuoso XI takes around 60 hours for the movement and the Writing Slope case. The engraving is done free-hand and leaves no room for mistakes. Surprisingly, the engravers, sitting quietly in the well-lit atelier, don’t seem to feel any pressure, though anyone watching them certainly does. The artisans delight in the dance of their tools as they transform a plain bridge or plate into an engraved objet d’art.

The production of the Virtuoso XI is severely limited, due to the time it takes to engrave and finish each movement and case, and the meticulousness needed at every step - the artisans at Bovet can only produce one or two a month.

Virtuoso XI

The Manufacture Movement

The flying tourbillon movement that drives this exceptional timepiece meets Bovet’s demanding criteria of chronometry, reliability, and expression. It draws its energy from a single barrel that ensures more than 10 days of power reserve (240 hours, when the industry standard is 42-48 hours), all while maintaining the balance wheel's oscillations at 18,000 vph.

Two Versions Available

The new Virtuoso XI comes in a 18K white gold case, with the option for engraved or high polished, and set with brilliant-white diamonds or unset. The Virtuoso XI is a triumph of high watchmaking, skeletonization, hand-engraving, and hand-decoration. All told, more than 60 pairs of human hands have come together to transform this timepiece into a true work of art.

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