Pascal Raffy and his team at Bovet enjoy setting complications in luxuriously decorated settings. Adjectives like baroque, ornate, intricate, and rococo fit well in this context of hyper-refined watches, where bright colors and the art of guilloché also play an important role. The latest color of the day for Bovet is turquoise, which was introduced earlier this year on the 19Thirty model. Now, Bovet presents three watch models in its repertoire with new turquoise guilloché dials: Récital 27, Récital 23, and Monsieur Bovet.
GUILLOCHÉ
The decorative technique of engraving soft materials like wood or ivory, guilloché was first used in watchmaking in the 18th century and applied by the company's founder, Edouard Bovet, to adorn his luxurious watches. Since the brand was acquired by Pascal Raffy in 2001, Bovet's team of craftsmen have adorned countless dials with this elegant decorative technique. Also known as engine-turning or guilloché, the master engraves a series of intricate geometric patterns on the main dial by hand. Then, layer by layer, a translucent colored lacquer is applied to the pattern. Once the lacquer dries, the engraving pattern reveals itself, allowing the wavy designs to play in the light. Bovet's latest guilloché dials are adorned with an intriguing turquoise color that constantly changes depending on the lighting. From one angle, it appears dark blue, from another - almost an electric shade of blue.
RÉCITAL 27
The Récital 27, released in 2019, is Bovet's take on a travel watch. Since we are dealing with Bovet, these complex travel watches are not limited to the standard two time zones but display three time zones, a domed moon phase indicator with a double hemisphere, and a seven-day power reserve. One of the distinctive features of the Récital 27 is the inclined "writing desk" case, thicker at the top and tapering towards the bottom. Available in grade 5 titanium or 18-karat red gold, the turquoise guilloché versions of the Récital 27 are 46.30 mm in diameter and 15.95 mm in thickness at the top.
Local time is displayed with the hour and minute hands in the center, and two additional dials at the "3" and "9 o'clock" positions indicate the additional time zones. Each additional dial features a traditional hours and minutes dial with a day/night indicator represented by the Sun or Moon. To set the two additional time zones, the corrector on the left adjusts the 9 o'clock additional dial, and the corrector integrated into the cabochon-topped crown on the right adjusts the 3 o'clock additional dial.
The beauty of this system lies in the fact that each additional dial can be independently set to reflect daylight savings time and the city ring selected from two overlapping rings corresponding to the given time zone. At the "6 o'clock" position, the Récital 27 is equipped with a realistically rendered domed double moon phase indicator, displaying lunar cycles in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The precision mechanism driving the moon phases requires only one correction every 122 years.
The turquoise guilloché with a lotus flower pattern is applied to the Bovet 1822 cartouche at noon and on the two additional dials at the "3" and "9 o'clock" positions. Even the screws and the stitching on the strap echo the color scheme. The tips of all the hands and the surface of the Moon are coated with Super-LumiNova luminescent material. The hand-wound movement, visible through the case back, is impeccably hand-finished.
Quick facts: diameter 46.30 mm x height 15.95 mm - 18-karat red gold or grade 5 titanium - water resistance to 30 m - caliber 17DM04-3FPL - hand-wound - 7-day power reserve - 21,600 vibrations per hour - 37 jewels - hours, minutes, coaxial seconds, three time zones, double hemisphere moon phase, and power reserve indication - alligator leather strap with turquoise stitching and white or red gold clasp - ref. R270011/01 in titanium CHF 70,000 - ref. R270011/46 in red gold CHF 75,000 - limited to 60 pieces in each case material.
RÉCITAL 23
The Récital 23 was Bovet's first women's watch with an inclined case. The distinctive features of the Récital include an oval-shaped case and hands that, when close together, form a heart shape. The case, measuring 43 mm x 38.70 mm, made of 18-karat red or white gold, is adorned with 174 round-cut diamonds, with an additional 72 diamonds set on the bezel and cabochon-topped crown.
New to this automatic watch is the design of the off-center hours and minutes dial, occupying the lower half of the dial. The dial is adorned with guilloché and has a beautiful turquoise hue, with 10 diamond hour markers. A three-dimensional structure with a circular aperture highlights the precise moon phase.
Creating and decorating this conical round structure, which projects from the top of the guilloché dial, took more than one day of work. Thanks to the additional space provided by the inclined case, the hemispherical moon phase rises to meet the gaze with a realistic surface texture. The cabochon-topped crown is equipped with a button to adjust the moon phases. The hour and minute hands, as well as the moon phase indicator, are coated with Super-LumiNova luminescent material. The Récital 23 is delivered on an alligator leather strap with turquoise stitching and a matching gold clasp. The automatic movement with a spinning gold rotor engraved with Fleurisanne is visible through the case back.
Quick facts: diameter 43 mm x width 38.70 mm x height 14.40 mm - 18-karat red or white gold - case adorned with 174 round-cut diamonds, bezel with 72 diamonds - sapphire cabochon with corrector - off-center turquoise guilloché dial with 10 diamond indices - precise moon phase indicator at "12 o'clock" - caliber 11DA17-MP - automatic - 21,600 vph - power reserve 62 hours - from 55,000 Swiss francs
MONSIEUR BOVET
Released in 2015, the versatile Monsieur Bovet model can be used as reversible wristwatches, a pendant or pocket watch, as well as a desk clock. Thanks to Bovet's original Amadeo® convertible case, the watch can be transformed without tools. Two cabochons on the lugs at the "12 o'clock" position can be pressed to release the upper strap, and a button hidden in the bezel releases the lower strap, turning the watch into a pendant or pocket watch. To convert the watch into a miniature desk clock, the folding bezel can be lifted and tucked under the watch as a stand.
Since the watch has two dials, the beautiful turquoise guilloché is featured on the front for the full hours and minutes dial and on the back for the smaller off-center dial. Both dials are adorned with a guilloché lotus flower pattern with twelve petals to mark the hours. However, on the largest turquoise dial (without the small seconds counter, usually found on this model), the craftsmanship of Bovet's artisans is showcased in the applied gold Roman numerals, hour, and minute serpentine-shaped hands.
The hand-wound caliber 13BM09AI, developed and manufactured in-house (including the hairspring), beats at 21,600 vph and can store up to seven days of power reserve on a single barrel. Notably, the movement operates on both sides of the watch, offering hours, minutes, and a coaxial seconds hand. By superimposing two seconds wheels rotating in opposite directions on the same axis, Bovet watchmakers achieved this technical feat.
Monsieur Bovet is delivered with a gold-plated silver or rhodium silver chain for a pocket watch or pendant and an alligator leather strap with turquoise stitching and a clasp of red or white gold.
Quick facts: diameter 43 mm x height 12.35 mm - convertible Amadeo case - 18-karat white or red gold - turquoise guilloché with a lotus flower pattern on hour and minute dials - caliber 13BM09A1 - 21,600 vph - 7-day power reserve - double coaxial seconds hand - ref. AI43031 red gold CHF 53,000 - ref. AI43031 in white gold - 56,000 Swiss francs - limited to 60 pieces in each metal.
More detailed information can be found on the bovet.com website.