The Bovet watch brand was incorporated in 1822, but its foundations were laid four years earlier, in 1818, on a now-legendary trip to Asia during which watchmaker Edouard Bovet and his brothers introduced their ticking masterworks to a collector in the Chinese city of Ghuangzhou, thus establishing the Fleurier-based manufacture as one of China’s most admired purveyors of timepieces.
In 1814, the Bovet brothers, Edouard, Alphonse and Frédéric left their hometown of Fleurier in Switzerland for London. Four years later, in 1818, Edouard Bovet headed to China where he was able to sell four of his mechanical timekeeping instruments for CHF 10,000 each. In 1822 the brand was founded with a mission to supply timepieces to Imperial China, and Bovet soon became one of the most prominent names in China.
The year 2018 marks 200 years since the departure of Edouard Bovet for China, a distinguished milestone in Bovet’s exceptional history and the ties that bound the brand to China for two centuries.
To mark this anniversary, Bovet unveils an impressive complication developed and manufactured entirely in-house: a 10-day power reserve, triple time-zone watch with hemispherical Earth maps and flying tourbillon. As a vertically-integrated manufacture, Bovet even produces its own hairsprings at its sister company Dimier. Beyond its impressive list of complications, the watch is a fascinating 3D mechanical microcosm in constant motion: the play of movement, volumes, contrasting materials, colors and finishes is striking.
The movement is regulated by a Bovet patented double-sided flying tourbillon. The one-minute rotation of the balance and cage can be admired from both sides of the watch without the interference of a top bridge. The minuscule attachment to the movement is barely visible, and the tourbillon literally appears to float in the air.
The hand-wound caliber 16BM04-TT is composed of 472 parts and operates at 18,000 vibrations per hour. One barrel drives all the complications and ensures a 10-day power reserve. To fully wind the watch, only 75 crown-turns only are required – despite the impressive power reserve. A tribute to Edouard Bovet’s first trip to China, it also lets users track three time-zones at a glance. The local time is read traditionally in the center. The two additional 24-hour time zones are displayed on hemispherical domes representing the Earth. The central hands have been curved to fly over the protruding domes. Each time zone is framed by a window showing the name of the chosen city. The two correctors on each side of the case are for selecting the city and time. Crafted in titanium, the domes are engraved and lacquered by hand, and blue Super-LumiNova is used to highlight the oceans. A third-dome provides a day/night indication. Featured on the back of the watch is a useful power reserve indicator.
The manual-winding caliber16BM04-TT is housed in the brand’s Amadeo convertible case. Patented in 2010, this smart design allows you to transform a timepiece into a reversible wristwatch, a pocket watch or a free-standing table clock. Measuring 46mm in diameter, it is proposed in pink or white gold or in platinum. It is worn on a superb alligator strap paired with a pin buckle. A gold chain is also supplied for the pocket watch configuration.
