In 1820, Edouard Bovet and his brothers founded the company, after seeing the potential of luxury watchmaking in Eastern countries. This was the starting point for "The House of Bovet".
Thanks to its superior quality, elaborate design and decoration, Bovet watches quickly became one of the luxury accessories of the upper class at that time. According to Eastern culture, in addition to the meaning of time, watches also contain the values of luck and blessing. Despite the ups and downs throughout the century, Bovet's creations are highly appreciated by connoisseurs for their ingenuity and meticulousness, demonstrating the level of master craftsmanship.
Bovet's team of artisans spend thousands of hours crafting, refining every detail, to perfect the timepiece that represents longevity. The open-heart design highlights each sophisticated moving part, along with techniques such as enameling, engraving... each work from Bovet attracts the Asian elite, including members of the royal family. Since then, the brand has not only been limited to the East, but has developed to global connoisseurs.
In 2003, under the direction of Mr. Pascal Raffy, Bovet became a "precious gem" containing the spirit of Haute Horology - focusing on highly sophisticated creations, top artistry and complex mechanisms of "in-house" movements.
Bovet produces around 3,000 handcrafted watches each year, most of which are one-of-a-kind designs that express the owner’s individuality. Since the 19th century, the company has mastered the art of creating elaborate enamel miniatures , an element that is highly valued by the Asian elite, especially royalty.
The exquisitely crafted paintings, engraved or miniature on the watch dial, challenge the creativity and patience of master artisans. For example, Lady Bovet, a unique watch version in the world with two dials. The first dial is made of pink mother-of-pearl, combined with a unique guilloche pattern. The second dial is a realistic miniature painting with a pair of doves, evoking the femininity of the owner.
Lacquering the paintings is a long-standing tradition, dating back to the time of founder Edouard Bovet. This allows for a hard enamel finish, enhancing the sharpness of the painting. The frames are also made from rare mother-of-pearl. As watchmaking became industrialized in the late 19th century, the art form of enameling began to suffer due to its inefficiency and high cost. Bovet is one of the few manufacturers that still maintains this technique today.
Like enameling, engraving is a long-standing traditional craft that requires meticulousness, flexibility and talent from the artisan's hand. Bovet clearly depicts every movement of the machine, with ornate designs, creating three-dimensional works of art. The beginning of the Ateliers Bovet design concept is the Virtuoso X Tourbillon limited edition.
Bovet Virtuoso X.
Ateliers Bovet designs allow collectors to unleash their creativity and personalize their timepieces. They will have the opportunity to work with a team of experts to select and refine the design and functions, creating a unique, personalized piece. Thanks to the transparent case - one of the brand's signatures - collectors can admire the beauty of the entire movement. The meticulous and precise art of hand-engraving is now passionately conveyed on Bovet watches.
The Virtuoso X offers a wide range of finishes and bespoke possibilities, with collectors able to choose the names of cities for all 24 time zones. From the very beginning, watchmakers, artisans, engravers and miniaturists have worked together to create the most perfect and balanced versions of this watch.
Accordingly, every part from the dial to the bezel and the bezel is intricately engraved, allowing the collector to customize the design, creating a personal connection between the owner and the piece, giving it a special meaning. The most popular design is the Fleurisanne , a motif introduced in the 19th century. The bases and movements are elegantly arranged with curved motifs, clearly engraved and imbued with oriental culture.
In addition to its long-standing techniques, Bovet is also famous for its mastery of materials in the manufacturing process. Accordingly, Mr. Pascal and the Bovet artisan team constantly search, explore and conquer different materials, creating unique creations.
In addition to the gold or diamond materials commonly found in luxury watches, in 2020, Bovet demonstrated its mastery of materials by using sugar crystals – creating the dial of the Miss Audrey Sweet Art work. This "sweet" combination demonstrates the sophistication of the manufacturing technique, as well as the pioneering of materials that have never been applied in the watch industry.
Miss Audrey Sweet Art.
The brand first selects sugar crystals that are the right size, structure, and resistance to heat and light. Then, artisans paint the crystals with a special, biodegradable lacquer – a process Bovet claims is environmentally friendly. Next, the artisans arrange each crystal on the watch dial, using a microscope. Finally, the dial, once filled with crystals, undergoes a high-temperature kiln firing process.
In order to create a unique visual experience, Bovet’s team of artisans explored the unique colors of Super-LumiNova. Accordingly, the Bovet Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two Reimagined combines the signature details of its predecessor with modern elements, with a Super-LumiNova-coated dial.
Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two Reimagined.
The seconds sub-dial is also carefully coated with Super-Luminova, making it easier to read the time, even in the dark. To achieve this, the sub-dial is fitted to the disc at an early stage of the assembly process, challenging the craftsmen, as a single scratch would require them to start over.
The Super-Luminova-coated dials mark the start of the 21st century for Bovet, with milestones to look forward to in the future. For the brand, darkness is not only a challenge for the watch, but also an opportunity for it to shine.
Finally, the "gift" that Bovet wants to give to collectors is the Grand Complication mechanical machine . Throughout the development process, in addition to the four fundamental techniques of the brand: Engraving, Miniature painting, Materials and Super Luminova - the Grand Complication mechanical machine is the perfect piece, demonstrating the harmony between art and watchmaking technology.
In addition to requiring meticulousness and precision from the artisans, the Grand Complication complex mechanical machine also optimally combines technology and artistry. To create a Grand Complication, the artisan must handcraft each gear, pendulum and other parts with absolute precision, then carefully fine-tune each detail to help the machine achieve optimal performance.
A typical example is the Bovet Grand Récital 22, a watch model that simulates the movements of three planets: Earth, the Sun and the Moon. The Récital 22 Grand Récital has Bovet's signature classic style when it is elaborately decorated, revealing its own unique complexity, combining the sophistication of the baroque art form (irregular pearls), to highlight the contrast between the details.
Récital 22 Grand Récital.
The Flying Tourbillon detail “flies” above the surface of the movement in the center position, giving the watch the ability to display the time precisely. This detail is plated in gold – inspired by the sun, while the bridges represent the rays of the sun, giving it a “radiant” beauty. By rotating once every 60 seconds, the Tourbillon has a second hand attached directly to the wheel and moves over a sector divided into 20 seconds.
Seven years were spent developing one of Bovet’s most iconic pieces – the Amadeo convertible case. This ingenious mechanism allows the watch to be reversible, transforming it into a table or pocket watch.
From the legacy that Bovet 1822 left behind, Pascal Rafy has put his heart into the creation of each watch model, focusing on developing the industry to prove that the brand not only looks to the future, but always respects the eternal values of the past. From the most primitive elements of the watchmaking industry, the Bovet 1822 brand today continuously researches and develops machines, aiming to continue the history of past achievements, preserving the heritage of time for future generations.
Content: Quang Anh - Design: Thai Hung
Official distributor of Bovet 1822 in Vietnam:
Bovet 1822 Hanoi Boutique
Address: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem.
Hotline: (+84) 944 46 5555.
Opening hours: 10:00 – 19:00, Monday to Sunday.
S&S KnightsBridge HCM
Address: Union Square Shopping Center, 171 Dong Khoi, District 1.
Hotline: (+84) 283 821 6848
Opening hours: 9:00 – 22:00, Monday to Sunday.
Bovet 1822 Melbourne Boutique
Address: 298 Collins St, Melbourne, Victory, Australia
Hotline: +61 39 639 4616
Make an appointment here.
Opening hours by appointment: 10:00 – 18:00, Tuesday to Saturday.
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