Bovet Pop up Visit

During the time I have spent researching the world of luxury watchmaking, there have been a few artisan brands which have stood out to me as truly remarkable. The House of Bovet is absolutely one of these. A quick search through their catalogue, showcased on their website (link at the end of this post) will show you exactly why. Every single timepiece is born entirely of the hands of only the most skilled watchmakers, true experts in their respective fields. With very few Bovet timepieces produced annually, the opportunity to see them up close and personal is rare, and so upon learning there was a series of Bovet pop-up stores within various Watches of Switzerland locations in London, this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

Bovet Pop Up

Instantly, I was in awe of these timepieces. Seeing them up close gives you a real sense of the meticulous attention to detail and fine craftsmanship that goes into each timepiece. The display included 4 cases with timepieces from various collections, and a centre-piece comprising a set of moulds of the watchmakers’ hands and their names. I thought this wonderfully conveyed the intimacy that goes into Bovet’s timepieces, serving to create a real connection between the watchmakers, the manufacture, and ultimately the clients.

However, my luck was only just beginning… before long the attendants detected my enthusiasm and were only too keen to let me try some on. Having taken the day off from work to specifically visit the Bovet pop-up, I was in no rush and so gladly took them up on the kind offer. Naturally, I gravitated to the stunning Bovet Récital 22 Grand Récital:

This is, far and away, the most impressive timepiece I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. The Grand Récital is based on a tellurium, a complication which shows the positions of the Earth, the moon and the sun relative to one another. The Earth rotates once every 24 hours, and the moon rotates around the Earth once every 29.53 days. In this image, the meticulously detailed, hand-lacquered Earth is evident, however the moon is at the “3 o’clock” position on the Earth, and the sun is nestled on the tourbillon at the bottom of the dial. The hours are indicated by the numbers on the edge of the Earth, a retrograde minute display is to the left, and the 9-day power reserve indication to the right. Not to mention there is a perpetual calendar display on the reverse of the dial. This particular model is made from 950 Platinum, and comes in at approximately £460,000.

Over the course of a couple of hours, I enjoyed speaking with the impressive Bovet representative, who was courteous enough to spend the time with me and, upon finding out that I had visited the store purely to see their timepieces, insisted on ensuring that my visit was well worth it. He showed me a multitude of models and talked me through the artisan process behind their creations, finer details otherwise missed. For example, listening closely to the distinctive tick-tock sound, beating every second within the Pinanfarina OttantaSei calibre (an unusual sound to hear in a mechanical watch); and the craftsmanship behind the finishing of every finer detail on the Virtuoso VIII Big Date Tourbillon – where there is a “negative” in the relief of the surface, this is gently hammered into place by hand, taking several weeks to complete per piece.

Overall, I had a fantastic few hours talking all things watches with representatives of both Watches of Switzerland and Bovet, and came away even more in awe of the timepieces that crafted by the manufacture, and extremely glad that I had made the effort. Thank you, Watches of Switzerland and Bovet.

If you have any questions, please get in touch via our Contact page, or via our Instagram.

For more information, visit Bovet.com

 

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