BOVET VIRTUOSO VIII 10-DAY FLYING TOURBILLON BIG DATEANGUS DAVIES REVIEWS THE BOVET VIRTUOSO VIII 10-DAY FLYING TOURBILLON BIG DATE.The Bovet Virtuoso VIII 10-Day Flying Tourbillon Big Date features an innovative case shape, Fleurisanne engraving and a finely executed movement.Bovet has…
Category: bovet Watch
Bovet Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso III Perpetual Calendar
Bovet Fleurier SA is a Swiss brand of luxury watchmakers dating back to 1822, founded by Édouard Bovet. It was most famous for its pocket watches manufactured for the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century. Upholding its rich heritage and history, the company continues to pursue aesthetic finesse as well as technical virtuosity. It is known for its high-quality artisan dials, seen in the Fleurier Miniature Painting models, engraving, and its seven-day tourbillon. Bovet watches were also the pioneers of the see-through case back and skeletonized movements. One of their most recent innovations is the Amadeo case, which allows a wrist watch to be converted to a pocket watch or table clock without the use of any tools. Once again, an innovation to uphold its heritage of pocket watches. In this article, we review the Bovet Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso III Perpetual Calendar in 18k rose gold. It retails at S$300.It is a 5-Day Tourbillon with Retrograde Perpetual Calendar and Reversed Hand-Fitting. This watch is not only aesthetically achieved, it is also technically innovative and at the same time a bastion of Bovet’s past. The design concept was centred around allowing the tourbillon cage to remain visible at all times. The manufacture came up with a solution by cleverly tweaking the dial, to centre the hours and minutes display. This was against the convention of hour and minute markers being at the periphery of the dial. Since the human eye is accustomed to interpret this type of analogue display, reading the hours and minutes poses no problem despite of the smaller size. As a result, abundant space was created both for the day and month indicators, as well as a large tourbillon cage. The day and month indicators were diametrically opposed and could use larger inscriptions. To further enhance legibility, the names of the days and months were printed in white on sapphire discs. This transparency allows the subtleties of the mechanism to be admired without taking up excessive space.The design of the case also draws inspiration from its prestigious forebears. The two crystals are curved to evoke the Grand Feu enamelled case-backs of pocket watches manufactured by BOVET. This particular characteristic influenced the very architecture of the movement, since watchmakers concentrated the thickness of the movement in its centre, in order to optimise space requirements according to the theory beloved by Le Corbusier. Because of the reversibility of the timepiece, each component is decorated by hand on both sides. As is customary, artisans at the Manufacture spared no effort in their work. Worthy to mention are the sharp edges of re-entrant angles and rounding-off of the tourbillon cage bridges. Two operations for which can only be accomplished by the dexterity of the human hand.If you were wondering why a single watch has two faces, that is because of the reverse hand-fitting. It allows hours and minutes to be displayed on the reverse side. This original characteristic is present on all timepieces in the Grandes Complications collection and is closely linked to the convertibility concept of its Amadeo case. What’s more, the attention to detail and finishing is not left to chance. Every single spot on the bridges have been engraved by hand with the Fleurier motif beloved by collectors for 192 years.With such a beautiful case and movement, the crown jewel, the tourbillon is set majestically in its cage at 6’o clock. The tourbillon was invented to counter the effects of gravity on the timepiece by placing its regulating organ in a vertical axis. This is significant for when the timepiece is used as a pocket watch or a table clock. Both a technical marvel and an aesthetic masterpiece, the large tourbillon is finely finished, and made to look good on both sides. The arms that connects it to the three-quarter plate emphasise its contours and combine with the circumference of the dial to form an “8”, the symbol of good luck and prosperity. The dimensions of the tourbillon, its inertia, and the design of the balance-spring, allow the heart to beat at a frequency of 21,600 V/h on a 5 days power reserve. Bovet’s Amadeo Fleurieur Virtuoso Tourbillon III is indeed a virtuosic masterpiece. It is as if the watch makers were inspired by Liszt. Beautifully finished and technically superior, we have almost no qualms with this piece. However, it looks too extravagant to be worn on the wrist. It may be due to its size which wears a bit large at 46mm with an onion crown at 12. The size could be due to its pocket watch schizophrenia. Otherwise, the watch could have been perfect, if only it were more subtle.
Bovet Rising Star
Pascal Raffy acquired the House of Bovet in 2001. That same year, Bovet co-founded the Fleurier Quality Foundation (FQF). On that occasion, Pascal Raffy promised that the first Bovet timepiece to be certified would be manufactured entirely in its own workshops. A stunning debut Bovet Rising Star The Rising Star tourbillon is manufactured entirely by DIMIER 1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale (Prestigious Craft Watchmaking Manufactory) which was acquired by Pascal Raffy in 2006; above all, this is the most complicated timepiece to have been developed and manufactured by the manufacture. With its 608 components, the Bovet Rising Star tourbillon is the emblematic model of the Grand Complications Collection. Its movement has a 7day power reserve. In addition to showing the hours, minutes and seconds, the Rising Star tourbillon displays two further independent time zones. Each of the two has a day/night indicator and a disc listing twenty-four cities for the twenty-four different time zones.The Rising Star tourbillon features an Amadeo case which enables the timepiece to be converted into a reversible wristwatch, a miniature table clock or a pocket watch. Because the timepiece is reversible, the watchmakers decided to display the hours and minutes on an off-centre dial on the other side, so creating a fascinating second face. Excellence is required To qualify for the precious label, the timepieces must pass a wide range of stringent tests. Each timepiece must satisfy both chronometric and aesthetic criteria, guarantee perfect reliability, provide evidence of high quality manufacturing processes and be decorated according to the most rigorous norms of Prestige Watchmaking. Last but not least, all of the components must be manufactured and assembled in Switzerland (100% Swiss Made). To justify a chronometric standard worthy of the label, the movements must first obtain a certificate issued by COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute). Since this certification is delivered for the movement alone, it is a recognized fact that the performance measured in the test may no longer be the same once the movement has been cased-up. That is why a second chronometry test is performed by the Fleurier Quality Foundation, once the timepiece has been completed and cased-up. These measurements are taken on a machine that has been specially developed by and for the FQF: the Fleuritest. This is a computer-controlled robot. The movements and daily activity of a wearer’s wrist have been programmed according to various models. With these different models, the Fleuritest simulates the natural movements of a day’s use, while at the same time measuring and analyzing the rate and accuracy of the timepiece. The FQF label also requires the timepiece to be Chronofiable validated. Chronofiable is an independent laboratory whose role is to test the dependability of the components and entire timepiece over the long term. Accelerated “ageing” of the timepiece is simulated. The reputation of Bovet was acquired over nearly two centuries through the combination of perfect chronometry and unrivalled use of the decorative arts applied to watchmaking. The Rising Star tourbillon therefore had nothing to fear from the uncompromising rigour of the experts at the Fleurier Quality Foundation. The movement was presented to them first in kit form so that each component could be examined individually in its entirety. The choice of materials, the resources deployed, the manufacturing techniques, selection of finishes and decoration have all been analysed at great length to determine compliance with the regulations adopted by the Foundation. A second expertise takes place once the movement is finished and assembled in order to test the consistency between theory, aesthetics, functions, chronometry and durability of the movement. Because of the complexity of the Rising Star tourbillon movement, twelve months were needed to complete all of these tests. The principles underlying the Fleurier Quality Foundation likewise embody those of the Bovet. Logically enough, the two seals therefore appear on the same timepiece. This event had to be awaited patiently because Pascal Raffy first needed to restore Bovet’s status as a Manufactory and guarantee its sustained excellence. This first for Bovet is also afirst for the Fleurier Quality Foundation because the Rising Star Tourbillon is the most complicated timepiece to be certified by the Foundation in the twelve years of its existence.Named after a Swiss watchmaker who was a pioneer in selling Swiss timepieces in China, Bovet watches are easily distinguished by the Lépine style pocket watch case with a crown at 12 o’clock. In fact, the straps on all Bovet watches are detachable to convert them into pocket watches, which Bovet calls the Amadeo convertible case. This pocket watch styled case has been the hallmark of the brand since it was resurrected in the nineties by Roger Guye and Thierry Oulevay (who later founded Jean Dunand). In 2001, the Fleurier-based brand was acquired by Pascal Raffy. And just earlier this year Swiss trading house DKSH acquired a fifth of Bovet, as well as the right to distribute the brand in Asia.Mr Raffy has made Bovet into a small high horology brand – production is about 2300 pieces a year – with a lot of focus on decorative dials and cases. Equally significant is Mr Raffy’s decision to vertically integrate Bovet. In 2006 Bovet acquired STT (formerly Progress Watch), which is best known for the tourbillon movements it supplies to various brands including Harry Winston and Peter Speake-Marin, renaming it Dimier 1738. Bovet also acquired dial producer Valor Lopez & Villa in the same year. Having acquired those companies, Bovet now makes nearly all its high complications in-house, along with all of its dials. A good example of Bovet’s movement as well as dial expertise is the Rising Star Triple Time Zone Tourbillon. Equipped with an in-house Dimier calibre with seven day power reserve, the Rising Star is a limited edition of 190 pieces as well as nine unique pieces, one of which is shown here. The unique pieces have miniature paintings on the reverse dials. The miniature paintings are inspired by the pocket watches Edouard Bovet sold in China in the 19th century. This elaborately styled aesthetic, which includes enamelling, engraving and even pearls, is the second design characteristic of Bovet, in addition to the crown at 12.This is the Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Rising Star Triple Time Zone Tourbillon. This exquisite watch has a round case made of 18K pink gold encrusted with 64 baguette-cut diamonds, weighing around 4.27 cts. The first guilloche dial is a brown color with golden hour and minute hands. The power reserve indicator is located at the 12 position. The second and third time zones are at position 9 and 3 positions respectively and include a day/night indicator. A unique two-sided tourbillon combined with a second hand resides on the bottom of the clock. On the reverse side of the watch is a small guilloche brown dial, branded hour and minute hands in pink gold. Like all watches in the Fleurier Amadeo collection, this model can easily be transformed from a wrist watch to a pocket, desktop watch, or even worn as a necklace on a chain. This model is equipped with a Bovet Fleurier 16BM01AI mechanism and has a power reserve of 7 days. Alligator strap with black classic clasp in 18K pink gold. Limited Edition of only 19 copies.
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Bovet Fleurier 0
Bovet Fleurier SA is a Swiss brand of luxury watchmakers chartered May 1, 1822 in London, U.K. by Édouard Bovet. It is most noted for its pocket watches manufactured for the Chinese market in the 19th century. Today it produces high-end artistic watches (priced between US$18,000 and $2.5 million) with a style that references its history. The company is known for its high-quality dials (such as the Fleurier Miniature Painting models), engraving, and its seven-day tourbillon. Watch making was introduced to Fleurier by Daniel-Jean-Jacques-Henri Vaucher, an apprentice of Daniel Jaenrichard, in 1730. At the time the area was known for metal working, a natural result of the iron deposits discovered locally in the 15th century. Watchmaking flourished in and around Fleurier during the late 18th century but because production was sold on credit for the international markets, prices were undercut and economic destabilization brought about by the Napoleonic warscaused watch Bovet watches include much artistic detail, and the company gives the artisans a great deal of independence in creating the elements of the watches, thus encouraging creativity. The Chinese watches were originally sold in pairs in a mahogany box, both for good luck and so that the user would have a back-up watch if one needed repair, as repairs would sometimes take more than six months to complete. The design characteristics of the watch emphasized the elements which appealed to ChineseBrief Brand History for : Swiss Luxury Watch brand Bovet Fleurier SA was launched May 1, 1822 in London, U.K. by Edouard Bovet. Well-known for its 19th century Chinese market pocket watches, today, . Today Bovet produces high-end luxury artistic watches and has become famous for its incredibly intricate dials, engraving and its seven-day tourbillon.Nestled in among the mountainous green forest overlooking the valley’s larger towns of Fleurier and Môtiers is one of the area’s historical attractions: a stone castle whose earliest sections were built in the early fourteenth century. Since its purchase in 2006, the Château de Môtiers has been fully renovated by Bovet owner Pascal Raffy and now serves as the brand’s headquartersBovet Tourbillon Fleurier 0 features the AMADEO case, which allows the tourbillon watch to be converted into a miniature table clock, a pocket watch or a reversible wristwatch without the use of any tools whatsoever. A match made in heaven, considering that the tourbillon was invented in the era of the pocket watch to counter the effects of gravity when the timepiece is positioned vertically
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