Features & Functionality
Virtuoso XI White Gold
4 000 000 kr
Virtuoso XI White Gold
Overview
It stands to reason that skeletonized timepieces particularly appeal, for they put all the mechanical complexity on full display. In the 22 years since Mr. Pascal Raffy took the helm of BOVET, he has insisted on making sure the movement is visible, its high watchmaking pedigree open to be admired, while at the same time reinforcing the House’s commitment to the decorative arts.
Given this focus on mechanical artistry, it might seem a bit surprising that the new BOVET 1822 Virtuoso XI is the very first full skeleton timepiece the House has ever introduced.
And what a skeleton it is.
The new BOVET 1822 Virtuoso XI is the very first full skeleton timepiece the House has ever introduced. BOVET has done several timepieces that show a great deal of the movement (like the Virtuoso III or the Amadéo Amadéo), but they all had dials and were not completely skeletonized. To remedy this, BOVET 1822 owner Mr. Pascal Raffy decided to design the movement to be completely skeletonized and engraved, while at the same time keeping it refreshingly simple with just the flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, and the power reserve.
BOVET 1822 has a complete hand-engraving and finishing workshop within the Tramelan manufacture. The Virtuoso XI was realized in this workshop, working on the components designed to be completely skeletonized and hand-engraved on both sides.
The engravers at BOVET love a challenge, and the start of the engraving for the Virtuoso XI — even the pont de minuterie (the minute train bridge) is engraved (in fact, this bridge was designed to be thicker so it could be engraved) — resulted in a lot of consternation, wringing hands, shaking heads, and the repeated use of the word fou (French for “crazy”). Once they started, however, the artisans took up the gauntlet and the finished movement is a triumph of the human touch and the artistry of the engraver.
The hand-engraving for the Virtuoso XI takes around 60 hours for the movement and the Writing Slope case. The engraving is done free-hand and leaves no room for mistakes. As a result, the production of the Virtuoso XI is severely limited, due to the time it takes to engrave and finish each movement and case, and the meticulousness needed at every step — the artisans at BOVET can only produce one or two a month.
The manufacture of the Virtuoso XI with its 283 components, takes between five and six weeks, including the finishing, skeletonizing, and engraving. No assembly lines at BOVET 1822.
By our count, 60 pairs of hands, or 120 individual hands, interact with the Virtuoso XI as it makes its way through the production process.
Special Engraving.
This new version of the spectacular Virtuoso XI features special “Pierre du Chateau" engraving on the case and bow. Replicating the stones of the castle, BOVET's ancestral home and its international headquarters, this hand-engraving takes more than 80 hours of painstaking work to complete. The brand-new tourbillon movement with 10 days of power reserve is also hand engraved, with incredible attention to detail throughout.
The delicate dance when skeletonizing a movement is to remove enough material to enhance the aesthetics and completely show the inner workings, while still keeping the movement robust enough to function impeccably. Take away too much material from the bridges, for example, and they could deform and damage the performance of the movement.
With the Virtuoso XI, the movement was specifically conceived and designed from the start to have enough space to engrave both sides of the bridges and plates, and room to admire them, and the result is exceptional. More transparent than any timepiece that BOVET has ever produced, every aspect of this high watchmaking movement is on full display.
The hand-engraving for the Virtuoso XI takes around 60 hours for the movement and the Writing Slope case. The engraving is done free-hand and leaves no room for mistakes. Surprisingly, the engravers, sitting quietly in the well-lit atelier, don’t seem to feel any pressure, though anyone watching them certainly does. The artisans delight in the dance of their tools as they transform a plain bridge or plate into an engraved objet d’art.
The decoration is BOVET’s own Fleurisanne motif, one that the House has used for decades. Inspired by the tree leaf pattern on Greek columns from centuries ago, this theme is one of the signatures of BOVET. The name of this motif recalls that the House is still based a stone’s throw from where it was founded – a small village named Fleurier.
The flying tourbillon movement that drives this exceptional timepiece meets BOVET’s demanding criteria of chronometry, reliability, and expression. It draws its energy from a single barrel that ensures more than 10 days of power reserve (240 hours, when the industry standard is 42-48 hours), all while maintaining the balance wheel’s oscillations at 18,000 vph.
Finally, the long power reserve, provided by a single barrel, would require meticulous winding if not for the spherical differential winding system. The application of this ingenious mechanism, and the multi-gear three-dimensional teeth of one of its pinions, has received two patents. Because of this system, the number of crown turns needed for full winding of the mainspring is halved without increasing friction and forces exerted on the gears.
About Bovet
For more than 200 years, Bovet 1822 has been manufacturing Swiss Handcrafted timepieces, introducing innovative designs and astounding complications that push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking.
Mission Statement
Since 1822, the House of BOVET has been focusing on the decorative arts, timepiece design, chronometry, and mechanical timekeeping ingenuity.
With its in-house capability, BOVET 1822 is committed to manufacturing its own components, including complicated movements, dials, cases, and even spirals (something only a handful of companies can claim).
Mr. Pascal Raffy
In 2001, the House of BOVET is purchased by Pascal Raffy, a collector of BOVET and other timepieces.
Mr. Raffy is now the sole owner of BOVET 1822.
In 2006, Mr. Raffy purchased DIMIER 1738, a manufacture of tourbillons and spirals, as well as a case manufacturer.
At the same time, he purchased the Castle of Môtiers, once owned by the Bovet family, and installed the headquarters of the brand and the timepiece assembly, final quality control, as well as the engraving workshop.
Under the visionary guidance of owner Mr. Pascal Raffy, BOVET 1822 acquired renowned tourbillon and dial manufactures in 2006. DIMIER 1738, now renamed BOVET 1822, immediately began producing the Maison’s movements, hair springs, and dials in-house.
Describing Bovet
These are the words we prefer to be used when describing BOVET:
-
Swiss Hand-Craftsmanship
-
Innovation
-
In-House Production
-
Cutting-edge Design
-
Risk-Taking
-
Traditional
-
The Human Touch
- Manufacture
Integrated Manufacture
Today, Bovet is an integrated manufacture doing nearly 100% of the production and assembly of its timepieces.
-
Conception
-
Profile Turning, CNC, Electro Erosion
-
Tool Production
-
Stamping
-
Spiral Manufacture
-
Finishing
-
Polishing
-
Decoration
- Engraving
Technical Specifications
FUNCTIONS
- Hours, minutes, seconds on tourbillon, power reserve indicator, Fleurier Writing Slope
DIAMETER
- 44.00 mm
THICKNESS (with glasses)
- 13.45 mm
THICKNESS (without glasses)
- 7.00-9.40 mm
DIAL
- Skeleton dial in white 18-carat gold
CASE MATERIAL
- 18-carat White gold
BRACELET
- Full skin alligator
BUCKLE
- Pin in 18-ct White gold ardillon
WATER RESISTANCE
- 30 m / 3 ATM
MOVEMENT
History of Bovet
1797 – 1839
Establishment of the BOVET Dynasty
1797
Edouard Bovet was born in Fleurier. He was the son of Jean-Frédéric Bovet. He followed his father’s footsteps and became a master-watchmaker.
1818
Edouard Bovet left London April 20 aboard the Orwell, ship of the “Compagnie des Indes,” on a voyage to China. He arrived in Canton, on August 16, where he quickly sold four watches for the sum of CHF 10,000 representing the equivalent of one million dollars today.
1822
The House of BOVET, a family business, was registered on May 1st, in London.
1835
The CHÂTEAU DE MÔTIERS was built in the 14th century, overlooking le Val-de-Travers and Fleurier. It was sold to Henri-François Dubois-Bovet.
1840 – 2000
BOVET’s Golden Age
1840
Frédéric Bovet left London and returned home to Fleurier, where he managed the watchmaking workshops that at the time employed 175 people.
1849
Edouard Bovet died in Fleurier at the age of 52, leaving his legacy in China. At that time, BOVET was a synonym of watch for the celestial (Chinese people), and used as a trade currency.
1855
During the Universal Exhibition held in Paris, BOVET won the gold medal in the category ‘luxury’ for a pair of enameled watches commissioned by the Emperor of China.
1889
Fritz Bovet, Alphonse’s eldest son, filed a patent for a flyback chronograph equipped with a seconds-hand, minute-counter, and hour-counter that featured measurements of up to 24 hours. This ingenious mechanism offered the possibility of using the chronograph as a second-time zone.
1939
BOVET filed a patent for the Easel watch, which allowed the use of a pocket watch as a table clock. Another patent was filed for the Mono Split-Second chronograph, which today remains highly desirable among collectors.
1957
Henri-François Dubois-Bovet’s great grandchildren gifted the Castle of Môtiers to the state of Neuchâtel.
2001 – Present
The Pinnacle of the Watchmaking Arts
2001
Pascal Raffy, a passionate collector of Haute Horology, became sole owner of BOVET Fleurier SA.
2006
Pascal Raffy bought the Castle of Môtiers, classified as a historical monument, from the State of Neuchâtel, and established the first BOVET’s assembly workshop. To continue the legacy of the Bovet brothers, he soon integrated the DIMIER 1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale and BOVET Manufacture of dials.
2007
To celebrate their mutual respect and admiration, the House of BOVET and Pininfarina established a partnership to create luxury sport timepieces that unites their passion for design and engineering brilliance.
2010
The House of BOVET premiered the patented Amadéo® convertible case, which allows you to transform your timepiece in a reversible wristwatch, table clock and pocket watch (or necklace watch) without the use of any tool.
2014
BOVET launched the Virtuoso II Caliber, the first movement not regulated by a tourbillon to be entirely developed and handcrafted in-house.
2015
Pascal Raffy unveiled two historical timepieces exclusively handcrafted by the BOVET’s artisans: the incredible Braveheart®, with 6 patents and an impressive 22-day power reserve, and the 19Thirty designed in homage to the pocket watches created by the Bovet family in the 1930s.
2018
Pascal Raffy’s commitment and dedication to the highest level of Haute Horology is both acknowledged and honored when the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards the Récital 22 Grand Récital, its most coveted award, the Aiguille d’Or.
2020
The Bovet Family welcomed Miss Audrey Raffy and her passion for Haute Horology, as she joined forces with her father Mr. Pascal Raffy to continue leading the pathway of Engineering Brilliance.
Mr. Pascal Raffy was honored to receive the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award for Mechanical Exception for the magnificent Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two and the Ladies’ Watch award for the beautiful Miss Audrey timepiece.
Mr. Pascal Raffy’s long-term strategy and vision.
Heritage, Innovation, Emotion, and Passion
Mr. Pascal Raffy’s tremendous energy, paired with a long-term strategy and vision, has enabled him to raise the House of BOVET to the pinnacle of the watchmaking arts.
Haute Horlogerie
Pascal Raffy discovered the fascinating world of Haute Horlogerie during his childhood when Sundays were spent with his grandfather, a watch connoisseur who used to show him the timepieces from his collection. He would review the specific features of each, along with their history or their influence on the technical or artistic evolution of fine watchmaking.
That was enough to ignite an ongoing passion for Haute Horlogerie and even more importantly instil the human values and awareness of authentic luxury thus passed on to Pascal Raffy. These qualities now represent the pillars upon which the House of BOVET has built its success.