There is a lot of content in this watch. It has two faces, with time indications on both, a perpetual calendar on one side, and power reserve on the other. The continuous seconds indicator, on a 20-second scale with three hands, can be seen correctly on both sides by virtue of the coaxial seconds carriage that inverts rotation, so that the hand rotates clockwise on both faces. The Amadeo convertible case system enables the piece to be worn as a pocket watch, or attached to a strap and worn as a wristwatch. It is also capable of becoming a table watch. The transformations can be performed by the user without using any tools.
Pascal Raffy, owner of Bovet 1822, started work on the concept for this piece from a logical point of view. Usually, perpetual calendar watches are hard to read because the time indications are given most space, at the very outside of the dial, leaving just small subdials or windows towards the centre. Raffy decided to do the opposite, and placed the time indications on a central subdial so that the calendar functions would have more space in the outside areas.
Days and months are printed in black or white (corresponding to the two dial colours available) on sapphire discs, to provide a view of the mechanism. The date is shown on a retrograde scale just outside the hours and minutes dial, with a white arrow showing the date number. The leap year cycle is shown at the top of the dial.
The watch is powered by Bovet’s first in-house movement, the hand-wound Virtuoso II Specialty Calibre, or 13BN12-AIQPR. It is made by Dimier, a company purchased by Pascal Raffy along with Bovet 1822 in 2001. It runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, 3 Hertz, and provides a 5-day power reserve. Particularly on the calendar face, decoration is intricate, with engravings on all surfaces.
The watch has a case in red or white gold, 43.3 mm in diameter and 15.8 mm thick, water resistance 30 metres. It is supplied with both an alligator strap with red or white gold ardillon buckle, and a gold or rhodium-plated chain. The text on the inner bezel ring is in Swiss French and translates as “To serve a punctual gentleman, (a watch) of great valour and quality made by the hands of masters.” Bovet place this text on every watch with an in-house movement.
The watch, a limited edition, costs 69,000 Swiss francs, US$ 70,000. Bovet presents its new timepieces in January every year, and they can be pre-ordered, with a delivery time of 3-6 months. Each piece can be personalized, adding diamonds on the bezel, or specially-commissioned miniature paintings on the dial. Contact Bovet for further details.
