Bovet Introduces New Versions of the Fleurier 19Thirty and The All-New Dimier Récital 29

In what has to be the slowest month on record in terms of watch novelties, Bovet breaks the silence with a brand new timepiece, the Dimier Récital 29, and a slightly more decorated version of the Fleurier 19Thirty. Housed in 42mm stainless steel cases with hand-wound movements and formidable power reserves, there can be no mistaking their rarefied provenance.

Dimier Récital 29

It’s quite hard to keep track of the evolution of a particular timepiece at Bovet because of the seemingly random assignment of numbers to the already complex appellations. Be that as it may, this Récital 29, the latest member of the Dimier collection, is the first of the family to feature a steel case. Its 2020 appearance in stainless steel earmarks it as one of Bovet’s ‘everyday’ models.

Endowed with fewer complications than some of its siblings in the Dimier collection (including the impressive Récital 22, which took home the 2018 Aiguille d’Or prize at GPHG 2018), the Récital 29 offers hours, minutes, power reserve indicator and a precision moon phase.

The 42mm case of the Récital 29 is crafted in steel and features the characteristic family hallmark of a sloping case. If you view the watch from the side you can see how it tapers quite dramatically from top to bottom; the height of the case at its thickest point is 11.60mm tapering all the way down to 7.80mm at 6 o’clock. The additional room provided by the sloping case means that a host of innovative displays can be lodged in the upper part of the dial and the angle enhances legibility. The relatively thick polished bezel plunges quite dramatically to reveal the different elements of the dial, which is enhanced with Bovet’s use of multiple planes and depressions alongside openworked architecture and suspended counters.

The hours and minutes are placed in a sub-dial at 12 o’clock. The slightly domed hour disc features a handsome guilloché design like green peacock feathers fanning out from the centre. A second smaller domed disc at 6 o’clock is engraved with a realistic representation of the moon’s surface. An openworked figure-eight structure indicates the age of the moon. Luminescence is hand-applied to the moon allowing it to glow in the dark with striking realism.

The left area of the dial is openworked revealing the hairspring of the balance (left side) on the face of the timepiece as opposed to its usual position on the back. Just above the balance wheel is the power reserve indicator with its small blued hand and blued-screws used to hold the different bridges in place. Finishes, as you would expect, are top-notch and the bridges, decorated with thick Geneva stripes, feature hand-bevelled and polished edges.

The hand-wound movement is powered by a single barrel with a five-day power reserve for the hours, minutes, power reserve indicator and precision moon phase. Like other Bovet moon-phase models, the mechanism only requires one correction every 122 years and all adjustments to the moon phase can be done at the crown by pressing the sapphire cabochon. Although we can’t see the movement in the press pictures, it is no doubt finely decorated.

Quick facts: 42mm diameter stainless steel case, max thickness 11.60, min thickness 7.80mm – crown set with sapphire cabochon – 30m water-resistance – green, black or blue sub-dial for hours and minutes decorated with guilloché – moon phase counter at 6 o’clock with Super-LumiNova – in-house, hand-wound movement – 21,600vph – 5-day power reserve – alligator strap with steel pin buckle – ref. R290001 – CHF 24,500

Fleurier 19Thirty

In the ultra-ornamented world of Bovet watches, the Fleurier 19Thirty is one of the simpler, less extravagant models. Introduced in 2015, the 19Thirty pays homage to the last pocket watches crafted by Bovet before they migrated to the wrist. Described by Pascal Raffy as an ‘everyday’ watch, its debut in 2015 was in a steel case, which was revisited in a luxurious red gold case last year. The collection was also given its own hand-winding movement with a robust 7-day power reserve with only a single barrel.

The 42mm Fleurier-style case, with its crown and hinged bow at 12 o’clock might strike you as unconventional but is very in tune with Bovet’s exquisite design language. (Some 19Thirty models also come in a more standard Dimier case with 4 lugs and a crown at 3 o’clock). Very similar to the red gold version we reviewed last year, the layout of the dial repeats the figure of an upside-down eight, a clear nod to Bovet’s Chinese customers.

Available with blue or black dials with a circular brushed finish, the top counter relays the hours and minutes with classic Roman numerals while the smaller counter marks the passing seconds. Underneath the time indications is a lavish hand-engraved background with typical Fleurisanne foliage motifs.  Unlike the red gold model, the depressions of the engravings are filled with blue or black lacquer, depending on the model. The two semi-circles, flanking either side of the top counter, are recessed; the one on the right is a power reserve indicator and on the left, you can see the top of the barrel.

A sapphire caseback reveals the elegant in-house, manual-winding movement (calibre 11BM04). Like pocket watch movements, the generous 15 ¾ ligne calibre (35.53mm) fills all the available space and offers an exceptional 7-day power reserve on just one barrel. The finishes are in line with Bovet’s craftsmanship with blued screws, perlage on the mainplate and Geneva stripes arching over the bridges.

Quick facts: 42mm x 9mm – stainless steel Fleurier case – 30m water-resistance- blue or black dials with hand-engraved and lacquered Fleurisanne motif – calibre 11BM04, in house, hand-wound – 21,000vph – 7-day power reserve – black or blue alligator strap with steel pin buckle – ref. NTS0020 blue, ref. NTS0019 black – CHF 19,800

More information at bovet.com.