Bovet Virtuoso XI
Channel: MyLuxePoint
Date: 2023-03-31

FOR ALL TO SEE
The BOVET 1822 Virtuoso XI

“In today's world of mass-produced luxury, here at BOVET we focus on handcraftsmanship and the human touch,” says Mr. Pascal Raffy, owner of BOVET 1822. “I am proud to introduce the Virtuoso XI, which combines contemporary high watchmaking with artisanal hand-finishing and hand-engraving. This piece is an ode to BOVET’s artisans, who take such pride in every step of the process.”

People all over the world love to admire the mechanical mastery of a high watchmaking movement. Fascinated by the spinning and turning of the tourbillon, they delight in the intricacy of the gears, the sensuous lines of the bridges, the finishing on the plates, and in every spectacular detail.

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.




Virtuosity

The Virtuoso collection from BOVET 1822 gets its name from the designation given to those with the ultimate level of skill in a particular art or field, and this truly represents the level of the artisans in the House. Mr. Raffy considers every member of the House as an artisan and a virtuoso. The timepieces produced by these virtuosos are not just time keepers, but instead works of art.

Inside Skeletonization

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.

For this reason, the Virtuoso XI flying tourbillon movement, first used in the Virtuoso VIII (2017), already endowed with beautiful and finely finished details, was re-engineered specifically to be open worked. The original movement’s Grand Date was removed and the gear train relocated to a more aesthetic position, and the entire movement was designed to be skeletonized. The bridges and plates were made as thin as possible from the start, and where they couldn’t be made any thinner due to structural requirements, angling and beveling makes them appear thinner than they actually are.