Inside Bovet, a Unique Manufacture of High-End, Astronomical Watches

The independent watchmaking scene is vast and comprises dozens of brands, ateliers and one-man shows. What still impress us here, at MONOCHROME, is how these watchmaking brands manage to create passion and to stand out from the crowd with striking products. Among them is Bovet, a unique manufacture with impressive horological capacity, superbly decorated movements and a focus on astronomy. Today, we’re in Motiers, at the brand’s headquarters, to talk with owner Pascal Raffy about these fascinating timepieces.

Shooting Star, Astérium, Grand Récital… Intriguing names that refer to the very best of Bovet’s production. Superbly decorated watches, ultra-complex movements, openworked designs and fascinating astronomical displays are what you’ll get with this trilogy of watches, also known as the “Récital” chapters, which we have reviewed in this exclusive video.

Bovet was founded in 1822 by Edouard Bovet and specialised in high-end, openworked pocket watches sold mainly to the Chinese market. In 2001, Pascal Raffy acquired this brand and created a vertically integrated manufacture that, even today, continues to create exquisitely finished, high-end, complex watches with astronomical complications and unique transformable cases – as an ode to the antique pocket watches created by Edouard Bovet. Today, MONOCHROME is in Motiers, where Bovet has its headquarters and some of its manufacturing facilities.

In the video at the top of this article, Mr Raffy explains what makes the brand unique, guides us through his impressive production facilities and finally, presents three highlight watches in the Récital collection.

More details on bovet.com.