Inside Bovet’s Manufacture and the Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One Explained

Since 2016, Bovet has unveiled a series of astronomical timepieces. The Shooting Star was the first, followed by the Asterium in 2017. In 2018, we saw the Grand Recital, an impressive watch that won the Aiguille d’Or at the GPHG 2018. These 3 masterpieces were presented in a rather particular case, with a sloping shape reminiscent of writing desks. This case offers unique possibilities, both for the design as well as for the positioning of the complications/indications and movement components. With the Bovet Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One, Pascal Raffy, the Owner of Bovet, selected a sapphire case, again in the same “writing desk” style. This fully transparent sapphire case offers a spectacular view on the superbly decorated movement and the tourbillon beating at 6 o’clock. 

In our latest in-depth video, we’re going to talk to Pascal Raffy about this new Bovet Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One and also visit the manufacture where the magic happens.

The BOVET Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One

Following the fascinating trilogy composed of the Shooting Star, the Astérium and the Grand Récital, all astronomical tourbillons, the Recital 26 is a new, more modern expression based on the inclined case, inspired by and shaped like a sloped writing desk – a design created by Pascal Raffy to diversify and organize the types of displays by using domes, rollers, discs, and three-dimensional hands to enhance ergonomics, and elegance.

The Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One was imagined to put this case on the forefront, but also to give the best possible view on the incredible movement that beats inside this timepiece. In order to give credit to the impressive decoration work done by Bovet’s watchmakers, Mr Raffy wanted a sapphire model, of course for its crystalline transparency, but also because sapphire is the second hardest material known after diamond. The lightness of sapphire is also unsurpassed, and, in fact, weighs less than titanium. This sapphire case is combined with a platinum “chassis” (case back and lugs).

“The Recital 26 was my seek for transparency. The idea was to express a beautiful movement and I wanted the transparency through a sapphire case” Pascal Raffy

Sapphire cases aren’t new and many watch manufacturers have used them in the past (in. fact, for almost 40 years). However, they have always remained relatively simple, due to the machining and polishing constraints posed by this extremely hard material. The asymmetric profile of the middle case, bezel (with a concave profile), and glass of the “writing slope” case confronted engineers and technicians with multiple difficulties. The middle case and the bezel ultimately form a single element that respects the original design of the collection’s inclined cases.

Transparency doesn’t only apply to the case, as the movement is both entirely openworked but also partially covered by a translucent dial, highly domed, made of quartz. This allows an uncluttered view on the impeccably decorated movement, animated by a sun-shaped flying tourbillon positioned at 6 o’clock.

The best is, of course, to watch the video to see all the details of the Bovet Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One and the place where this superb watch has been conceived, developed, manufactured, finished and assembled.

More details at www.bovet.com