The Pinnacle of Artisanal Handwork
In the heart of the Jura Mountains in northern Switzerland, hidden away in the watchmaking village of Tramelan, is a workshop that is high watchmaking’s most traditional – the BOVET engraving atelier.
It is here in this workshop, lit by natural light flowing through huge windows, that BOVET’s master engravers meticulously craft the House’s artistic masterpieces, by hand, one by one.
In this essentially quiet and calm environment, time stands still. BOVET owner Pascal Raffy understands that creating works of art is a delicate process, so there are no deadlines, there is no pressure — each engraved timepiece takes the time it takes to get it to perfection. This way, the artisans can focus on the task at hand, without distractions or undue stress.
All the engraving is done freehand, without the aid of machines or templates. One mistake and the work must start from the beginning.
The History of Engraving
Evidence of engraving can be found as far back as ancient Egypt, usually used to signify wealth and to add decoration to jewelry and other valuable objects. BOVET first engraved timepiece movements and cases in the early 1800s, and in fact was the first House to introduce an exhibition back, as owners loved to admire the highly decorated movements.
Today, the House of BOVET is fully committed to continuing its heritage of artistic hand-engraving, while pushing these techniques into the future.
The Master Engravers
Graduates of art schools, these phenomenally skilled artisans specialize in engraving, performing an apprenticeship until they are ready to assume the mantle of a professional, Master Engraver. Key attributes of an engraver include an even temperament, calm demeanor, passion for the art and meticulous attention to detail.
In the BOVET atelier, Master Engravers work on collection timepieces, engraving cases, base dials, movements, bows, and more, while also delighting in creating bespoke engravings for private collectors.
Each engraver’s personal style is unique. Even when doing the same intricate design, there are subtle yet distinct differences from engraver to engraver, making each engraved piece a one-of-one, utterly unique piece of art.
The Tools and Techniques
The engraver’s tools and techniques haven’t really changed in centuries. Today, the metal of the engraving tools is of higher quality and longer lasting, but the form and function remain the same. Today’s engravers use microscopes while engraving, but just about everything else remains the same.
BOVET’s artisans are masters of line engraving, creating intricate designs by removing infinitesimal shavings of metal, usually gold, from the timepiece’s case, bow, buckles, and components. The engravers use a tool called a graver; its handle is pushed firmly into the palm of the hand. This way, the sharp end of the graver can be eased into the metal at a precise angle to carve lines, curves, and other decorative embellishments.
In addition to several differing styles of line engraving, BOVET’s engravers have also mastered hammer and chisel engraving. This versatile expertise allows many of BOVET’s timepieces to feature chiseling and Fleurisanne engraving on various components – case, bow, movement plates, dials, base dials, and more.
The Designs
Fleurisanne engraving is the decorative pattern featured most often on BOVET watches. Based on the flowers and vines found on ancient Greek columns, this style of engraving remains the most sought-after by collectors, whether for decorating a bow, a clasp, the bridges of a movement, or even a complete case.
The Bris de Verre motif, which literally means “broken glass”, comprises minute, intricately juxtaposed triangles. It is frequently seen embellishing the movements and cases of several Unique Pieces in BOVET’s Grand Complications collection. It is a motif that first appeared on BOVET movements at the end of the 19th century. The result is a remarkably luxurious and delicate design requiring over one hundred hours of work to engrave the case alone.
BOVET’s engravers also specialize in chiseling, which entails the use of a small hammer to make indentations into the material. The result is a beautiful finish that catches and reflects light, creating an illusion of the material being set with diamonds. Often, BOVET decorates movement plates and dial base plates with chiseling, but entire cases have also been finished this way.
BOVET’s engravers love creating bespoke designs for clients. This allows them to flex their creative muscles and create something truly unique and unforgettable. One example is the limited edition OWO Residences London collection. BOVET is proud to be the Official Timepiece of OWO Residences. The collection features special engravings on the case and the bow, recalling design details seen within the OWO building itself.
Another example is the lady’s Rolls-Royce Boat Tail timepiece. This 100% bespoke timepiece features a case that is completely hand-engraved and then filled with blue lacquer. Thanks to the patented Amadeo convertible system, this timepiece can be worn on the wrist or mounted onto the dashboard of the coach-built Rolls-Royce.
When a design is finalized and approved by the client, the pattern is transferred onto the metal. Once the outlines are on the metal, the engraving can start. Depending on the complexity of the design and the area of the surface to be engraved, it can, in some cases, take over 500 hours for the engraving process to reach finality.
For the ground-breaking Récital 28 Prowess 1, BOVET’s master engraver designed a completely new motif, which we call “Rays of Light.” The engraving starts small in the center of the movement and grows larger as it gets closer to the outside, like the sun rays lighting up the world. The exposed perpetual calendar is completely hand-engraved and hand-finished, with work totaling more than 100 hours.
As Unique as You Are
By adding engraving, a client expresses his or her personal tastes onto the timepiece, in the process making it a highly personalized expression of individuality – fully bespoke and utterly unique. More than 35% of all BOVET timepieces are bespoke creations featuring hand-engraving, special colors, miniature painting, marquetry and more.
Engraving is just one way that BOVET adds luxurious embellishments to its timepieces. Others include exquisite hand-finishing of the components (côte de Genève, perlage, anglage, mirror polishing, sunray finishing, satin finishing, and more), guilloché, miniature painting, enamel painting, wood marquetry, gem setting, among others.
BOVET is committed to continuing and furthering the métiers d’arts of high watchmaking, taking these traditional arts into the future with the skills and passion of its in-house artisans.
Discover more exciting creations from BOVET at our boutiques, or online.
