The Récital 23, a favorite in the BOVET collection for many years, has been a canvas where BOVET’s high watchmaking meets its focus on the decorative arts and high jewelry settings. The base dial of this timepiece is hand-engraved, hand-chiseled, and hand-finished – the sparkle created by BOVET’s artisanal expertise echoes the gem-setting of this precious timepiece.
The Récital 23 comes in the unique-to-BOVET Writing Slope case, which presents the dial to you while on the wrist. Available in 18K red gold, the 43mm x 38.70mm case comes set with 174 round-cut diamonds (0.99ct) with a further 72 diamonds on the bezel (1.00ct) and cabochon crown, as pictured here, or simply bezel set. All versions come with diamond indices on the off- set dial.
The Récital 23 has been graced with two special color and material treatments. Chiseled and then layered with lacquer, these new elegant dials have a unique character that speaks of the promise of lush greenery, tranquil seas, sun-kissed days, and warm festive nights. The uniquely-shaped hour and minute hands gracefully glide over this beautiful dial, which makes room for the precision moon phase of the Récital 23. In a romantic touch, the hands form the shape of a heart every hour.
The moon phase display at 12 o’clock links terrestrial time to the heavens. The moon itself is hand-engraved to evoke the lunar surface and filled with luminescent material; a challenge due to the indicator’s camber. The phase of the moon is read via a three-dimensional circular aperture that requires over a day’s work to be manufactured and decorated. The precision mechanism used to drive the moon phase requires correction only once every 122 years. Keen to develop useful complications that allow everyday use of the timepiece, Mr. Pascal Raffy, BOVET 1822’s Owner, incorporated a push button into the real sapphire cabochon of the crown to facilitate the adjustment of the moon phase. Setting this lunar complication has never been easier, without needing to use any tools.
Powered by a high-watchmaking automatic movement, the hand- engraved 18K gold rotor features BOVET’s Fleurisanne motif, visible through the sapphire crystal exhibition back.
The Récital 23 is the perfect timepiece for the summer, its diamond setting and hand-engraving reinforcing how precious time really is.
Timeless and symbolic, the Récital 23 represents the values which drive Mr. Raffy and the artisans of BOVET 1822: passion for handcrafted fine watchmaking, and a devotion to perpetuate BOVET 1822’s illustrious history with noble new expressions of the timekeeping and decorative arts.
In addition to clear and easily readable hours and minutes, this timepiece opens up the dial to display the in-house BOVET balance wheel and regulating organ, with its three-arm rotating second hand and a 20-second dial at 6 o’clock.
On the right side of the world-time dial, is the power reserve indicator, highlighting the incredible and very useful seven days of power reserve with one single barrel. In fact, BOVET 1822 has a history of impressive power reserves, all due to the fact that Mr. Raffy is a collector and knows how important long power reserves are for complicated timepieces.
