Bovet Virtuoso XI Watch Review
The Bovet Virtuoso XI is crafted in a castle that clings to a verdant hillside in the picturesque village of Môtiers. Last year, to coincide with St. Valentine’s Day, the Maison expanded the collection to include a special version of the watch with a bow adorned with ‘Pierre du Château’ or Fleurisanne engraving. Irrespective of which model is selected, the Virtuoso XI boasts a near ethereal beauty coupled with palpable mechanical virtue. US-based Meehna Goldsmith provides a brief history lesson before exploring the composition of this skeletonised watch in detail.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI White Gold set with diamonds
Valentine’s Day
In contemporary society, the true origins of Valentine’s Day remain hidden. Today, we view what’s now deemed a celebration through the prism of rosy-cheeked cupids and hearts aflame in red, symbolising true love and affection. But this wasn’t always the case. In ancient Rome the people celebrated Lupercalia from February 13-15, a fertility rave of sorts where goats and dogs were sacrificed, priests gallivanted around half-naked and women were lightly whipped with animal hides.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI Fleurisanne with white set diamonds
These pagan rituals were distressing to the Roman Catholic Church. It was decided that a rebrand was in order and elevated the martyr Saint Valentine, celebrating him with a feast day on February 14 and making it a time of spiritual devotion instead of fertility. The romance element for Valentine’s Day didn’t come until later in Medieval times, when the poet Geoffrey Chaucer noted that birds mate in February. This serendipitous timing gave him and his poetic contemporaries an excuse to form the romantic underpinnings that now define this holiday.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI White Gold set with diamonds
Bovet Virtuoso XI skeleton watch
Now you know how Valentine’s Day went from a time of bacchanalia to a tame occasion of declaring love with gifts for your sweetheart. Last year, Bovet marked this occasion with a special version of the Virtuoso XI, the brand’s first and only skeletonised piece. Instead of falling into cliched storytelling and visuals, the brand has taken a refreshing approach in the same spirit of transparency, honesty and authenticity, which also happen to be Bovet’s closely held values.
The Virtuoso XI is a skeleton watch. This type of watch doesn’t have a traditional dial because the movement becomes the centrepiece and takes over that function. The idea is to highlight the beauty, creativity and aesthetics of the movement. The movement for the Virtuoso XI is based on the calibre from the Virtuoso VIII, but the architecture was completely re-engineered for this model. When designing a skeleton watch, there is a precarious balancing act of removing enough material to reveal a captivating picture while keeping the mechanics reliable and precise. Simply put, thinner parts lose stability and strength and are therefore more fragile.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI White Gold set with diamonds
What Bovet has done with the Virtuoso XI is quite remarkable. The composition is airy and elegant. More of the original movement was removed than what remains. The flying tourbillon and going train look like they’re floating in space. Perhaps this view would have been compelling enough, but the Virtuoso XI goes further. Delicate engraving decorates the front as well as the rear of the movement, down to every plate and bridge. Even the trademark Writing Slope case is embellished. The engraving is done by hand and all told, it takes around 60 hours per timepiece.
Against this backdrop, flame-blued hour and minute hands, tipped with lume, and a flame-blued seconds hand circle round, with flame-blued screws also offering an additional punctuation of colour. As with all Bovet timepieces, the Virtuoso XI is meticulously finished.
Bovet Virtuoso XI flying tourbillon
Adding a captivating and dynamic motion to the portrait is the 60-second flying tourbillon movement. And, it’s more than just eye candy. While the majority of power reserves top out at 42-48 hours, the Bovet Virtuoso XI offers 240 hours, which is more than 10 days. The Manufacture invented a spherical differential winding system that incorporates multi-gear, three-dimensional teeth on one of its pinions to reduce by half the number of turns of the crown to bring the movement up to full wind. The Maison received two patents for this mechanism, which doesn’t increase friction or forces on the gears. Bovet produces nearly every component, including the hairspring and escapement, at its Manufacture. For a small independent with limited output, this demonstrates a commitment to quality and exclusivity.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI White Gold set with diamonds
Bovet Virtuoso XI – case
The Virtuoso XI comes in a 44 mm 18K white or red gold case. A defining characteristic of Bovet timepieces is the location of the crown at 12 o’clock and the classic bow. For this special Valentine’s Day edition, the bow differentiates with a ‘Pierre du Château’ (‘Stones of the Castle’ in English), or ‘Fleurisanne’ engraving, which is proprietary to the house. This latter engraving is inspired by the tree leaf pattern on ancient Greek columns. In addition, there’s the option of 60 brilliant white diamonds encircling the bezel. Depending on how ornate you’d like the Writing Slope case, you can specify it with a fully engraved or high-polished execution.
Image – Bovet Virtuoso XI Red Gold Pierre du Château
Closing remarks
In the end, the Virtuoso XI feels like a quiet rebuttal to Valentine’s Day clichés. Bovet reminds us that transparency can be its own form of romance. The mechanics literally become the art. This isn’t just a piece that tells time, it’s also one that you want to spend time with.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Bovet Virtuoso XI
- Case: 18K White or Red Gold Writing Slope case, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, 60-second flying tourbillon
- Movement: ‘re-imagined and re-engineered Fleurier Virtuoso VIII manufacture movement, hand-wound movement, frequency 18,800 vph (2.5 Hz), 36 jewels, power reserve 10 days.
- Price on application