Bovet Récital 15 Watch Review
The Bovet Récital 15 not only fulfils its timekeeping duties, succinctly expressing hours and minutes, it redefines how the wearer perceives time. Angus Davies, the fiftysomething horophile, gets hands-on and shares his observations.
Bovet watch
The duration of a minute is uniform and yet our perception of time differs. In childhood, time seems to advance very slowly. School children have been known to stare at wall-mounted clocks, dreaming of post-school fun. Unfortunately, despite earnestly staring at a clock, the hands appear frustratingly stagnant. Eventually, the tedium of classroom life gives way to youthful summers that last forever. These seemingly long days are occasionally punctuated by a holiday romance and strolls across wide meadows. Seldom in life do moments come with so few responsibilities.
Then suddenly age creeps up on your blindside, taps you on the shoulder and congratulates you on your fiftieth birthday! In that moment, time picks up its skirt and begins to trot. With every passing year thereafter, the erosion of time hastens. As a balding fiftysomething, I recognise that time seems more precious to me than ever before. I’ve come to realise that every heartbeat should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Bovet, the ultra-high-end Swiss Maison, has recently unveiled a watch that masterfully plays with our perception of time and treats it with the due gravitas it deserves. Allow me to elaborate.
Bovet Récital 15 dial
The dial of the Récital 15 resembles a vast plane coloured by the early-evening sun. At times it appears like a rich shade of salmon, bordering on a deep tone of pumpkin orange and then with a twist of the wrist, the dial transitions to pale coral, bleached by the passage of time. The nuanced complexion of the dial, its lustre the product of seven layers of lacquer, sets the tone for what is to come.
An aperture at 3 o’clock reveals the prevailing hour. Depicted with white Arabic numerals atop a black disc, the hour disc jumps every 60 minutes. Little interpretation is needed, just a quick snap of said black disc and a new hour comes into view. In a world blighted by ambiguity, the jumping hour display says everything succinctly.
Positioned adjacent to the hour aperture is a retrograde minute display. The needle-like hand is formed of blued steel, as you would expect of a watch of such standing. Biased to the right side of the dial, the minute hand arcs upwards from south to north, slowly advancing against a minute track marked with Gothic-style numerals.
As the minute hand slowly arcs ever north, gradually edging upwards…50, 55, 60 it eventually reaches its destination. Snap, it returns to its point of origin and the arcing journey begins anew. The dialogue with the wearer is calm, save for the minute hand’s retrograde leap. Once back at its point of origin, the minute hand sets the past aside and embarks on a new passage of discovery. The indication is eminently logical and legible, but most of all, it’s poetic and beautiful.
Four blued screws adorn the dial, adding structure to the composition and enlivening the vista with pockets of cornflower blue. Bovet has tastefully applied various text to the dial in a rich shade of Royal blue, presenting several words in cursive font.
True to form, Bovet expresses meaning in an intelligible format while simultaneously delivering an abundance of style.
Bovet Récital 15 case
Measuring 42 mm in diameter and encased in titanium, the Récital 15 is highly polished, a tell tale sign that the housing is made from Grade 5 titanium rather than cheaper Grade 2 titanium. Indeed, this latter expression of titanium cannot be polished to the same, sumptuous high-gloss sheen.
Another benefit of Grade 5 titanium is that it is much stronger than its poorer cousin. It’s actually an alloy comprising almost 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium along with small traces of iron and oxygen. Moreover, the material is lightweight, non-magnetic, not liable to corrosion and hypoallergenic; all of which make compelling reasons for its use.
The bowed sides of the case engage with light, bestowing pockets of brilliance and shade. The crown has a pronounced fluted grip and is set with a natural blue sapphire. To the rear of the case, a pane of sapphire crystal affords sight of the hand-wound movement.
Bovet Calibre 13DM02-AIHSMR
Bovet is a Manufacture of notable standing, something that has been recognised with multiple awards, including several prestigious GPHGs. The hand-wound Calibre 13DM02-AIHSMR is beautifully executed. The inventory of finishes includes circular Côtes de Genève motif, anglage and soliellage.
A power-reserve indicator and a three-arm small seconds hand grace the dorsal plane of the watch, ensuring the clean dial, positioned front of house, remains uncluttered.
Bovet Récital 15 – closing remarks
Just 3 km from Fleurier, in the small village of Môtiers, sits a castle, clinging to a hillside. It is within this fairy tale setting that Bovet crafts exquisite timepieces. Perhaps a function of the picturesque location that Bovet calls home, it repeatedly creates objects of beauty that surpass mere functionality, conveying time in a poetic form.
The Bovet Récital 15 proves no exception. It enunciates the hours and minutes with a charming dose of flamboyance. If you choose to remove the watch from your wrist, you can also view the running seconds and power reserve indicator. Unquestionably intelligible and lucid, this watch appears to elongate the passage of minutes with a hand that arcs gently upwards. The period of duration remains the same, but the perception of time is very different. Indeed, the Bovet Récital 15 allows the wearer to cherish time, arguably something you come to value with the onset of grey hair.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Bovet Récital 15
- Case: Grade 5 titanium, diameter 42 mm, height 12.60 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30 metres); sapphire crystal to front; exhibition case back.
- Functions: jumping hours, retrograde minutes, patented double coaxial seconds and power reserve indicator
- Movement: Calibre 13DM02-AIHSMR, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), power reserve 5 days.
- Strap: blue alligator leather strap paired with a titanium ardillon
- Price: CHF 61,800 before taxes (RRP as of 19.6.2024)
- Limited Edition: 30 pieces