BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Bovet, in my opinion, is one of the few Haute Horlogerie brands that know how to blend complicated mechanical machinery with aesthetically pleasing designs to create intriguing products such as the new Recital 27. Featuring a unique case shape and the capability to indicate three different time zones at a time, this new watch is a globetrotter’s paradise.
Measuring 46mm wide and 15.95mm tall, the case on the Bovet Recital 27 is thick and chunky and is aimed to offer tons of wrist presence. While it might seem like a normal case when looked at from the front, it isn’t exactly one. The case features a unique tapering design which starts thicker at the top and gradually becomes thinner towards the lower end. This clever design along with those dramatic curved lugs give this watch a distinctive visual appeal and should also aid wrist comfort. The case is water resistant to 30 meters which is apt for a watch of this type.
Looking through the sapphire glass on the front the wearer is presented with a semi-skeletonized dial that showcases a smorgasbord of information which like the case looks quite unconventional. As mentioned earlier the display shows 3 three separate time-zones, one through the centrally mounted handset and the other two through individual subdials at 3 and 9. But the real beauty of this dial lies in the finer details. For instance, when setting the time for a specific time-zone, the corresponding city name is presented in a small window right above sub-dial making it easier to read the time relating to its location. The cities have been printed on two individual rings which have been kept open and can be adjusted with two sets of correctors. Further to this practical function, both sub-dials have their won individual day/night indicators and there is also a double moon-phase display at 6 which shows the lunar cycle for both northern and southern hemispheres. The overall execution of the dial is stellar, something that we have come to expect from Bovet.
Powering this watch is the calibre 17DM043FPL which is a hand-wound movement that has 37 jewels, operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and offers a massive power reserve of 7 days. The movement has been beautifully decorated, and one can enjoy an unobtrusive view of it through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back.
In all the Bovet Recital 27 is a stunning luxury traveler’s watch. Production would be limited to just 60 pieces and the watch would be available in either titanium or 18k red gold case attached to a matching leather strap. The retail price on this beauty would be CHF 66,000.
Visit Bovet here.
