BOVET’s breath-taking Virtuoso

BOVET Virtuoso

BOVET Virtuoso: Haute horlogerie brand BOVET has always unveiled horological creations that are stunning in their technical excellence as well as by their aesthetic appeal.

This year too, the marque does not disappoint, witness their new Virtuoso IX – Double Time Zone 10-Day Power Reserve Big Date Flying Tourbillon. The Virtuoso is not only breath-taking in the number of complications it features but also by its Fleurier Amadéo convertible case and its versatile beauty

BOVET Virtuoso IX: Double Time Zone 10-Day Power Reserve Big Date Flying Tourbillon

This all-new calibre is housed in a 46.30-mm diameter Fleurier Amadéo convertible case, which can transform the timepiece into a reversible wristwatch, a pocket watch, or a table clock without the use of any tools.

Additionally, the Virtuoso IX case is equipped with a secret opening mechanism. The case back can be opened by simply applying pressure to the crown.

Only the minute hand is centred on the dial. The hour hand is offset at 2 o’clock. A second hour hand is positioned at 10 o’clock. This 24-hour hand displays a second time zone. Both local time and the secondary time zone thus share the minute hand, logically positioned at the centre. The secondary time zone is supplemented by an indication with a city name corresponding to the time zone displayed. Two lateral correctors make adjusting and selecting a time zone easy. These correctors can take into account the differences between daylight savings time and standard time in the time zones displayed.

A big date indication is part of this combination of complications. Its aperture opens wide without separating the tens from the units. The ingenuity of the Maison’s watchmakers allows the date to be displayed as big as possible while minimising the space required for its mechanism. The date is logically positioned on the right part of the dial as it is associated with the local time zone.

The power reserve indicator sits at 8 o’clock, mirroring the big date indicator and brings a sense of balance to the dial. As the Virtuoso IX has over 10 days of power reserve, this information is all the more useful.

By virtue of the timepiece’s reversibility, it boasts an entirely new face when you turn it over. There is no dial here, with the sapphire crystals providing a view of the movement. On this face, the hours and minutes are centred.

The openwork bridges evoke the iconic architecture of 19th century BOVET movements. Their surface is engraved with a sparkling ‘bris de verre’ motif. Once engraved, chamfered and entirely decorated, the bridges are coated with a blue CVD treatment, which contrasts beautifully with the rhodium plated platinum.