Having become an icon in just three years, the “writing slope” case designed by Mr. Raffy, BOVET 1822’s owner, has been awarded many distinctions for its unprecedented and innovative design, such as GPHG’s Aiguille d’Or attributed to the Grand Récital tourbillon.
Sought after by collectors the world over, it has since been produced in interpretations each more captivating than the last. Its revolutionary architecture offers new expressions of timekeeping that are overturning the rules of fine watchmaking.
The Récital 29 is the first timepiece featuring a steel “writing slope” case. Its inclination reveals a new fine watchmaking caliber entirely manufactured in the House’s workshops. Its reverse construction makes it possible to admire the swinging of the balance-hairspring on the front face of the timepiece, whereas this element is usually only visible through the back of the case. In this instance, BOVET 1822 watchmakers’ time-honored energy control guarantees
five days’ power reserve with the use of a single barrel. This feat is achieved through each component’s uncompromising craftsmanship finishes, whose precision of execution limits the friction of the components in movement. This increases the power reserve by saving energy rather than increasing it.
BOVET 1822 is one of the very few players in the watchmaking world to simultaneously master the science of both balances and traditional hairsprings. This technological independence makes it possible to obtain exemplary chronometry throughout the movement’s five-day power reserve.
This new caliber displays the hours and minutes on a dial offset at 12 o’clock, along with the moon phase placed at 6 o’clock, to create a symmetry and balance that Mr. Raffy holds dear.
The dial-makers have expressed a new facet of their virtuosity in this area. While they have already astounded collectors with hand-painted hemispherical dials crafted in quartz or aventurine glass, the dome that displays the hours and minutes on this Récital 29 is the first dial with this profile to feature a guilloché design. The osmosis between age-old watchmaking tradition and technical innovation illustrates the craftsmen’s talent, which will once again surprise the most demanding collectors.
A second dome displays the moon phase at 6 o’clock and fills the volume of the “writing slope” case, offering intuitive reading. The engraving on the dome’s surface is covered with a luminescent material applied by hand that illustrates the lunar surface with a striking realism. The double aperture overlooking the dome indicates the age of the moon, whether you are in the earth’s northern or southern hemisphere. There is no need for a corrective tool to adjust
the moon phase. The collector simply presses the sapphire decorating the crown to operate this function with equal ease and safety.
The 42 mm-diameter steel “writing slope” case, its ergonomics and the functions included make this Récital 29 the perfect timepiece for everyday use whatever the situation. The quality criteria determining the finish of each component meet the same requirements as the finest complications to ensure an irreproachable aesthetic, exemplary chronometry, and lasting reliability.
Récital 29
TECHNICAL DATA
Reference: R290001
CASE
Type: Dimier, writing slope case
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness at 6H: 7.80 mm
Thickness at 12H: 11.60 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Case back: Sapphire
Crown: set with sapphire cabochon
Strap: Full-skin alligator
Buckle: Stainless steel ardillon
Water resistance: 30 m
MOVEMENT
Type: Hand-wound movement
Diameter: 13 ¾ ’’’
Frequency: 21’600 v/h
Power reserve: 5 days
Functions: Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator, Precision moon phase
DIAL: Dome, green or blue, guilloché with Arabic numerals, hemispherical moon phase globe with Superluminova
Price: CHF. 24’500.-
