Backstory
REAR VIEWS OF NOTE
Bovet 1822
RÉCITAL 22
GRAND RÉCITAL
BY MICHAEL THOMPSON
THE ESSENTIALS
CASE
46.30 mm red gold or platinum case,
thickest at 12 o’clock (19.6mm)
MOVEMENT
Caliber 17DM03-TEL, hand-wound mechanical,
frequency of 18,000 vph, 9-day power reserve,
one-minute, double-sided flying tourbillon.
PRICE
$469,800 (red gold)
or $502,200 (platinum)
AS THE WINNER THE AIGUILLE D’OR
‘GRAND PRIZE’ AT THE 2018 GRAND PRIX
D’HORLOGERIE DE GENÈVE, this
complicated beauty portrays our daily
celestial trip vividly on its luminescent orb-
set dial side. But the mechanical models of
the Moon, Sun and Earth on its front pairs
perfectly with the more literal time
indicators on its back.
Here, Bovet provides a date disk as part of
a full perpetual calendar, which also includes
hour, day, month, and leap year indicators.
That patented date disk, visible on both
sides of the watch, is driven by a retrograde
mechanism with a patented micrometric
rack that optimizes its operation.
When the disk returns
(retrogrades) to the first of
the month, a Bovet-
developed regulator
dissipates the sudden
increase in energy, retaining
overall efficiency.
The dramatic double-sided
flying tourbillon is also visible from the
back, though the date disk obscures a
portion of the view. The view of the
tourbillon is carefully orchestrated. The
sprung balance and escapement on this
double-sided flying tourbillon are positioned
on either side of the central attachment
point. This unusual design makes the
tourbillon’s attachment to the movement
practically invisible.
Known for its expertise at developing long
power reserves, Bovet’s design easily
powers 472 components, allowing the watch
to operate a full nine days from only one
barrel. Bovet points to a bevy of traditional
and artisanal manufacturing methods for
this level of efficiency, especially its use of
hobbed teeth, traditionally burnished pivots,
and flawless finishes on every component.
Indeed, Bovet has a list of patents earned
for the technical advancements on the
watch, including patents for the double-
sided flying tourbillon, the rack for
retrograde display, the display mechanism
for information relating to the movement of
the moon, the control organ that activates
several mechanisms simultaneously and for
indicators visible on both sides of the
movement simultaneously.
130 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2019
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