Haute Complication: Bovet Récital 18 Shooting Star
There is no shortage of complicated watches in the collection of Bovet. Where most brands follow more traditional guidelines regarding design and the composition of the complications, Bovet walks to its own beat, with as a splendid example the Récital 18 Shooting Star!
In this watch, Bovet combines some of the most desirable complications: a tourbillon, world time, phases of the moon, jump hour, retrograde minutes, and a power reserve indicator. While that is impressive by itself, it is the way that they are all executed that puts this watch on the next level. Legibility was obviously important to Bovet when they designed this watch, but form nor function suffers one way or another. Balance it another aspect in which this watch excels, which is quite the achievement, as the way the complications are executed, they are very impressive, yet since they are all impressive together, you get a beautiful sense of synergy.
On the horizontal axis of the watch, we find two spheres. The left one indicates the phases of the moon on both the northern as well as the southern hemisphere, with a very high degree of accuracy as it only requires adjustment once every 122 years. Bovet also applied ample luminous material on this sphere providing you quite the show when it gets dark.
The sphere on the right side shows the world time, which can be set with the pusher on the case. The relevant city for this time zone is displayed using a roller next to the dial for the hours and the minutes. A roller that would include the names of all 24 cities would be taking up too much space, and wreak havoc on the delicate design balance of the Récital 18 Shooting Star. To solve this Bovet developed an intricate mechanism that shows a window in the outer roller, to reveal the second roller inside the first one. Operated by a column wheel, it is one of those highly technical details that make this watch not only so sophisticated but also practical. An incredible detail are also the ruby rollers that guide both spheres.
The lower part of the dial is dedicated to the flying tourbillon, which is fitted with three small hands at the back, that runs over the second’s indication printed on sapphire. By suspending the tourbillon in the air, it gives the watch a lightness and playfulness in its design. It also invites you to examine the tourbillon from all sides, and note that its finish is absolutely perfect, down to the diamond cap stone.
Jump hour and retrograde hands usually entice everybody from very experienced collectors to watch novices and is also a key ingredient of the Récital 18 Shooting Star. The hours are printed on a sapphire disc, and a bridge in the movement highlights the current hour. Above it, the minutes are clearly displayed on a retrograde scale, and Bovet even found room to integrate a power reserve indicator. Although it doesn’t say on it, the Récital 18 Shooting Star has a very generous power reserve of 5 days, which is all the more impressive given its array of complications.
Refined, complicated, perfectly executed, yet not your run of the mill classic watch: the Bovet Récital 18 Shooting Star is a great example of why Bovet has such loyal fans, as a maker of innovative haute complications!
