Bovet: A modern descendant of Fleurisand

Fleurier, a small village in the Travers Valley, is known today as a major center of the Swiss watch industry. The man who established the industrial base here was Edouard Bovet, a member of a family of watchmakers dating back to the 18th century. Based in London, Bovet was highly sought after by the Qing Dynasty emperor and other wealthy individuals through the East India Company's sales channels. The quality of Bovet's watches was supported by the 174 artisans who worked in Fleurier at the time. Their philosophy, which created the unique style known as "Fleurisan," still lives on in the modern-day Bovet, led by Pascal Raffy, himself an avid collector.

BOVET

　Bovet achieved great success in the 19th century by producing ornate pocket watches adorned with miniature enamel and pearl decorations, catering to the wealthy of China's Qing dynasty. Founded in 1822 by Edouard Bovet in Fleurier, in Switzerland's Travers Valley, the company developed a unique aesthetic style known as "Fleurisan." The brand's first release after its revival at the Basel Fair (now Baselworld) in 1997 caught the eye of avid collector Pascal Raffy. Raffy, who was working in the Swiss pharmaceutical industry at the time, acquired Bovet in 2001. Since then, the company has promoted vertical integration of production while also focusing on the creation of art pieces and collector's pieces. Even today, approximately one-third of production is made to order.

The Château de Moutiers houses a collection of 19th-century pocket watches collected by Pascal Raffy, and the name Bovet also appears in the novel "Montre Chinoise," written in the 1910s.

This pocket watch, known as the "Mille Fleurs," was produced in the 1830s. The pair of pocket watches and the transparent case back are all believed to have been invented by Edouard Bovet in the 19th century.

　　Bovet's development and manufacturing base is Dimier 1738 in Tramelan, Jura. Acquired by Bovet in July 2006, this workshop was formerly known as STT (Swiss Time Technology, formerly Progress Watch), a company known for selling affordable tourbillon ébauches. Currently, the workshop employs 60-65 staff members, covering 43 different trades. This includes not only CNC machining, but also etampage (pressing), a process now rare in the Swiss watch industry, and in-house production of balance springs. Immediately after the acquisition, the company aggressively restructured its operations to improve the quality of the technology developed during the STT era, introducing an improved version of the former STT movement. In 2012, a tourbillon exclusively for the Amadeo was developed. The difference between the two is the position of the carriage, but the latter is designed as a "pure luxury watch." After ceasing sales of tourbillon ébauches to external parties in 2014 (though repair parts will continue to be supplied), the company began developing in-house movements other than tourbillons. With the completion of Braveheart in 2015, the company became a maker of art pieces worthy of being called "descendants of Fleurisand" in both name and reality. In addition, the dial manufacturing department located in Plan-les-Ouates, on the outskirts of Geneva, was integrated into Tramelan in 2017. The relocation took approximately 10 years of preparation, with the wishes of the staff being given top priority.

　The décolletage technique is a major weapon in Dimier 1738's ebauche manufacturing department. This so-called "Swiss lathe," which combines a CNC lathe and a CNC milling cutter, is used to cut out screws, pinions, and barrels from round bar stock. Materials that can be used include brass, iron, copper, Al-Cup, titanium, aluminum, and copper beryllium (CuBe), with a maximum machining diameter of around 25mm. Balance wheels, which were previously made using milling, were switched to décolletage about four years ago. It seems that this technique requires less rework than milling, and most of the problems that can arise with the current machining precision are apparently caused by the material itself.

The moon disc was cut using a 7-axis CNC milling machine. The cylinder-shaped disc has a delicate engraving on its surface. While laser engraving is the norm for this type of processing, Bovet prefers cutting.

The base plate and bridges are machined in three dimensions. Although three-axis cutting is more advantageous in terms of machining precision, the shape is too complex, so they are machined using a seven-axis cutting machine, which is used for machining cases, etc.

　The CNC milling machines used to cut the movement bridges and baseplates are often three-axis (when only flat processing is required, the fewer moving axes the greater the operational precision), but Dimier 1738 also uses a seven-axis milling machine. This is because Bovet watches often have three-dimensional shapes for the baseplates and bridges. Also, since they do not use laser processing machines, all complex engravings such as moon discs are done by milling.

　Another highlight is the etampaging process, which boasts over 70 years of expertise. STT's former name, Progress Watch, was founded in 1998, and the company has absorbed long-established workshops into it, leading to the present day. In addition to watch parts such as levers and anchors, which are produced by stamping, the company also receives many orders from the medical and other industrial sectors, with the highlight being the drums for altimeters installed on aircraft. After thin sheet metal is squeezed into a cylindrical shape, the diameter gradually increases through repeated pressing. Apparently, cutting of this part is prohibited under aviation law, and Dimier 1738 is designated as the sole supplier.

　Final assembly takes place at a château perched on a hill in Moutiers, a village next to Fleurier, where the company was founded. Approximately 25 people work here, a renovated 14th-century castle housing Bovet's head office, administration, and casing workshops. While the workshop is located within the castle's beams, for cultural heritage reasons, the stone walls are coated with a special coating to prevent dust buildup. Temperature and humidity are strictly controlled, and the air conditioning is excellent—hardly anything you'd expect inside a castle. While assembly is nothing special, the pursuit of aesthetic perfection poses considerable challenges. Models using writing desk cases present particular challenges, such as manually adjusting the dial and placing rubies under the hands.

　Pascal Raffy, who has promoted vertical integration of production and led the company to become an entity capable of producing such art pieces, says: "Bovet holds a special position in the increasingly globalized Swiss watch industry. It is none other than the passion of our engineers that has enabled us to succeed in vertical integration while maintaining our independence. The starting point of luxury is culture. We must inherit the passion and culture of the 19th century and express innovation. What supports this is a love of detail. Our current major collections, such as Amadeo and Fleurier, are a rediscovery of the 19th century."

　In the Qing Dynasty, the name Bovet was synonymous with Montre Chinoise and gave birth to the unique Fleurissan style. Luxury pocket watches were commonly referred to as Bovet. Today's Bovet, reborn as a rare piece of art, is truly a reincarnation of that era.

Château de Moutiers, which had been under the management of the Canton of Neuchâtel since 1957, was returned to Bovet's hands and began full-scale operation as a workshop in September 2009. A special coating was applied to the stone walls to prevent dust from accumulating.

Bovet Boutique Ginza opens near the Ginza 4-chome intersection

"i liv" is a newly opened commercial facility near the Ginza 4-chome intersection, a symbol of Tokyo's Ginza district. "Bovet Boutique Ginza" has opened on the first floor. This flagship store, one of the largest in Japan, allows customers to enjoy art pieces created by a small-scale maison that is said to produce less than 2000 bottles per year.


Address: i liv 1F, 5-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6264-5665
Business hours: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Closed: Wednesdays