Earlier this year, Bovet unveiled the Récital 28 Prowess 1, an eye-opening timepiece designed to tackle the complexities of modern timekeeping, particularly those introduced by Daylight Saving Time (DST). The introduction of DST has made it difficult for world-time watches to adapt to the varying start and end dates of DST across countries, not to mention the many countries that do not observe it at all (only about 70 countries use some form of DST).
Unlike traditional world timers, the Récital 28 features an intricate roller system that can be adjusted to any of the 24 Unlike traditional world timers, the Récital 28 features an intricate roller system that can be adjusted to any of the 24 time zones, covering:
- UTC – Coordinated Universal Time
- AST – American Summer Time
- EAS – Europe and America Summer Time
- EWT – European Winter Time.
The watch also has an expanded flying tourbillon, a perpetual calendar with roller-based indicators, and an impressive 10-day power reserve driven by a single barrel.
Since acquiring Bovet in 2001, owner Mr Raffy has been captivated by the heavens and exploring various methods of measuring time. Over the years, he has integrated celestial sky charts, the Equation of Time, Sidereal Time, and markers of the Summer and Winter equinoxes into Bovet’s creations.
Notable innovations in Bovet’s collection include:
- The Récital 18 Rising Star
- The Récital 20 Astérium (winner of the 2023 GPHG Astronomy and Calendar Prize)
- The Récital 22 Grand Récital (recipient of the highest GPHG honour in 2018)
- The Récital 26 Chapter Two (winner of the GPHG Mechanical Exception Prize in 2020)
With the Récital 28 “Prowess 1”, Mr Raffy and his team have pushed the boundaries of terrestrial timekeeping..
“When the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two was in development, I said to myself that one of the key things that I would love to have on my wrist is an exceptional universal time timepiece that could be adjusted for the vagaries of world time,” he says. “Every year between summer time and winter time, there are weeks that don’t match up, and countries that only use one time all year round. In the Récital 28 Prowess 1, the 24 time zones are on rollers at six o’clock and the sun (the tourbillon) is at 12. With a push of the crown, you can adjust to the four different times. It is an absolute Prowess 1, and thanks go to my team for the five years of hard work that went into this exceptional timepiece… With this timepiece, you will never be at a loss for what time it is anywhere in the world.”
Beyond its revolutionary approach to time zone management, the timepiece features a flying tourbillon, a perpetual calendar with rollers and a disk, and a robust 10-day power reserve from a single barrel. No other timepiece in the world achieves this mechanically, with each component meticulously hand-finished and every bridge hand-decorated and engraved.
Due to the complexity of its craftsmanship, only eight of the Récital 28 Prowess 1 are handcrafted each year.
