Video – Inside Bovet, a Unique Manufacture of High-End, Astronomical Watches
The independent watchmaking “scene” is vast and comprises dozens of brands, ateliers and one-man shows. What still impress us here, at MONOCHROME, is how those watchmaking brands manage to create passion and to differentiate with striking products. Among them is Bovet, a unique manufacture with impressive horological skills, superbly decorated movements and a focus on astronomy, creating watches like no others. Today, we’re in Motiers, at the brand’s headquarters, to talk with owner Pascal Raffy about these fascinating timepieces.
Surely there is no more contentious complication in the world of watchmaking than a seemingly humble date display? It’s hard to believe that something so useful, and seemingly ubiquitous, can be so divisive. One way to end the date/no date feud is to include it, but with a twist. And a twist is certainly what the Tangente neomatik 41 Update offers. The date is shown in the radial fashion, at the outermost extremity of the dial — already alleviating the issue of a dial-disfiguring date window, and working with the Nomos’ signature pared back vibe. And the Tangente, with its ultra slim and super subtle, serif-y Arabic numerals, is the purest and most pared back of the lot, even when it’s the larger 41mm version. Back to that date, though. It’s not as simple as being a radial date; you’ll notice that the date is indicated by being bracketed between two little lozenges of red, proving that a little bit of colour goes a long way. It’s a neat implementation to be honest, which allows the radial date to occupy a fairly narrow amount of real estate (less than putting a coloured aperture above or below a number), and maintains…
Editor’s note: More and more men are opting for tailored suits and a properly fitted outfit. Harking back to the days of style, when refinement and elegance were elements that defined a man. And as most watch fans know, no suit is complete without an accompanying piece of fine wrist wear. So before you step in for your next custom measure, it’s worth considering what will be strapped to your wrist. Perhaps Cartier’s charmingly romantic Drive de Cartier Moon Phases? In our recently published interview, Arnaud Carrez, Cartier’s Head of Marketing and Communications, said the Drive represented a different kind of masculinity, one that wasn’t defined by “muscles, sport, achievement, performance”, but by “elegance, and style, and refinement”. Looking at the Drive de Cartier Moon Phases, you can see what he means. It’s a confident watch that takes the dressy Drive design and, by adding the eternally romantic moon phase at six, elevates it to the next level of elegance. Introduced at SIHH in stainless steel and pink gold, the Drive Moon Phases took a bit of a back seat to the critically acclaimed Extra Flat, but for me the Moon Phases is the perfect embodiment of what Drive is all about. In gold,…
