The Maison BOVET 1822, Mr. Raffy, and its artisans are proud to support the 8th edition of the ONLY WATCH biennial charity auction – Bovet Récital 23 “Hope” Only Watch 2019. A cause that donates 99 percent of the proceeds from the sale of unique timepieces for the research of neuromuscular diseases, in particular, the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a devastating myopathy that affects one in 3500 male births.
ONLY WATCH is an important international watchmaking charity event organized by the Monegasque Association against muscular dystrophy (AMM). With more than 40 million Swiss Francs collected since 2005 and around 50 brands represented, it is the premier international watchmaking charity event.
The collection of about fifty unique timepieces will make a worldwide tour (from September 25th to November 9th) to be showcased in the main cities in the world (Monaco, Dubai, Paris, London, New York City, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Geneva) to leading retailers and collectors. The auction this year will take place on Saturday, November 9th, at 2 PM (Geneva Time), at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues, in Geneva.
Mr. Raffy and Maison BOVET support the Only Watch initiative since 2005. For the upcoming edition of the biennial auction, Mr. Raffy bespoke a timepiece that resonates with the ONLY WATCH cause. The result is the unique Récital 23. This timepiece presented at the SIHH 2019 is the first women’s style with the iconic writing slope case.
It is with great honor that the BOVET 1822 artisans and Mr. Raffy have combined their talents to support this noble cause and come together to contribute once again to ONLY WATCH’s exemplary efforts to help children.
The details of Récital 23 “Hope”
The case is in the form of a vertically elongated oval. The bezel inclines reverently to meet one’s gaze and ingeniously reveals the three-dimensional architecture of the movement and its time display. The dial of the timepiece is offset in the lower part of the case for intuitive reading of the time, while the upper area shows a hemispherical moon phase. The dome of the moon phase indicator is engraved, and the lower sections filled with luminescent material. It is read via a three-dimensional circular aperture that alone takes over a full day of work to make and decorate. The precision mechanism used to track the moon phase requires a one-day correction every 122 years.
A fairy seated on a crescent moon is delicately painted onto the hour and minute dial. It takes about 100 hours of focused work for the miniaturist to immortalize the subject. He uses a brush of just one marten hair and a binocular microscope, which are critical given the minute scale of the subject and the level of detail. An aventurine dial serves as the backdrop to this poetic composition. Its deep blue and signature inclusions depict a sparkling sky of a thousand stars.
In perfect coherence with the rest of this unique masterpiece, the BOVET 1822 engravers have also contributed a shimmering “broken glass” effect that delicately connects the time display to the moon phase. The final touch to this distinctive piece is the entirely hand-decorated shooting star with a diamond at its center, found on the left side of the timepiece. Its facets make the 72 diamonds in the bezel gleam. As a symbol of purity and eternity, no gem could surpass the diamond in sending the message of hope and support that Mr. Raffy and all the artisans of Maison BOVET wish to all children, especially those suffering illnesses.
The last detail is the unique design of the hour and minute hands, which form a heart each time they touch, every hour for a supremely romantic and symbolic expression of time. This timepiece is offered in a titanium grade 5 case for optimal comfort that makes it perfect for everyday use, with an automatic movement with a power reserve of 62 hours.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Reference R230006-SD1-PU, unique piece
CASE
Type: Dimier, “writing slope” case
Diameter: 43 x 38.70 mm
Thickness: 14.40 mm
Material: titanium, “Unique Piece” engraved on underside
Setting: bezel set with 72 round diamonds (~1.00ct)
Strap: Full-skin alligator
Buckle: 18K white gold
Water resistance: 30m
MOVEMENT
Caliber: 11DA17-MP
Type: Self-winding movement
Diameter: 11½’’’ with 17½’’’ x 12¾ ‘’’ module
Frequency: 28’800 A/h
Power reserve: 62 hours
Functions: Offset hours and minutes, moon phase
DIAL
Aventurine glass plate, miniature painted design: fairy set with 10 round diamond indices (0.03 ct).
