The latest offerings from Swiss luxury watchmaker BOVET are the Récital 30, which is an everyday evolution of last year’s Récital 28, and the Récital 12 36mm, a feminine, vibrant version of the popular Récital 12.
Bovet Récital 30
In 2024, the Récital 28 Prowess 1 revolutionised world time timepieces as the first mechanical timekeeper to solve the Daylight Saving Time problem.
The Récital 30 comes as as a follow-up to that award-winning watch. It is a completely new timepiece that focuses exclusively on the ground-breaking world time system, combining unmatched innovation with in-house handcrafted mastery.
The Récital 30 incorporates the innovative roller system from the Récital 28, allowing world travellers to accurately display 25 global time zones during the four time periods of the year – Coordinated Universal Time, American Summer Time, European and American Summer Time, and European Winter Time. The Récital 28 was limited to a total of 60 movements, as only six can be handcrafted each year.
The Récital 30, however, which was developed alongside its big brother, is not limited in this way, meaning that anyone and everyone now has access to this world time system, which required over six years of development. Due to production constraints, no more than 30 red gold Récital 30 timepieces will be handcrafted in 2025. These two timepieces represent a significant leap in solving terrestrial timekeeping problems, ensuring accuracy in managing the world’s time zones:
- Adjustable world time thanks to rollers.
- Simple to understand, use, and set.
- Six years in development.
- Displays 25 independent time zones (including New Delhi, India).
- The Récital 30 continues the legacy of the Récital 28, a world-first breakthrough that advanced the art of high watchmaking and global timekeeping Inspired by the Heavens and the Earth.
Since acquiring the company in 2001, owner Pascal Raffy has been fascinated by the heavens and its relationship with the Earth. To spur his creativity, he spends time in the courtyard of the BOVET castle, studying the stars, and walking through the forest blanketing the Jura Mountains, exploring the natural world. The owner’s source of inspiration, then, is everything around him, which is just as it was back in 1822, when the House was founded by Edouard Bovet and his brothers.
Pascal often imagines what travel was like back then, when Edouard was going from Fleurier, Switzerland to London, England, and then on to Guangzhou, China. Traveling on foot, on horseback, by carriage, and on boats, Edouard was extraordinarily brave to venture so far from home, and Pascal often considers what Edouard encountered on his travels, using the stars to navigate and thinking about how time differs from country to country – not only time zones and timekeeping, but even the very nature of time itself.
That is why, since Pascal took over the House of BOVET, he has honoured the legacy of the Bovet family by developing timepieces with innovative solutions to world timekeeping along with key celestial indications. The House has a number of timepieces with three time zones (to honour the three cities in which BOVET was founded: Fleurier, London, and Guangzhou), and several dual time zone timepieces, as well as world timers like the Récital 18 Shooting Star, the Récital 26 Chapter Two, the Orbis Mundi, and, of course, the Récital 28 Prowess 1.
The Genesis
Ever since he started designing BOVET timepieces, Pascal has always been focused on the heavens and how to best interpret the various ways of telling time. In the past, he has included celestial sky charts, Equation of Time displays, precision moon phases, reproductions of the night sky, Sidereal Time, Solstices, and Summer and Winter Equinoxes, to just name a few.
The ground-breaking timepieces that have led to this moment include: The Récital 18 Rising Star; The Récital 20 Astérium (winner of the 2023 GPHG Astronomy and Calendar Watch prize); The Récital 22 Grand Récital (winner of the highest GPHG honor, the Aiguille d’Or, in 2018); The Récital 26 Chapter One (first ever sapphire crystal case); The Récital 26 Chapter Two (winner of the 2020 GPHG Mechanical Exception Watch prize) and The Récital 28 Prowess 1 (winner of the 2024 GPHG Mechanical Exception Watch prize).
Now, the Récital 30 joins this illustrious group, revolutionising terrestrial time and making the innovative, ground-breaking and award-winning world time roller system available in a smaller, daily wear timepiece.
The Daylight Saving Time (DST) Problem
Ever since DST was introduced, world time watches have been unable to adapt to the vagaries of when DST starts and ends in different countries, and which countries do not change (only about 70 countries use some form of DST). In reality, all world time watches were wrong during the Daylight Saving Time periods, either set for DST so the rest of the world was wrong by one hour, or set for the majority of the world and the DST countries were off by an hour. Until the Récital 28 and now the Récital 30.
The New Solution
Thanks to its ingenious roller system borrowed from the Récital 28, the Récital 30 can be adjusted to any of the four time periods of the year: UTC – Coordinated Universal Time AST – American Summer Time EAS – European and American Summer Time EWT – European Winter Time This, in turn, means that all 24 world time zones, and New Delhi, will be accurate all year round.
The Récital 30 emphasises the essentials needed for keeping track of world time. The world time rollers cover nearly the entire dial, making it the clear focus of this timepiece. In the centre is a day/night indicator linked to local time. As a result, the Récital 30 is the perfect companion for world travellers.
The Récital 30 World Time System
Each of the 26 rollers has four positions, all controlled by the pushers on the right-hand side of the case – UTC, AST, EAS, and EWT. Pushing the top pusher rotates each roller by 90 degrees, meaning that all 24 time zones are set to each of the four time periods of the year. The bottom pusher advances the central 24-hour world dial by one hour per push, making setting the entire world’s time extraordinarily simple.
Two Distinct Versions, Both Highlighting New Delhi
The Récital 30 comes in two versions, both with New Delhi featured prominently on the dial. India has a very unique 30-minute off-set, and Pascal came up with an idea to include this challenging time zone on the dial of both versions.
In the Coordinated Universal Time version, New Delhi is in black on the dial with a yellow or red arrow indicator, and the second colour-matched (yellow or red) minute hand is linked to New Delhi time (with its 30 minute off-set). The second version, designed for collectors living in India, links the main hour and minute hands to New Delhi time (both of which are yellow or red-coloured, matching the New Delhi indicator on the dial) and the world time hours are off-set by 30 minutes, while the second minute hand (silver on the titanium, gold on the 18-carat red gold version) is linked to the minutes for the rest of the world.
“India is a country growing fast on the global stage, and I wanted to honour this exciting region on the Récital 30,” Pascal explained.
“The collectors in India are very knowledgeable and demanding of true excellence, and I was proud to include this unique 30-minute offset, something that has rarely been done before.”
Customisation
Thanks to BOVET’s emphasis on verticalised manufacture and the human touch, the House is uniquely open to customisation and requests for bespoke timepieces. With no assembly lines and with every component passing through the hands of BOVET’s artisans, bespoke creations are welcome and encouraged at BOVET, and the Récital 30 presents an invitation to make it unique, offering the perfect canvas.
Collectors can change the city names, choose from a number of different colours of the 24-hour dial and the minute track, and even change the Indian version to the Universal version or vice versa if they move from one region to another in the future.
A New Chapter – In-House Cases
For the first time ever, BOVET is making its own cases in its facility in Tramelan. All titanium Récital 30 cases will be made in-house in their entirety, while the 18-carat red gold Récital 30 cases will be produced in the Tramelan manufacture from 2026. Both cases incorporate a sapphire crystal exhibition case back – a feature BOVET pioneered back in the 1800s to showcase its engraved and highly decorated movements.
For high watchmaking timepieces, it is important to craft as many components in-house as possible to maintain control over the very demanding quality of the cases and other components. Handcrafting the Récital 30 cases in-house means enhanced interaction between the technical office, the engineers, the production team and the watchmakers.
“I need to offer to my artisans new challenges,” Pascal said.
“At BOVET, we combine art and innovation, and we perform the exceptional every day. The case is an exercise in design, integrating a domed sapphire crystal and shaped hands, recalling a window to the universe, while the timepiece itself has an undeniable vintage look and feel.
“I knew from the start that the case and overall design of the Récital 30 had to be exceptional, unexpected, and have real meaning. The Récital 30 was always in the back of my mind, from the very beginning of our research into solving the Daylight Saving Time problem, which started six years ago.
“When I sit in the courtyard of the castle, I always think about useful and meaningful timepieces. On the wrist, we have to have the indication of time and it’s more important than ever to have it linked to the world, which has become so small and accessible today. I wanted to offer our collectors a wearable, very intuitive timepiece to guide them and remind them where they are from and where.
“Complicated yet simple to use, this timepiece is the result of the innovation, the outstanding attention to detail, the exceptional knowledge and the human touch of all our artisans, showcasing BOVET’s unique qualities.”
With the Récital 30, BOVET continues to revolutionise world time timepieces.
Bovet Récital 12 36mm
- A feminine, vibrant version of the popular Récital 12.
- Supremely comfortable stainless steel bracelet with interchangeable bracelet/strap system.
- 36mm stainless-steel case set with 56 brilliant white diamonds (~1.08 carats).
- Automatic high watchmaking movement.
- The hour and minute hands form a heart once an hour.
- Available in different guilloché dial colours or mother-of-pearl.
The new Récital 12 in 36mm builds on the success of its 40mm predecessor, offers the same versatility and wearability and is designed for smaller wrists or those who are seeking a more delicate presence on the wrist.
The Starting Point
BOVET’s Récital collection has always reflected the Maison’s artistic and technical excellence, the name being inspired by the world of classical music. Just as musicians come together to perform a recital, BOVET’s artisans collaborate to craft each timepiece, blending skill and creativity into a single masterpiece.
Last year, for the very first time, BOVET unveiled the Récital 12, a timepiece presented on a metal bracelet and designed to be a constant companion, marking an evolution in the Maison’s approach to versatility and everyday elegance.
The Dimier case, combined with its fully integrated bracelet, offers seamless comfort, making this the Maison’s first truly everyday timepiece. The clasp, featuring BOVET’s signature V fastens to form an infinity symbol – a nod to the enduring connection between heritage and modernity.
The Récital 12 also introduced the concept of Welcome to the Good Life – a philosophy of refined living, where elegance meets ease. Now, as the collection evolves, so does its spirit. More than a timepiece, the Récital 12 36mm is an invitation to carry BOVET’s craftsmanship with you, whatever you are doing.
A New Dimension of Elegance
Like the perfect silk scarf – light, comfortable, and intimately personal – the new Récital 12 36mm is designed to drape around the wrist with the same fluid grace. A companion in style, it is a token of refinement, a final touch that completes a look with ease and intention.
Designed and imagined by Pascal himself, the new Récital 12 36mm version presents a stainless-steel case adorned with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling more than one full carat of diamonds. The guilloché case back, inspired by a heritage pocket watch safely conserved in BOVET’s museum at the 14th-century Château de Môtiers, whispers of the Maison’s legacy – a hidden treasure known only to the wearer, much like the delicate lining of a couture garment.
Every link in its bracelet flows like silk against the skin, wrapping the wrist in a seamless embrace. For effortless versatility, an interchangeable strap system allows the Récital 12 36mm to shift as naturally as style itself – from the cool shimmer of steel to the soft sophistication of alligator leather. Whether worn for everyday elegance or as a finishing touch for an extraordinary moment, it moves with you, enhancing not just the way you look, but the way you feel.
A Canvas of Colours, A Tribute to Time
The Récital 12 36mm dials are available with turquoise or raspberry lacquered guilloché. Additionally, the timepiece can be chosen with a white mother-of-pearl dial. These stunning, vivid colours reflect a personality that is determined and proud, yet elegant and humble, knowing that they carry more than 200 years of craftsmanship.
The fleur de lotus guilloché pattern on the dial honours BOVET’s heritage – the Lotus Flower being a symbol of the brand since its foundation. Its 12 petals symbolise the 12 hours of the day and night, each one yours to cherish. The hands indicating the hours and the minutes feature a BOVET poetic detail – when they come together, once every hour, the tips form an endearing little heart. This charming detail will appeal to romantic and positive souls who are determined to look on the beautiful side of life.
Finally, powered by a high-watchmaking automatic movement, the new Récital 12 36mm caters to collectors who prefer a smaller size while still coveting BOVET’s renowned attention to detail.
“The introduction of the Récital 12 36mm demonstrates our commitment to meeting the diverse needs of our collectors,” Pascal said.
“We’ve handcrafted a timepiece that appeals to a broader range of wrist sizes and style preferences. It is a new his and hers timepiece, designed to be worn both by men and women in a world where versatility has become a cherished practice.”
Pascal’s daughter, Audrey, A BOVET Vice President, added: “The beauty of the Récital 12 36mm lies not just in its appearance, but in its ability to adapt, to move seamlessly between chic and cool.
“Whether paired with a tailored suit or worn to complement a more casual ensemble, it transforms with the wearer, much like a scarf that effortlessly shifts from an accessory of opulence to a statement of bold individuality.”
A true companion, the Récital 12 36mm’s sophisticated design, interchangeable bracelet and vibrant dials seamlessly complement your ever-evolving journey, like a finely tailored ensemble. A testament to BOVET’s artistry, it invites you to embrace everyday elegance.