Bovet
The Récital 28 Prowess 1

A BREAKTHROUGH IN WORLD TIME TIMEKEEPING

The Récital 28 Prowess is the first mechanical timepiece to solve the modern timekeeping challenge posed by Daylight Saving Time (DST).The Récital 28 Prowess is the first mechanical timepiece to solve the modern timekeeping challenge posed by Daylight Saving Time (DST).

THE PROBLEM

Ever since Daylight Saving Time (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.

THE SOLUTION

Thanks to its ingenious roller system, the Récital 28can 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; and EWT – European Winter Time. This, in turn, means that all 24 world time zones will be accurate all year round.

THE ROLLER SYSTEM

Each of the 25 rollers has four positions, all controlled by the pushers on the right-hand side of the case – UTC, AST, EAS, and EWT. Pushing the sapphire cabochon on the crown 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 WORLD TIME SYSTEM

Before the Recital 28 Prowess 1, all world timers were wrong during Daylight Saving Time. The secret of this timepiece? The 24 rollers each have four positions, all controlled through the crown – UTC, AST (American Summer Time), EAS (Europe and America Summer Time), and EWT (European Winter Time). Pushing the crown rotates each individual cylinder 90 degrees, so every time zone is individually set.

THE TOURBILLON

The movement powering the Récital 28 Prowess 1 is brand new, using BOVET’s patented double-sided flying tourbillon as a base. The tourbillon has been expanded – the escapement is completely on one side of the center fixation point, with the cage carrying the balance wheel and BOVET’s in-house balance spring on the other side, making it even more transparent and mesmerizing than before. The redesigned cage is the lightest BOVET has ever used, as well (62 components, with 39 being completely new), with a total weight of 0.35 grams).

THE PERPETUAL CALENDAR

The date, leap year indication, and the month are on rollers, so when they get to the last day of the month, the date rolls back like a slot machine, with a special dampening system to stop it gently, while the other two roll forward. One more reason to stay up until midnight at the end of the month and especially at the end of the year to watch all the rollers move. The date roller is based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci. This was chosen because the technical department needed a solution where the gearing wasn’t too tight. With this system, once the roller gets into position in its aperture, it is held in place by its spring, and the roller is freed from the gearing. On the back of the timepiece, BOVET has revealed the inner workings of the perpetual calendar mechanism for the first time ever, and it is a visual treat indeed.

DECORATION AND FINISHING

Each of the 744 components are hand-finished, the plate is decorated with perlage and Côtes de Genève, and the bridges are hand-engraved as well. Of particular attention is the beveling of the major structures of the movement — the method used is called angle rentrant. A corner is rentrant when two chamfers meet on the inside. The intersection must be clean, with a single line formed at the meeting point. This type of corner is the most difficult to produce, and the sharper the point, the more difficult it is. It requires expert hands — at present, there is no machine capable of producing it.

Customization

Thanks to BOVET’s emphasis on verticalized manufacture and the human touch, the House is uniquely open to customization 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 28 presents an invitation to make it unique, offering the perfect canvas. Collectors can change the city names, choose from a number of different colors of the 24-hour dial and the minute track.