The Swiss manufacturer has built its reputation on consistent quality control and technical precision since 1822. These stone dial variants challenge established production methods by introducing natural material variations that cannot be standardised through manufacturing processes.
The Récital 12 is BOVET’s first bracelet timepiece, moving from their traditional leather straps. With the collection, comes exclusive Malachite and Tiger’s Eye surfaces. These materials require entirely different preparation and finishing techniques compared to traditional metallic or enamel applications.
Malachite: Nature in Motion
The malachite variant captures the subtle poetry of geology. Its rich green hues and naturally banded patterns tell a story written over millennia, shaped by copper deposits, mineral-rich waters, and slow, relentless pressure deep within the earth. Concentric circles and flowing lines emerge on each dial, ensuring that no two surfaces are ever alike.
BOVET’s artisans have developed meticulous techniques to translate this raw beauty into a functional watch dial. The mineral is cut into ultra-thin slices while preserving its structural integrity, reinforced with a metal backing to prevent fracture, and polished to a mirror-like finish that reveals the stone’s intricate internal patterns without compromising stability.
The resulting colour palette ranges from deep forest tones to lighter emerald shades, each determined by copper content and formation conditions. These natural colour differences ensure distinct visual character across the 60-piece production limitation, creating individual dial personalities within the limited series framework.
Tiger’s Eye: The Shimmering Dial
Tiger’s Eye dials reveal the mineral’s signature chatoyancy, where parallel silica fibres catch and reflect light in shifting bands across the surface. As the watch moves, the effect brings the dial to life, transforming it from a static display into a responsive, almost kinetic element.
The stone’s colour spectrum spans golden-brown to warm honey-brown tones, with each dial exhibiting subtle variations in saturation and gradient. Iron oxide deposits within the quartz determine these colour patterns, giving every timepiece a distinctive visual signature within the limited series.
BOVET’s preparation preserves the natural alignment of the fibres, essential for the chatoyancy effect. Finishing techniques are carefully balanced to enhance optical clarity while protecting the stone’s delicate internal structure, ensuring that the dial maintains its depth and movement over time.
A New Bracelet Design
The titanium bracelet made from Grade 5 titanium utilises BOVET’s inaugural metal link system, engineered to provide superior comfort. The folding clasp mechanism incorporates micro-adjustment capability spanning 3mm of expansion range, accommodating natural wrist size fluctuations throughout daily activities. Internal spring mechanisms enable smooth adjustment operation whilst maintaining secure closure integrity under various wearing conditions.
Surface finishing combines polished and brushed textures across link surfaces, creating visual depth whilst disguising normal wearing marks. The integrated “V” motif maintains brand identity elements and when closed, the clasp components form an infinity symbol configuration that reinforces BOVET’s design philosophy.
The Heart of the Récital 12
The Récital 12 is powered by BOVET’s hand-wound calibre 13BMDR12C2, built on an inverted architecture that exposes the movement’s critical components. The balance wheel, escapement, and sections of the gear train are visible, offering an unguarded view of mechanical operation and showcasing the finishing standards BOVET applies with absolute confidence.
The movement delivers a seven-day (168-hour) power reserve from a single mainspring barrel, far exceeding the 36–48 hour standard in mechanical watches. This extended autonomy removes the need for daily winding and allows owners to leave the watch unworn over a weekend without concern for precision.
BOVET produces over 95% of the movement’s components in-house, including hairsprings and regulating organs. This level of vertical integration guarantees consistency in quality and finishing.
The running seconds are indicated by three fire-blued hands positioned above the seconds wheel. Achieving a consistent, deep blue requires exacting temperature control, a process that underscores the skill and precision of BOVET’s craftsmen working on components measured in millimetres.
A Limited Collection with Timeless Appeal
Each stone dial variant is strictly limited to 60 numbered pieces worldwide, ensuring that ownership is rare and coveted. The natural veining and coloration of the stone means no two dials are alike, giving each watch a character entirely its own, creating a timepiece that is unmistakably individual.
Every stone is carefully hand-selected, prioritising both pattern and structural integrity. Subtle variations are allowed to shine through, so each watch develops its own personality, offering a distinctive rarity that cannot be replicated.
The 40mm case carries a sleek 9.8mm profile. Sapphire crystal and 30-metre water resistance offer practical durability, but the focus remains on the dial with its texture, hue, and artistry, showcasing the natural beauty and meticulous craftsmanship that defines every piece in this collection.