ReviewBovet’s Fleurier Virtuoso III: Combining Advanced Complications And Adaptable Decoration

Known for their artistic excellence with highly complex movements, offering prestigious complications, Bovet’s watches stand out for their functional, yet highly decorative timepieces. The Fleurier Virtuoso III is an ideal example of how technical brilliance and innovation meet the finer arts of high watchmaking. The Virtuoso series showcases the company’s exceptional mechanics and expertise in traditional techniques. From the Fleurier pillar of products, they are lavish timepieces that share traits with the Miss Audrey line’s elegance and the 19Thirty series’ decorative dials.

Bovet’s legacy in the art of decoration goes back to the highly ornamental timepieces made by the original brand for royalty in the Far East. With such origins, the house of Bovet was built to specialise in a variety of artisanal crafts. When entrepreneur Pascal Raffy revived the brand in modern times, he worked towards refining even the maison’s watchmaking savoir faire, with manufacturing facilities that lay emphasis on mechanical innovation and possibly everything that matters in fine watchmaking. The Virtuoso III is a gorgeous example of fine watchmaking that represents both sides of the maison’s success.

Multiple Personalities Of The Virtuoso III 

The Fleurier line truly represents the history of Bovet, not only owing to the intricate craftsmanship seen in the series, but also owing to collection’s inspiration from pocket watches, which contributed heavily to the brand’s early success. Watches from this line come with singular lugs, with the crown at 12 o’clock—as seen in traditional pocket watches. Apart from these distinguishing features, several contemporary Fleurier timepieces, such as this Virtuoso III feature the Amadéo convertible casing, which allows the timepiece to be converted into a reversible wristwatch, a pocket watch and even a table clock. Furthermore, this is possible without the hassle of any tools or professional intervention.

Virtuoso III features the Amadéo convertible casing, which allows the watch to be converted into a reversible wristwatch, a pocket watch and even a table clock (seen here)

Running And Jumping Time

On one face of the reversible case, the Virtuoso III integrates two complications that are considered difficult to combine in limited space—which you see on the green guilloche dial. These are the jumping-hours display and the retrograde minutes. While the jumping hours are seen in an aperture towards six o’clock on this off-centred dial, the retrograde minutes scale is from nine to three o’clock. On the flip side, there’s a more conventional dial, with regular central hands for hours and minutes, but still off-centred. Below both these dial faces you see the tourbillon—a complication that was created to neutralise the negative effects of gravity on the accuracy of a movement. This used to be a problem mainly with pocket watches, so it’s almost poetic that the ‘whirlwind’ complication is seen in this convertible timepiece.

All this is set within the 43.3mm case in rose gold. The highly complex movement is the manual-winding calibre 16BM02AI, offering a five-day power reserve, which is even indicated on one of the dial faces. Despite the transparency of the open-worked movement, there is significant decoration, as seen in the floral patterns flanking the dial, and other elements.

With the brand’s superb mechanics and mastery of artisanal finishes, the Virtuoso III is quite functional, despite being extremely ornamental. The dial is complemented by a deep green leather strap, while a rose gold chain is included, for when you want to embrace the vintage pocket-watch vibe of this timepiece.