ReviewA Symphony Of Hues: Bovet’s Dimier Récital 23 In Enchanting Green, Blue, And Aventurine Dials

Larger than life, resplendent to the very last detail, and truly a manifestation of ‘haute horlogorie’ is what comes to mind when we look at anything by Bovet, especially the Récital timepieces. The colours gracing the Récital 23 evoke exactly the same and much more. The aventurine dial with a moon phase indicator is especially beautiful for its references to the starry night sky.

Known for featuring the unique-to-Bovet ‘writing slope’ case, designed for enhanced elegance, the Récital 23 has garnered attention since its launch. At first glance, the watch may appear to be a beautiful mess, especially to the layperson. Upon closer inspection, you find true artistry.

Starry Night And The Aventurine Récital 23

Gem-setting of precious stones has remained an incredibly important avenue for adding aesthetic value to any timepiece. When you combine that with watchmaking expertise that is clear to see right at the outset, the result is the Récital 23—Bovet’s canvas for combining watchmaking expertise with decorative arts.

What makes this apparent in all Récital 23 timepieces are the 174 round-cut diamonds on the case and a further 72 diamonds on the bezel. Of course, the large, hand-engraved hemispherical moon phase at 12, which is read via a 3D circular aperture, helps add to the visual appeal. The Récital 23 with an aventurine glass dial best evokes a starry night sky with the moon shining overhead. Paired with a deep blue alligator leather strap, the watch is a wonder on the wrist.

The Récital 23 with an aventurine glass timekeeping sub-dial and moon-phase indicator is a combination of Bovet's gem-setting of precious stones with watchmaking expertise

₹1,28,80,000

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Bovet made this gorgeous moon phase as practical as it is beautiful, as the mechanism used to drive the moon phase requires correction only once every 122 years

₹1,28,80,000

Check Our Selling Price

The Vibrant Green And Baby Blue Récital 23

On the gorgeous green and baby blue timepieces, the dial material is treated differently. Chiselled and then layered with lacquer, the dials form a character of their own. The watches ‘speak of the promise of lush greenery, tranquil seas, sun-kissed days, and warm festive nights’ is how the brand have described these new hues. Adding a touch of romance, the hands form the shape of a heart every hour.

The off-centred dials with hand-chiselled guilloche work feature 10 brilliant-cut diamond indexes. Both timepieces come in an 18-karat red gold, with the case measuring 43mm by 38.7mm. They wrap around the wrist with a green alligator strap or a blue lizard skin strap with an ardillon buckle in 18-karat red gold.

The gorgeous moon phase on this work of art is another beast altogether. Akin to the other Récital iterations, the moon phase display features hand engraving, and comes infused with Super-LumiNova, which makes for an absolute visual treat when the light is low. The view is further enhanced by a 3D circular aperture through which this display is seen.

Bovet made this gorgeous moon phase as practical as it is beautiful, as the mechanism used to drive the moon phase requires correction only once every 122 years. Moreover, the brand incorporated a push button into the real cabochon-cut sapphire of the crown to facilitate the adjustment of the moon phase.

The moon phase display on this watch features hand engraving and comes infused with Super-LumiNova, which makes for an absolute visual treat when the light is low

The Choir Of The Récital 23

If you thought that all the hand decoration and attention to detail would take something away from the stunning view through the exhibition back, well, think again.

Powering these watches is a high-end self-winding manufacture movement, with a hand-engraved 18-karat gold rotor, visible through the sapphire crystal exhibition back. The rotor features Bovet’s ‘Fleurisanne’ motif—a testament to the brand’s dedication to artistic craftsmanship. The timepiece comes with a respectable power reserve of 62 hours and water resistance up to 30m.

‘The Récital 23 is the perfect timepiece for the summer,’ is how the maison describe this watch. Perhaps it’s the gorgeous aventurine glass and hand-engraved dials, the immaculate moon phase display, or the precious gems so intricately added into this timepiece, but we think that the Bovet’s description of this watch might be underselling it a bit. With the Récital 23 colours, it’s clear to see that their passion for handcrafted fine watchmaking lives on.