Our History & Heritage

1797 – 1839

1840 – 2000

2001 – present

1797 – 1839

Establishment of the BOVET Dynasty

1797

Edouard Bovet was born in Fleurier. He was the son of Jean-Frédéric Bovet. He followed his father’s footsteps and became a master-watchmaker.

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1818

Edouard Bovet left London April 20 aboard the Orwell, ship of the “Compagnie des Indes,” on a voyage to China. He arrived in Canton, on August 16, where he quickly sold four watches for the sum of CHF 10,000 representing the equivalent of one million dollars today.

1822

The House of BOVET, a family business, was registered on May 1st, in London. At that time, Edouard Bovet was residing in Canton, while his brothers, Alphonse and Frederic were in London, and Gustave was managing the workshops in Fleurier. Together, they established BOVET to be a leader in watchmaking for its exceptional level of decorations and chronometry. Edouard Bovet is recognized as the founder of the transparent case-back. The transparency revealed the peerless expertise of the Duplex escapement that equipped the BOVET movement until the arrival of the first Swiss lever escapements.

1835

The CHÂTEAU DE MÔTIERS was built in the 14th century, overlooking le Val-de-Travers and Fleurier. It was sold to Henri-François Dubois-Bovet.

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1840 – 2000

BOVET’s Golden Age

1840

Frédéric Bovet left London and returned home to Fleurier, where he managed the watchmaking workshops that at the time employed 175 people.

1849

Edouard Bovet died in Fleurier at the age of 52, leaving his legacy in China. At that time, BOVET was a synonym of watch for the celestial (Chinese people), and used as a trade currency.

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1855

During the Universal Exhibition held in Paris, BOVET won the gold medal in the category ‘luxury’ for a pair of enameled watches commissioned by the Emperor of China.

1889

Fritz Bovet, Alphonse’s eldest son, filed a patent for a flyback chronograph equipped with a seconds-hand, minute-counter, and hour-counter that featured measurements of up to 24 hours. This ingenious mechanism offered the possibility of using the chronograph as a second-time zone.

1939

BOVET filed a patent for the Easel watch, which allowed the use of a pocket watch as a table clock. Another patent was filed for the Mono Split-Second chronograph, which today remains highly desirable among collectors.

1957

Henri-François Dubois-Bovet’s great grandchildren gifted the Castle of Môtiers to the state of Neuchâtel.

2001 – Present

The Pinnacle of the Watchmaking Arts

2001

Pascal Raffy, a passionate collector of Haute Horology, became sole owner of BOVET Fleurier SA.

2006

Pascal Raffy bought the Castle of Môtiers, classified as a historical monument, from the State of Neuchâtel, and established the first BOVET’s assembly workshop. To continue the legacy of the Bovet brothers, he soon integrated the DIMIER 1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale and BOVET Manufacture of dials.

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2007

To celebrate their mutual respect and admiration, the House of BOVET and Pininfarina established a partnership to create luxury sport timepieces that unites their passion for design and engineering brilliance.

2010

The House of BOVET premiered the patented Amadéo® convertible case, which allows you to transform your timepiece in a reversible wristwatch, table clock and pocket watch (or necklace watch) without the use of any tool.

2014

BOVET launched the Virtuoso II Caliber, the first movement not regulated by a tourbillon to be entirely developed and handcrafted in-house.

2015

Pascal Raffy unveiled two historical timepieces exclusively handcrafted by the BOVET’s artisans: the incredible Braveheart®, with 6 patents and an impressive 22-day power reserve, and the 19Thirty designed in homage to the pocket watches created by the Bovet family in the 1930s.

2018

Pascal Raffy’s commitment and dedication to the highest level of Haute Horology is both acknowledged and honored when the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards the Récital 22 Grand Récital, its most coveted award, the Aiguille d’Or.

2020

The Bovet Family welcomed Miss Audrey Raffy and her passion for Haute Horology, as she joined forces with her father Mr. Pascal Raffy to continue leading the pathway of Engineering Brilliance.

Mr. Pascal Raffy was honored to receive the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award for Mechanical Exception for the magnificent Récital 26 Brainstorm®️ Chapter Two and the Ladies’ Watch award for the beautiful Miss Audrey timepiece.

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