Amadeo Fleurier 39
Hours, Minutes
When he became the sole owner of the Maison BOVET 1822 in 2001, Mr. Raffy immediately boosted the decorative arts. At a time when the trend and fashion were for futurism, he developed and ensured the longevity of professions that had all but disappeared, such as artistic engraving, miniature painting and the art of enameling. Unique pieces and customized timepieces today represent one third of the timepieces manufactured annually by BOVET 1822 and bear witness to collectors’ attachment to artistic craftsmanship.
During the annual presentation of the collections, BOVET 1822 is in the habit of offering a selection of unique pieces boasting miniature painting or grand feu enameling. This year, the artisans have reinterpreted an array of collectors’ most beloved themes with a new inspiration.
This 2019 vintage gives pride of place to timepieces designed for women. Two of them take the fan as their theme. This choice is particularly appealing because of its universal nature. Fans have existed since antiquity on all continents and in many different cultures. Only very few objects have managed to survive the centuries unaffected by fashions and cultural change. But fans and timepieces share more than just this permanence. They each combine a host of materials and several different professions are often involved in their manufacture.
One of the timepieces represents a painted silk fan, while the second, more exuberant model is made up of elegant, voluminous feathers. This theme lends itself particularly well to the miniature painting technique practiced by BOVET 1822 artisans as it uses mother-of-pearl as a backdrop. This provides a singularly elegant contrast with the details of the miniature painting.
Dozens of hours of work were required to render the materials and their volume, with the painter recreating every single detail and fiber of the material with astounding realism. To achieve such a level of definition, the painter uses a brush ending in a single marten hair, and produces the work entirely under a microscope.
Using this same technique, the artisan has created a dial illustrating koi carp. This is a theme dear to collectors from South-East Asia, where koi carp is a symbol of love. Mr. Raffy asked Ilgiz Fazulzyanov to interpret this same koi carp theme. The Russian artistic jeweler has been creating the House’s grand feu enamel dials since becoming a BOVET 1822 partner in 2014. In this instance, two carps occupy the dial, undulating among the reliefs of a lacustrine back set with diamonds, whose radiance reproduces the shimmering surface reflections. A piece of this kind requires several hundred hours’ work, the complexity of which is exacerbated by the mix of techniques used.
Each of these dials fits within the 39 mm-diameter Fleurier Amadeo case set with round diamonds, allowing you to convert your timepiece into a bracelet watch, table watch or pendant without requiring the use of the slightest tool.
