It was the year 1930 and watchmaking was witnessing one of the most significant turning points in its history: pocket watches were transformed into wrist watches. Although from today's point of view, this may seem a natural evolution for the sector, at the time it was a real revolution.

With their new ergonomics, wristwatches offered more freedom and new uses which, in turn, gave rise to new functions.

This marked the beginning of the creation of professional watches, designed to meet the needs of customers. Watchmakers therefore found themselves faced with a multitude of new constraints. The movements they had produced had to be more precise, their small size and, again due to the ever-changing development, steel, which was enjoying a real boom in those years, became one of the favorite materials of watchmaking houses. thanks, above all, to the many advantages offered by its mechanical properties and its resistance.

No other brand is able to represent better than BOVET 1822, this transitory decade, which pays homage to the historical period with an entire collection inspired by the aesthetic codes of a timepiece called “easel” (photo below), produced by the brand in the 30s.

The collection 19THIRTY borrows numbers and hands from this timepiece, combining them with essential aesthetics, thus highlighting the chronometric performance and fine watchmaking finishes of each watch.

The collection is characterized by two distinct cases: Fleurier, whose crown and hinged arch at 12 o'clock recall the origins of BOVET and, the more traditional case DIMIER, with its four lugs and a crown positioned at 3 o'clock.

19Thirty Fleurier

The case is made of stainless steel and measures 42mm rather thin, just 9,5mm despite the astonishing 7 day power reserve.

Then comes the dial although the true face of the Bovet 19Thirty it is actually the back where we can admire the movement.

Two sub-dials are applied on the upper part: one displays the hour and the other displays the seconds. The two sub-dials are made of solid metal and then coated with a slightly translucent paint that reveals a subtle, delicate and refined brushed concentric pattern.

The rest of the dial is made up of the main movement plate, which is finished with a circular Cotes de Genève. On this main plate, we can see two openings: one, at 12 o'clock, reveals part of the barrel, the other at 6 o'clock includes a power reserve indicator.

This dial is engraved with rather strange, somewhat poetic inscriptions written in Old French: "Faictes de mains de maistres" (“Made by the hands of the masters”) e "Pour servir ponctuels gentilshommes" ("Serve the gentlemen on time").

Also note that this watch is not "Swiss Made" ma "Swiss Handcrafted". They may seem like just details, but they reveal the spirit of the brand and these statements are entirely appropriate considering the level of finish of the case and dial.

By turning the clock we can admire the Caliber 15BM04, a hand-wound movement with a whopping 7 days of power reserve, which is pretty impressive considering the Bovet 19Thirty only has one barrel.

This movement is pleasant to look at, first of all because it completely fills the case, then because the finish is surprising: rounded corners and polished bridges, circular graining on the main plate, Cotes de Genève and blued screws, all entirely designed and manufactured in the workshops of Bovet.

Available in various dial tones, at a price of around 17.000 EURO.