The History of BOVET Watches - Everything You Need to Know About Watches

Bovet Watches

The History of Bovet


It was founded by Edouard Bovet (1797-1849), who learned about watches from his father, a watchmaker, from a young age.
He later traveled to England in 1814 to study clockmaking, and then to China in 1818 to establish his own sales market.
He founded his company in London in 1922. Most of his products were shipped to China.
The company continued to sell the brand until 2001, when it was acquired by its current president, Pascal Raffy.



1797

Born in Frérier, Switzerland, the son of watchmaker Jean-Frédéric Bovet


1814

After completing his watchmaking apprenticeship, Edouard Bovet left Fleurier with his brothers Alfors and Frédéric for London, then one of the leading watchmaking cities in Europe and a fashionable centre.


1818

On April 20, he boarded a ship operated by the East India Company, landed in Canton on August 16, and sold four types of watches for a total of 10,000 francs (equivalent to $1 million at the time).


1822

Edward Bovet, who lived in Canton, formed a partnership with his brother, who lived in London, and his third brother, Gustav, a watchmaker in Fleurier. The first contract for the Bovet company to trade watches with China was written in London on May 1, 1822, and the company believed that the business would grow rapidly and that its manufacturing methods would be transferred there.

1830

The Bovet House in Frérier, where construction began, was nicknamed the ''Chinese Palace'' and, from 1905 onwards, was called the ''Hôtel de Ville''. Today, Bovet is known as a foundation for quality.

1835

Château de Môtiers, built in the 14th century in the Val de Travers and Frérier region, was sold by Henri-François du Bois Bovet and presented as a gift to the Swiss Canton of Neuchâtel by his great-grandson in 1957.

2001

Pascal Raffy becomes sole shareholder and manager of Bovet Fleurier

2006

Pascal Raffy creates the IMIER 1738 Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale and DIMIER 1738

2006

Pascal Raffy buys the historic Château de Motiers in the canton of Neuchâtel and sets up the BOVET workshop there.

2010

Received the Special Jury Prize in the Dutch magazine 00/24 ​​Horloges for his "Frelier Amadeo Tourbillon 5 Days Leap Time", which featured the detailed painting of a Geisha. This honor is given only twice every 11 years to an exceptional watch.

2010

Introduction of AMADEO exchangeable system

2010

BOVET Tourbillon OTTANTA® by Pininfanina Awarded the Most Achievable Watch Design of the Year 2010

2014

The first non-tourbillon Virtuoso II movement






1797

Edouard Bovet was born in the Swiss Jura valley, the son of Jean-Frédéric Bovet, a professional watchmaker.

1814

After completing his watchmaking apprenticeship, Edouard Bovet left Fleurier with his brothers Alfors and Frédéric for London, then one of the leading watchmaking cities in Europe and a fashionable centre.


1818

On April 20, he boarded a ship operated by the East India Company, landed in Canton on August 16, and sold four types of watches for a total of 10,000 francs (equivalent to $1 million at the time).


1822

Edward Bovet, who lived in Canton, formed a partnership with his brother who lived in London and his third brother Gustav, a watchmaker in Fleurier. The first contract for the Bovet company to trade watches with China was written in London on May 1, 1822, and the company believed that the business would grow rapidly and that its manufacturing methods would be transferred there.

1824

Bovet was to become a prestigious watch company on a par with other well-known companies in China. This sign of a company becoming a watchmaker was seen as a very appreciated gift to China.

1830

The Bovet House in Frérier, where construction began, was nicknamed the ''Chinese Palace'' and, from 1905 onwards, was called the ''Hôtel de Ville''. Today, Bovet is known as a cornerstone of quality.

1835

Château de Môtiers, built in the 14th century in the Val de Travers and Frérier region, was sold by Henri-François du Bois Bovet and presented as a gift to the Swiss Canton of Neuchâtel by his great-grandson in 1957.

1840

Frédéric Bovet leaves London to take charge of the company, which employs 175 people, in Fleurier.

1849

Edward Bovet died at Fleurier at the age of 52. By that time, Fleurier watches had been the gold standard for watches in China for many years, and were even used as currency for domestic trade.

1855

At the first exhibition in Paris, the company wins a gold medal in the luxury category for an enamel watch, a commission from the Chinese emperor.

Bovet continued to sell in China until 1900, when it fell victim to the production of counterfeits by its French and American rivals in Besançon.

1889

Fritz Bovet, the eldest son of Alphonse Bovet, applied for a patent for a single pusher chronograph that could operate a 24-hour clock with seconds and minutes and a stopwatch function with the same power source. His ingenious mechanism helped to accelerate the rise of the chronograph to fame.

1930

Bovet filed two patents, one for the portfolio watch, which incorporated the traditional desk clock into a wristwatch, and another for the chronograph with a single flyback wristwatch, both of which are still considered highly advanced and desirable today.

1950

Bovet watches are sold in Geneva, London, New York, and Bombay

1989

The rebirth of Fleurier Bovet Since then, the company has produced very limited numbers of watches, fewer than 2,000 per year, with more than a third of these being custom-made one-off pieces.
Bovet watches are characterised by a crown and hinged bow at the 12 o'clock position, a unique feature that is said to be a direct result of Bovet's involvement in the Chinese market in the 19th century.

2006

In 2001, Pascal Raffy, who became the sole shareholder and manager of the brand, acquired three companies that produced tourbillons, movements, and balance springs under the umbrella of STT Holding, changing the name to Dimier 1738. He also purchased the historic Château de Motiers in the canton of Neuchâtel and established a workshop there, which became a new frontier for Bovet and influenced its future.

2011

BOVET Tourbillon OTTANTA® receives the Most Meritorious Design Award from Watch Magazine

2012

BOVET and DKSH enter into a collaboration agreement to strengthen the position of BOVET watches in Asia and to expand the market and become a major player in the industry. DKSH will handle marketing, sales and after-sales services throughout Asia and will assume a strategic stake of 20% in BOVET and both of its manufacturing facilities (DIMIER).