hen the Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two tourbillon was introduced by Bovet last year, it was hailed as an incredible expression of artisanal watchmaking, decorative arts, mechanical ingenuity, and innovation.

This year, the brand introduces a new aesthetic that brings this traditional expression of high watchmaking squarely into the 21st century, with titanium cases in brilliant black Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) and Super-LumiNova dials.

Placed side-by-side with the original, the newest Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two is a completely new timepiece, modern and sporty, while still maintaining its high watchmaking excellence. This is a theme moving forward for Bovet – using interesting materials, colors, treatments, and displays that modernize these intricate timepieces, while still emphasizing the artisanal nature of the brand’s in-house production.

Bovet’s processes greatly benefited from the three-year collaboration with Rolls-Royce that resulted in the stunning pair of bespoke timepieces and the mounting system in the dashboard of the Boat Tail.

Like participation in Formula 1 provides a trickle-down of technology into an automaker’s passenger cars, the intense research, development, and testing (including crash testing) of the Boat Tail timepieces resulted in engineering and production gains that have impacted every aspect of Bovet’s manufacture. Every single collection has benefitted from this exchange of engineering and technology, including the brand Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two.

The Super-LumiNova coated dials, not just indices or markings but the entire dial surface, are available in Yellow, Blue, Salmon, Turquoise, Green, and Violet. Each color is limited to eight (8) timepieces. Once charged, these dials really pop, showcasing the luminosity in a unique way.

Over the past few years, Bovet has been integrating Super-LumiNova into its timepieces in unique ways – in the lunar surface of the moon phase, on the sunshine dials of various collections – but this is the first time that Super-LumiNova has been applied so strongly onto the dials, a true statement of modernity.

The Grade 5 titanium cases of these new Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two timepieces have been treated with brilliant black DLC, creating a “dark side” that contrasts with the bright and vibrant dial colors.

The new Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two includes everything else that made this introduction special – the patented flying tourbillon with ten days of power reserve, the patented accelerated rewinding system, the writing slope case and sapphire crystal aperture, the fine movement decoration, the big date display, and the two dials forming a horizontal number eight, which in numerology and in multiple cultures symbolizes luck, perfection, and infinity.

For exceptional legibility, the seconds’ display is carefully designed to be displayed by a Super-LumiNova-coated sub-dial. The arrow of the index hangs over the surface of the delicate circular dial showing the 60 seconds. The easy, precise readability offered by this display, even in the dark, is remarkable. To achieve this, the seconds’ dial must be affixed to the plate during the initial assembly phases, which makes the watchmakers’ work even more delicate when working with the Super-LumiNova coating, as one scratch will necessitate starting over.

It is hard to imagine that a Super-LumiNova dial with such a diameter, hanging over the date disks, could allow for such a large date display. The space between the units’ disk and the hours’ disk is reduced to optimize readability, making it as large as possible for enhanced legibility. The watchmakers also did not forget the date correction, which does not even require removing the timepiece from one’s wrist, and is performed simply by pressing down on the real sapphire cabochon crown. The rapid date corrector and iconic 12-o’clock positioning of the crown effectively avoid any accidental date correction.

The movement that drives this timepiece meets Bovet’s demanding criteria of chronometry, reliability, and expression. It draws its energy from a single barrel that ensures more than ten days of power reserve, all while maintaining the balance wheel’s oscillations at 18,000 vph.

Finally, the power reserve of over ten days, provided by a single barrel, would require meticulous winding if not for the spherical differential winding system. The application of this ingenious mechanism and the multi-gear three-dimensional teeth of one of its pinions, have received two patents. Because of this differential winding system, the number of crown turns needed for full winding of the spring is halved without increasing friction and forces exerted on the gears.

The Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two limited edition (8 of each color) is a modern interpretation of Bovet’s proprietary and patented flying tourbillon with a big date and lengthy power reserve. The Super-LumiNova-coated dials and black DLC titanium cases are a true 21st-century departure for Bovet, and a definite harbinger of things to come.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

CASE

• Type: Fleurier
• Diameter: 44 mm
• Material: Titanium
• Strap: Full-skin alligator
• Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle with Diamond-like carbon Coating
• Water resistance: 30 m

MOVEMENT

• Calibre 17BM06-GD
• Type: Hand-wound movement decorated with blackened Côtes de Genève
• Diameter: 17’’’
• Frequency: 18’000 v/h
• Power reserve: 10 days, single barrel
• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds on flying tourbillon, big date, power reserve indicator

DIALS

• Coloured Super-LumiNova dials: green, blue, yellow, purple, salmon
• Components: 394 - including 356 components for the movement
• Spherical winding
• Toothing with multiple gearing
• Double face tourbillon
• Limited editions to 8 timepieces per colour of dial

PRICE

• CHF 200,000