GPHG 2020 Mechanical Exception Prize: Bovet 1822 Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter 2

Pascal Raffy, President of Bovet 1822, winner of the 2020 Mechanical Exception Prize

Following the lauded success of the Récital 26 Brainstorm® Chapter One, Mr. Pascal Raffy, owner of the House of Bovet 1822, and the skilled artisans of the House of Bovet are honored to premiere the Récital 26 Brainstorm® Chapter Two, presented in the iconic sloped writing case that features Bovet’s patented Double-sided flying tourbillon, a second-time zone with a twenty-four city disc, a precision moon phase while offering the chronometry of 5 days power reserve.

The Brainstorm Chapter Two is the second timepiece in the Bovet collection to be fitted with a sapphire crystal case in the emblematic writing case with an asymmetrical profile imagined by Mr. Pascal Raffy in 2016. The slope of its bezel allows the collector to explore new display mechanisms that guarantee intuitive and increased readability. Concentric rollers, rotating domes, and three-dimensional needles were used to express time in new ways. The protected design of the writing case opens up new horizons in terms of the very architecture of the movements, by optimizing the volume which simultaneously increases the functionalities offered, the chronometry, the reliability, and the readability.

Anxious to offer useful functionalities in absolute coherence, Mr. Pascal Raffy and the development department of the House of Bovet have imagined a movement that justifies the use of the “writing slope” case entirely made of sapphire. Selected for its crystalline transparency, sapphire is, moreover, the second hardest material known after diamond and, a little known fact, it is lighter than titanium. This unprecedented choice immediately revealed one of the major challenges faced by the technicians at the House of  Bovet. If sapphire cases have been known for almost forty years, their designs have remained relatively simple, because of the machining and polishing constraints due to the hardness of the material. Achieving a complex case, especially with the asymmetrical profile of the writing case confronted engineers and technicians with difficulties and challenges that were beautifully mastered with the unveiling of the Brainstorm Chapter One in 2019 and continues today with the unveiling of the Brainstorm Chapter Two which has also been encased in sapphire for the pure pleasure and delightful exploration of the collector.

Ultimately, the middle and the glass form only one single element, 47.80  in diameter, which meticulously respects the original design of the cases in the collection. The back is made up of a bezel and four horns machined from grade 5 titanium. The sapphire crystal case opens generously to display the movement which has many secrets to reveal. To optimize transparency and ergonomics, the watchmakers of the House of Bovet decided to fix the movement at the bottom rather than inside the middle, as is usually the case. A choice they had already successfully experimented with building the luminous OttantaSei Tourbillon in 2016 and the Récital 26 Brainstorm® Chapter One in 2019. The Chapter One has been awarded numerous distinctions saluting its design and the mastering of the innovative technicality of its case material and design.

Technical specifications:

Bovet 1822 Récital 26 Brainstorm® Chapter Two

Reference: R26C2-001

Limited edition of 10 pieces

Case

Material: sapphire crystal, writing desk shape
Diameter: 47.8 mm
Thickness: 15.5 mm
Water-resistant to 30 meters

Dial and hands

Blue quartz 

Movement

Manual-winding mechanical
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Power reserve of 120 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, moon phases, power reserve

Strap and buckle

Leather strap and pin buckle

MSRP: CHF 355'000