From its very beginning in the 1820s, BOVET captured the hearts of collectors around the world with the grandeur, finesse, and artistry of its handpainted timepieces. Thanks to their superlative quality and enchanting creativity of these miniature paintings, Edouard Bovet managed to distinguish his burgeoning House in China, a country hitherto closed to external trade, where his early clientele notably included the Emperor. One of the Emperor’s original BOVET timepieces sits enthroned in the central room of the Forbidden City to this day.
The polished lacquer formula and technique now employed by BOVET 1822 was developed by one of its exclusive artisans and derives from the Maison’s famed historic methods of the various miniature painting techniques still practiced today, Chinese lacquer enables the most precise artistic definition, and it is also more shock-resistant than enamel.
In their eager quest for perfection, BOVET artisans have developed new techniques in polished lacquer. To achieve a metallic effect in select designs, artisans incorporate gold leaf details, while in other cases, surfaces are adorned with gold or silver paillons (spangles).
