Manufacturer: Bovet Year: Circa 2000 Reference No: C800 Case No: 003438 Model Name: Sportster Zodiac Material: stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2844, 28 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Bovet deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Bovet's relationship with China go back to the 19th century, when the company specialized in exquisite, usually enameled pieces for the Far Eastern market. The present watch celebrates the ties of the watchmaking brand with the Chinese country thanks to its special dial graphics. Not only it features Chinese characters for indexes, but furthermore these characters do not represent the numbers 1 to 12, rather the Chinese Zodiac signs. This configuration - far from being a simple aesthetic experiment - has its roots in ancient Chinese culture and Feng Shui. According to this discipline, the day can be divided in 12 2-hour periods, and each period is associated with a Zodiac sign (for example, 7 AM - 9 AM is the time of the Dragon); for each person, the period of the day associated with their sign is considered auspicious.
The firm Bovet 1822 has a rich, centuries-long history beginning when Edouard Bovet sold four decorative pocket watches in Canton Asia for what would today equal $1 million. By 1822, Edouard, with his brothers, registered the company in London, which at the time was an important center for watches and clocks. That same year, they moved their manufacturing center to the Swiss municipality Fleurier. Bovet became known for their highly decorative pocket watches for the Chinese market. Their richly engraved movements were so important to the watch that Bovet created the concept of the transparent watch back so owners could see the beauty of the movement. Bovet's oversized chronograph wristwatches, such as the Mono Rattrapante chronograph, are especially sought-after. Today, the firm continues their tradition of exquisitely enameled watches.