Approximately 6-months ago the global franchise Goodlife opened a supersize gym in my local suburb of Adelaide (South Australia). The fitness centre has become so popular that there are literally 10 personal trainers swarming around at any given time. What makes this gym so special is the broad demographic of people that attend on a daily basis. Recently I befriended a retired mathematician who is a pretty fascinating character. When mentioned I am an author/industrial designer, he was intrigued. Mainly because I informed him about my passion for horology. Like most people, he asked about the relevance of timepieces in modern society. Interestingly, I have just written an article for one of the worlds largest watch retailers about this subject.
Nobody would really dispute that people buy watches primarily for its functional capabilities. Nowadays electronic devices like tablets, computers, smartphones/watches do the job more effectively. However, on a personal level, I love wearing a mechanical watch, especially ones that display elements of the movement. The technology might be centuries old but the engineering and craftsmanship are still pretty amazing. Certainly, for me, nothing comes close to the aesthetic of a skeletonised timepiece. A perfect example (at the higher end of the spectrum) is the brilliant Récital 26 Brainstorm®Chapter One from Bovet.
Over recent times ‘Haute Horlogerie’ brands like 4N, Armin Strom, Cabestan, Hublot and Richard Mille have had enormous success with Sapphire crystal watches. This is definitely the material of the moment, especially with high-end collectors. For years it was only used for the face or exhibition case backs of watches so constructing a case from this substance is a game changer. As well as the obvious transparent visual qualities it is also lighter than titanium. That is why I am excited that Bovet has made three limited editions Récital 26 Brainstorm®Chapter One timepiece’s from this scratch-resistant crystal.
What makes the Récital 26 Brainstorm®Chapter One so special is bespoke inclined sapphire crystal case, which perfectly interacts with the multi-layered architectural skeletonised dial. This gives the recipient an intimate view of the complicated (patented) double face flying tourbillon mechanical movement. As you would expect from Bovet every technical aspect of this watch has been flawlessly executed. Functionally the timepiece features hours, minutes and moon phase indication.
