Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1: innovating timekeeping with Daylight Saving Time adjustment

The new Récital 28 Prowess 1, recently introduced by Bovet, addresses the timekeeping challenge posed by Daylight Saving Time (DST). Price on request.

The new Récital 28 Prowess 1, recently introduced by Bovet, addresses the modern timekeeping challenge posed by Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Unlike traditional world time watches, the Récital 28 features an innovative roller system, allowing travelers to adjust the timepiece to any of the 24 global time zones, including UTC, American Summertime, European Summertime, and European Wintertime.

In addition to this unique feature, the timepiece boasts a flying tourbillon, a perpetual calendar with roller-based indications, and a 10-day power reserve from a single barrel.

Since DST was introduced during World War I and reinstituted during World War II to save energy and extend daylight hours, world time watches have struggled to adapt to varying DST schedules across different countries. 

Some countries, like those near the equator, do not observe DST due to minimal variation in daylight hours. Others, like China, the UAE, and India, also do not use DST. In the USA, Hawaii and Arizona are exceptions to DST observance.

The Récital 28 Prowess 1 from Bovet overcomes these challenges with an ingenious roller system that can be adjusted to any of the 24 time zones:

UTC - Coordinated Universal Time

AST - American Summer Time

EAS - Europe and America Summer Time

EWT - European Winter Time

The 24 time zones are displayed on rollers at 6 o'clock, with the sun (represented by the tourbillon) at 12 o'clock. A push of the crown rotates each cylinder 90 degrees, allowing for individual time zone adjustments. The date roller design, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, ensures that once the roller is in position, it is held by a spring and freed from the gearing.

The perpetual calendar displays the date, leap year, and month on rollers. At the end of each month and year, the date rolls back, with a dampening system to ensure smooth transitions. 

Bovet has revealed the inner workings of the perpetual calendar mechanism for the first time on the back of the timepiece.

The Récital 28 Prowess 1 is housed in a 46.3 mm x 17.85 mm Writing Desk case, providing ample space for the tourbillon at 12 o'clock. 

The timepiece features meticulous hand-finishing on each of the 744 components of the R28-70-00X calibre, operating at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour). 

The plate is decorated with perlage and Côtes de Genève, and the bridges are hand-engraved.

Available in 18K red gold, 950 platinum, or Grade 5 titanium, and water-resistant to 30 meters (100 feet), the Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 will be produced in a limited number of just 8 pieces per year due to its complexity. Price is available on request. bovet.com