This Wild Watch Finally Solved a Century-Old Horological Conundrum

Mechanical watchmaking has been around for centuries, with some Swiss brands like Bovet claiming over 200 years of history.

You’d think that after hundreds of years of innovation, there wouldn’t be any mountains left to climb in the field of horology. But that isn’t the case. 

Ever since Louis Cottier and Patek Philippe created the first examples in the 1930s, every single world-time watch has suffered from the same issue: They don’t account for Daylight Saving Time, which means that throughout the year, some of the watch’s cities will not display the correct time.

Bovet finally solved that problem this year.

Bovet

GP100 Winner

Bovet The Récital 28 Prowess 1

A world first, this insane timepiece finally solves the chief issue with world timers in that it accounts for Daylight Saving Time. Thanks to an ingenious roller system, the wearer can switch all 24 time zones between UTC, American DST, Europe and America Summer Time and European Winter Time with a press of the crown.

Specs

Case Size	46.3mm
Movement	Bovet Cal. R28-70-00X hand-wound perpetual calendar world timer
Water Resistance	30m

• $650,000 at Bovet

The watch’s solution is quite ingenious. Rather than utilizing a printed ring of cities like other world timers, the Récital displays its cities on rollers.

Each roller has four sides representing four different annual time systems: UTC, American DST, Europe and America Summer Time and European Winter Time.

Bovet

A simple press of the crown is all that’s needed to switch from one time system to another, keeping the watch accurate throughout the year.

The remarkable movement powering this wizardry is made up of a staggering 744 components and also features a tourbillon and perpetual calendar.

At this point, Bovet is just showing off.

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