These concepts and his philosophy may come across as difficult for many people to relate to, but then again most people did not retire and then decide to purchase a historic luxury brand whose forte is in precision mechanics, engraving, and enamel painting. After years, I have become convinced that to properly manage a brand such as Bovet, the leader must not only produce the Kool-Aid, but they must also have an unquenchable thirst for it. When being in the presence of Mr. Raffy, you unequivocally know that the deepest part of his heart is being accessed in each decision he makes.
Mr. Raffy also understands a concept often lost today in luxury which is the notion of “artistic density.” He actually used this term and I am borrowing it because it nicely sums up a concept I have had difficulty in describing for a while now. Artistic density is the opposite of modern minimalism. It is the traditional notion that luxury items should densely pack a number of desirable works of hand-craftsmanship and artistic effort.
Take an historic pocket watch produced for an aristocrat as an example. First of all, the piece was made hand, and it was totally unique. It was also imbued with the personality and symbols of importance to the client. The pocket watch was first a watch, and was produced as well as possible. The effort of the watchmaker was often echoed by series of hand engravings on the movement. The case of the pocket watch was supposed to be a precious item. It was produced from a precious metal, and often studded with precious stones and other decorative materials. Often times, the case was also embellished with enamel paintings displaying people or scenes of importance to the client. I’ve just described a number of complex and time consuming artistic or mechanical endeavors each requiring a unique skill and all densely packed into a single item that fits in… well, a pocket. That is artistic density.
Mr. Raffy describes how Bovet respects and perpetuates the concept of artistic density in one of the two watches he is wearing. It is the 2014 Virtuoso III and it is a unique model made just for himself. Many know how a great number of Bovet timepieces are convertibles. That means they transform from a pocket watch, to a watch, to a pendant, to a desk clock. It is a neat trick, and it is engineered quite well. The Virtuoso III comes in an 18k white gold case with a double-sided dial and a rich amount of hand-engraving and decoration. One side of the dial contains a miniature hand-painted enamel dial that is a reproduction of a scene from a historic Bovet pocket watch. It also happens to include a tourbillon-based perpetual calendar movement. As you can see, top-tier models such as this further the notion that for Bovet artistic density is an important notion in luxury.
The other watch Mr. Raffy is wearing is the 18k white gold version of the 2014 Recital 12. It contains the new Virtuoso II movement base and is the thinnest Recital watch produced. This version has a baguette-diamond lined bezel, and comes on the retro-styled matching 18k white gold bracelet and at 42mm wide is a pretty stunning yet highly wearable dress watch.
Those curious about the motivations behind the people who produce luxury goods should listen to the interview, especially when Mr. Raffy describes his personal definition of what luxury is. You have to appreciate that what Mr. Raffy is doing is logically categorizing what is typically an emotional construct. It is that type of thinking and ability to elaborate on what are often ambiguous or at least abstract ideas that help make Mr. Raffy so special in the watch (timepiece) industry. He is a very special guy, and whether or not you find a specific Bovet timepiece to lust after, there is a lot about him to admire and respect. bovet.com
