Bovet Récital 30
The BOVET Récital 30 is an Everyday Evolution of the Récital 28
In 2024, the Récital 28 Prowess 1 revolutionized world time timepieces as the first mechanical timekeeper to solve the Daylight-Saving Time problem. As a follow-up to the award-winning Récital 28 Prowess 1 comes the Récital 30, a completely new timepiece that focuses exclusively on the ground-breaking world time system, combining unmatched innovation with in-house handcrafted mastery.
The Récital 30 incorporates the innovative roller system from the Récital 28, allowing world travelers to accurately display 25 global time zones during the four time periods of the year – Coordinated Universal Time, American Summer Time, European and American Summer Time, and European Winter Time.
The Récital 28 was limited to a total of 60 movements, as only six can be handcrafted each year. The Récital 30, however, which was developed alongside its big brother, is not limited in this way, meaning that anyone and everyone now has access to this world time system, which required over six years of development. Due to production constraints, no more than 30 Récital 30 timepieces will be handcrafted in 2025.
These two timepieces represent a significant leap in solving terrestrial timekeeping problems, ensuring accuracy in managing the world’s time zones.
• Adjustable world time thanks to rollers
• Simple to understand, use, and set
• Six years in development
• Displays 25 independent time zones (including New Delhi, India)
• The Récital 30 continues the legacy of the Récital 28, a world-first breakthrough that advanced the art of high watchmaking and global timekeeping
The Genesis
Ever since he started designing BOVET timepieces, Mr. Raffy has always been focused on the heavens and how to best interpret the various ways of telling time. In the past, he has including celestial sky charts, Equation of Time displays, precision moon phases, reproductions of the night sky, Sidereal Time, Solstices, and Summer and Winter Equinoxes, to just name a few.
The ground-breaking timepieces that have led to this moment include:
The Récital 18 Rising Star
The Récital 20 Astérium (winner of the 2023 GPHG Astronomy and Calendar Watch prize)
The Récital 22 Grand Récital (winner of the highest GPHG honor, the “Aiguille d’Or,” in 2018)
The Récital 26 Chapter One (first ever sapphire crystal case)
The Récital 26 Chapter Two (winner of the 2020 GPHG Mechanical Exception Watch prize)
The Récital 28 Prowess 1 (winner of the 2024 GPHG Mechanical Exception Watch prize)
Now, the Récital 30 joins this illustrious group, revolutionizing terrestrial time and making the innovative, ground-breaking and award-winning world time roller system available in a smaller, daily wear timepiece.
The Daylight Saving Time Problem: Ever since Daylight Saving Time (DST) was introduced, world time watches have been unable to adapt to the vagaries of when DST starts and ends in different countries, and which countries do not change (only about 70 countries use some form of DST).
In reality, all world time watches were wrong during the Daylight Saving Time periods, either set for DST so the rest of the world was wrong by one hour, or set for the majority of the world and the DST countries were off by an hour. Until the Récital 28 and now the Récital 30.
The New Solution: Thanks to its ingenious roller system borrowed from the Récital 28, the Récital 30 can be adjusted to any of the four time periods of the year:
UTC – Coordinated Universal Time
AST – American Summer Time
EAS – European and American Summer Time
EWT – European Winter Time
This, in turn, means that all 24 world time zones, and New Delhi, will be accurate all year round.
The Récital 30 emphasizes the essentials needed for keeping track of world time. The world time rollers cover nearly the entire dial, making it the clear focus of this timepiece. In the center is a day/night indicator linked to local time. As a result, the Récital 30 is the perfect companion for world travelers.
The Récital 30 World Time System: Each of the 26 rollers has four positions, all controlled by the pushers on the right-hand side of the case – UTC, AST, EAS, and EWT. Pushing the top pusher rotates each roller by 90 degrees, meaning that all 24 time zones are set to each of the four time periods of the year. The bottom pusher advances the central 24-hour world dial by one hour per push, making setting the entire world’s time extraordinarily simple.
Two Distinct Versions, Both Highlighting New Delhi
The Récital 30 comes in two versions, both with New Delhi featured prominently on the dial. India has a unique 30 minute off-set, and Mr. Raffy came up with an idea to include this challenging time zone on the dial of both versions. In the Coordinated Universal Time version, New Delhi is in black on the dial with a yellow or red arrow indicator, and the second color-matched (yellow or red) minute hand is linked to New Delhi time (with its 30 minute off-set).
The second version, designed for collectors living in India, links the main hour and minute hands to New Delhi time (both of which are yellow or red-colored, matching the New Delhi indicator on the dial) and the world time hours are off-set by 30 minutes, while the second minute hand (silver on the titanium, gold on the 18K red gold version) is linked to the minutes for the rest of the world.
“India is a country growing fast on the global stage, and I wanted to honor this exciting region on the Récital 30,” explains Mr. Raffy. “The collectors in India are very knowledgeable and demanding of true excellence, and I was proud to include this unique 30-minute offset, something that has rarely been done before.”
A New Chapter – In-House Cases
For the first time ever, BOVET is making its own cases in its facility in Tramelan. All titanium Récital 30 cases will be made in-house in their entirety, while the 18K red gold Récital 30 cases will be produced in the Tramelan manufacture from 2026. Both cases incorporate a sapphire crystal exhibition case back – a feature BOVET pioneered back in the 1800s to showcase its engraved and highly decorated movments.
For high watchmaking timepieces, it is important to craft as many components in-house as possible to maintain control over the very demanding quality of the cases and other components. Handcrafting the Récital 30 cases in-house means enhanced interaction between the technical office, the engineers, the production team and the watchmakers.
“I need to offer to my artisans new challenges,” says Mr. Raffy. “At BOVET, we combine art and innovation, and we perform the exceptional every day. The case is an exercise in design, integrating a domed sapphire crystal and shaped hands, recalling a window to the universe, while the timepiece itself has an undeniable vintage look and feel. I knew from the start that the case and overall design of the Récital 30 had to be exceptional, unexpected, and have real meaning.
“The Récital 30 was always in the back of my mind, from the very beginning of our research into solving the Daylight Saving Time problem, which started six years ago,” continues Mr. Raffy. “When I sit in the courtyard of the castle, I always think about useful and meaningful timepieces. On the wrist, we have to have the indication of time and it’s more important than ever to have it linked to the world, which has become so small and accessible today. I wanted to offer our collectors a wearable, very intuitive timepiece to guide them and remind them where they are from and where they are going. Complicated yet simple to use, this timepiece is the result of the innovation, the outstanding attention to detail, the exceptional knowledge and the human touch of all our artisans, showcasing BOVET’s unique qualities.”
With the Récital 30, BOVET continues to revolutionize world time timepieces.
Discover the Récital 30 at Cellini Jewelers, an Authorized Retailer for Bovet. Contact us for pricing and availability at 212-888-0505.