Pocket Full of Gold: Bovet Fleurier 19Thirty Channels Vintage Pocketwatch Style

Bovet Fleurier paid modern tribute to the so-called “easel” chronometer — a 1930 pocketwatch with a patented balance that served as a transitional piece between the eras of pocketwatches and wristwatches — with its 19Thirty collection, introduced earlier this year in steel cases. The newest versions feature rose gold cases in the maison’s emblematic Fleurier style, along with its hallmark Fleurisanne engraving on the dials.

The Fleurier case, measuring 42 mm in diameter and 9 mm thick, and water resistant to 30 meters, is notable for its pocketwatch-influenced design, with its big, fluted winding crown covered by a curved protective bow placed at 12 o’clock on the top of the case rather than at the more traditional 3 o’clock side position. (The first generation of 19Thirty timepieces was also offered in Dimier cases, which have a more contemporary wristwatch case design, with four lugs and a 3 o’clock crown.) The watch displays the time on two subdials that intersect to form a figure eight (the number “8” is a symbol of good luck in Chinese and other Asian cultures); hours and minutes are displayed on the larger subdial, with distinctively shaped hands and Roman numeral hour markers, while running seconds tick away on the smaller 6 o’clock subdial with Arabic numerals at the 15-minute marks.

The movement, Bovet’s manually wound Caliber 11BM04, is made in-house by Bovet and boasts a substantial seven day power reserve when fully wound; the status of this week-long running autonomy is conveniently displayed on an indicator at 3 o’clock on the dial side of the movement. Bordering this indicator and the main subdials are the elegant swirls of Bovet’s signature “Fleurisanne” decorative motif. The luxuriously decorated movement, which has a 21,600 vph balance frequency and holds its extensive power reserve in a single barrel, is visible through a clear sapphire caseback.

The new Bovet Fleurier 19Thirty models are offered in both rose gold (pictured) and stainless steel cases, with either dark blue or black subdials; each version is mounted on a black full-skin alligator strap with an ardillon buckle in either gold or steel. The steel models retail for 17,800 CHF (approx. $18,000) and the gold models are priced at 29,500 CHF (approx. $29,870).