Bovet, a pioneer on the road to China
The Bovet name is indissociable from the village of Fleurier, having largely contributed to its success during the early days of Swiss watchmaking. Today the brand is again set to make its mark.
Christophe Roulet
Jeanrichard, Vaucher, Dimier, Bovet, Juvet… names that are as intimately associated with Swiss Haute Horlogerie as they are with the village of Fleurier in the arc jurassien (Val-de-Travers), one of the birthplaces of an activity that is now prized on all five continents. According to the canton’s archives, watchmaking came to Fleurier in 1730 with Daniel-Jean-Jacques-Henri Vaucher, then apprenticed to Daniel Jeanrichard, a legend and the father of watchmaking in the Neuchâtel mountains.
The Chinese watch appears
With the discovery of iron deposits in the region in the fourteenth century came metalworking, which no doubt facilitated the introduction of watchmaking. However, for many decades it was simply a means for local farmers to supplement their income. It was through a slow process, encouraged by rising demand for these first Swiss timepieces, that watchmaking grew into an organised trade with, at its centre, the établisseur, an intermediary between the salaried watchmaker and the seller. Thus the foundations were laid for the division of labour.
Alas, Fleurier’s burgeoning industry suffered a blow when traders began to buy up production on credit which they then sold on international markets while undercutting prices. The impact these new practices had on the industry was exacerbated by the Napoleonic wars and the continental blockade. Hundreds of watchmakers hung up their tools and turned to lacemaking instead, with only relative success. Not until 1820 and the introduction of the Chinese watch did Fleurier prosper again, further helped when the Prussian monarchy reopened its territories to trade in exchange for moderate Customs duties.
A full-fledged production centre
For Edouard Bovet, over in London, now was the time to look to new horizons. He was the inventor of the Chinese watch, a quality timepiece sold at a competitive price and able to withstand the humid climates of the Celestial Empire, where it was much in demand. In little time he was at the head of a virtual monopoly of watch exports to China, setting up a manufacturing centre and inspiring other companies in Fleurier to follow suit. Vaucher Frères, Edouard Juvet and Frères Dimier all embarked on production of Chinese watches. This was a golden age for the region and for Fleurier, whose population grew.
From 900 in 1830, the number of inhabitants rose to 1,760 in 1850. By 1870 the village was home to 3,000 people, 634 of whom were watchmakers. This was already more than 20% of the population; by 1890 watchmakers accounted for 39% of the village. However, these were troubled times for the Chinese watch which faced competition from manufacturers in Besançon and the United States, not to mention the unscrupulous firms turning out copies in such abundance that prices plummeted. Still, Fleurier had largely established its reputation as a centre of watchmaking filled with specialised workshops and manufacturers. However, the 1930s Depression followed by the arrival of quartz in the 1970s gave a different turn to events, and Fleurier became a forgotten page in watchmaking history.
The revival of Bovet
This was to underestimate the energy with which Swiss mechanical watchmaking was to bounce back in the 1990s, putting Fleurier back on the map as a hub of precious expertise. Michel Parmigiani had already started the ball rolling in the mid-1970s when he set up his company Mesure et Art du Temps there, followed by Chopard in 1996 and the creation of Vaucher Manufacture in 2002. Not forgetting Bovet, which renewed with its Fleurier origins in 1989 and, under the guidance of Pascal Raffy, is picking up the thread of its illustrious past.
Not content to revive this prestigious brand with timepieces whose unique characteristic is to adapt a pocket watch case to a wristwatch, with a hinged bow and crown at 12 o’clock and serpentine hands, Pascal Raffy has taken the difficult route of vertical integration. Last year Bovet bought three manufacturing structures (tourbillons, calibres and balance-springs), grouped together as STT Holding and renamed Dimier 1738. The company has also acquired Aigat (stamping) and has taken a share in Aubert Complications. A few months earlier, Bovet also became the new owner of Château de Môtiers, once the property of the Bovet family and where the Bovet brand originated. The castle is destined to house the Manufacture’s production workshops. The next step will be the launch of a Bovet calibre, in 2008. ■
