The Bovet Récital 30 brings the brand’s groundbreaking worldtimer to a smaller case
Zach BlassIt should come as no surprise that I was unable to best tennis champion Daniil Medvedev in ping pong, though the most fearsome man holding the paddle that day was undoubtedly Mr Raffy. So, sadly, I was not able to win Medvedev’s Récital 30 off his wrist – not that he actually agreed to the bet. Jokes aside, in the months since, I still find myself thinking about the Récital 30 Worldtimer watch. So, let’s dive in and take a closer look.
The context
A quick bit of context, Bovet is a fascinating watch manufacturer. The “house”, as Bovet owner and CEO Pascal Raffy would say, produces anything but typical, run-of-the-mill timepieces, with wristwatches in writing desk-shaped cases and convertible cases that can act as a watch, pocket watch, or table clock. In fact, even the manufacture is anything but ordinary, with Bovet watches crafted and assembled in a 14th century castle just a stone’s throw away from where the brand was originally established in 1822. Though the house of Bovet often defies convention, its deep roots in traditional watchmaking and expansive know-how has earned it many awards in recent years – taking home five GPHG prizes over the last 7 years.
One such watch was the Récital 28 Prowess 1, which was awarded the Mechanical Exception prize at the 2024 GPHG Awards due to its revolutionary means of solving the Daylight Saving Time problem through a patented roller system. But this exceptional timepiece does have its restraints, with it being quite large at 46.3mm in diameter and 17.85mm thick, and an innovative 10-day worldtime calibre with a flying tourbillon and perpetual calendar that is so complex that only six movements can be handcrafted each year. This is where the Récital 30 ultimately enters the mix – a smaller watch than the Récital 28 that sheds a few millimetres thanks to its focus on just the innovative worldtimer complication.
The case
The Récital 30, whether in grade 5 titanium or 18k red gold, measures in at a much tamer 42mm diameter and 12.9mm thickness – which includes its highly domed sapphire crystal. Its lug-to-lug span comes in at 51.3mm, which is by no means super compact, but the diameter, thickness, and lug-to-lug of the Récital 30, compared to the Récital 28, is undoubtedly more approachable for more wrists.
It is worth noting that the Récital 30 case is the first case from Bovet in the modern era to be manufactured in-house in its entirety. The case form, though more conventional and circular in shape, may initially confuse some. Its two pushers on the right side of the case could cause some to misconstrue the watch as a chronograph. But this was very intentional, as Bovet wanted to bring a more familiar aesthetic and user interface to its distinct, patented worldtimer functionality. This makes the complexity of the calibre easier to interact with, with the top pusher rotating each roller by 90 degrees and the bottom pusher advancing the central 24-hour world dial by one hour.
The dial
This ingenious roller system, interacted with via the top pusher, is what allows the watch to be adjusted to any of the four time periods each year: UTC, AST, EAS, and EWT, and, in turn, all 24 world time zones, and even New Delhi with its notorious 30-minute offset, will be accurate year-round. As we know from Andrew’s visit to the Bovet manufacture, the house is open to accommodating bespoke customisation requests. This includes changing the names of the cities on the rollers, the colour of the 24-hour dial and minutes track, and even the option to choose between the universal version or the Indian version that links the main hours and minutes to New Delhi time. This New Delhi minutes hand is the third and longest central hand you see on the dial.
The movement
This feat of worldtimer engineering is possible thanks to the Bovet calibre R30-70-001, and automatic movement with a very admirable 62-hour power reserve. Interestingly, the case does have an exhibition caseback. But you cannot really see the backside of the movement through the sapphire glass. What you do see is a full winding rotor that, depending on your selection, can have a handsome engraving or even have a very useful worldtimer glossary engraved to remind you when each of the four time periods occurs throughout the year. I definitely wouldn’t know off the top of my head these moments the four time periods occur, so I would certainly utilise this caseback reminder.
The verdict
By now you are probably wanting me to just get to the price of the watch. Zach, it looks great, the functionality is incredible, but c’mon, how much is it? Well, at the time of its introduction, the Récital 30 was listed at CHF 68,000 in grade 5 titanium and CHF 96,800 in 18k red gold. It’s a lot of money, but it’s also a lotta watch. And, to be clear, compared to the Récital 28 Prowess 1, which is priced over CHF 700,000, it is far less of a fiscal mountain to climb.
Though not as limited in production as the Récital 28, Bovet states that it intends to produce 30 pieces per year – approximately 5x more than the 28. So, in terms of a mission to make a watch that utilises the brand’s groundbreaking worldtimer system more available, for lack of a better phrase, I would say Bovet definitely succeeded.
What I am about to say is very subjective and personal, but, ultimately, the thing I love most about this watch, and why it has lingered in my mind, is the manner in which its design makes it more approachable for the wrist and familiar in look without diluting the distinct Bovet watchmaking advantage the brand’s know-how can bring forward.
Bovet watches can be intimidating at times due to their size, shape, and, of course, price tier. And I am not saying Bovet should stop making its more distinctly shaped and atypical watch styles. But, I think Bovet should explore this path further as well, creating foils, as the Récital 30 is to the Récital 28, to create an avenue for more watch collectors to get their toes in the water of the brand before fully diving into the catalogue.
Bovet Récital 30 pricing and availability
The Bovet Récital 30 is available now, with the red gold model limited to 30 pieces for 2025. Price: CHF 68,000 (titanium), CHF 96,800 (red gold)
| Brand | Bovet |
| Model | Récital 30 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12.9mm (T) x 51.3mm (LTL) |
| Case material | 18k red gold Grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire front, sapphire back |
| Dial | Black and white, PVD city rollers |
| Bracelet | Blue rubber or fabric strap, fitted spring bars |
| Movement | R30-70-001, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 62 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, world time, 24-hour indicator, additional minutes hand |
| Availability | Now available, 30 red gold pieces for 2025 |
| Price | CHF 68,000 (titanium) CHF 96,800 (red gold) |