The Bovet Sportster 46 Saguaro Steel

Bovet Fleurier is a privately held Swiss watchmaking manufacture, established back in 1822 in London. This company with a rich and turbulent history is most noted for its historical pocket watches that were once solely produced for the Chinese market. At that time, during the 19th century, Vacheron Constantin was the main competitor of the brand, as it dominated the market in imperial northern China, while Bovet held a leading position in the south of the country. The Chinese watch market collapsed in mid-19th century, but Bovet continued to manufacture pocket watches until 1950. This is when the production of Bovet branded watches stopped until after it was acquired by Roger Guye and Thierry Ouelevay in 1994.

The brand now operates in Geneva, and its historical pocket watches are much coveted among watch collectors, typically commanding very high prices at auctions. Bovet watches are now characterized by their opulence in artistic details, fused with a number of elements borrowed from the pocket watch design. The new Bovet Sportster 46 Saguaro is a perfect example of how the brand preserves its historical heritage through modern and upbeat creations.

The Bovet Sportster 46 Saguaro blends Art Deco aesthetics with a distinctively sporty vibe. Its ribbon-style crown guard, and its crown and pushers positioned on top of the case, are there to evoke the look and feel of a pocket watch. The geometrically angled crown guard is modeled after the pocket watch bow, which serves for hanging a timepiece from or attaching a chain to it. This elegant and sporty three-counter chronograph model features central seconds, a 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock position, and 12-hours counter at 3 o’clock. A tachymeter, for speed measurements, and a pulsometer, to measure pulse, are printed on the inner flange that surrounds the dial. A small seconds counter appears at the 6 o’clock position, while a big date module protrudes through a double window at 12 o’clock.

The Bovet Sportster 46 Saguaro is powered by the automatic Bovet movement, which is visible through a transparent sapphire back. The movement is sealed against the ingress of water to up to 300 meters, and it features Côtes de Genève engraving on its plates. The watch is delivered on a comfortable black alligator strap with an 18kt red gold ardillon buckle.

The Bovet Sportster 46 Saguaro is also offered in stainless steel, with a black dial and a black rubber strap.