Hands On with an Enviable Bovet 1822 Fleurier Custom-Painted Watch

Every once in a while, we — who see countless numbers of watches each year — are stopped in our tracks by something truly special. Mind you, Bovet 1822 makes  a habit of stopping me in my tracks, but this particular watch stole my heart, too.  This absolutely enviable custom-made Bovet  hand-painted Fleurier watch is one every dog lover and artist can appreciate.

This unique piece belongs to a dear friend of mine, who had his “babies” (named Breitling and Lily) painted onto the dial so they can accompany him every time he leaves home. Each and every brush stroke – painted by the brand’s finest artists — is done with loving care and extreme attention to detail. It takes months to finalize, but is well worth the endeavor. Better yet is that if you want to add something to the image later on — you may be able to. My friend has since gotten another lovely dog, Ollie, whose image will be added to the watch — as soon as he can bear to part with it for several months.

As mentioned, this particular watch is privately owned — and therefore not for sale — but you can commission one of your own in three easy steps.

1. Choose your Fleurier watch model, the precious metals of the case and the diamond (or not) setting.
2. Choose your mother-of-pearl dial shade (Polynesian black or white), on which your painting will be hand applied.
   

   This was the photo that my friend submitted of his dogs for the watch dial.

3. Give Bovet images of the subject matter and work closely with the brand’s artisans on the portrayal you want.Voila … with a lot of patience — remember a single artisan is hand painting every single brush stroke — your own one-of-a-kind watch will etch memories into your life forever.
4. 

   One-of-a-kind Bovet Fleurier timepiece (photo:R. Naas)