When you think of Métiers d’Art in watchmaking, you may think of Chopard’s use of Urushi, Jaquet Droz’s Automations, Christophe Claret’s Damascening, and the list goes on. Then there’s the overachiever Bovet 1822, who interestingly enough, isn’t sugarcoating the skills of their artisans in its latest collection – the Miss Audrey Sweet Art watches, where the dials are composed of pure sugar crystals.
Those familiar with the original Miss Audrey – without the sugar dial – know that it was the winner of the Ladies’ Watch category in the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The watch is named after Bovet 1822’s owner, Pascal Raffy’s daughter. Keep reading to find out how Bovet achieved the world’s first sugarcoated watch dial on the latest edition.
A new way of sugaring
The complex, patented process used to create the sugared dial is a top-secret one that was specially developed by Bovet. Pure sugar crystals are prepared in a way that prevents structure change when they are exposed to light or heat, meaning that they will not melt. Each crystal is then hand-picked to maintain a consistent size, then coloured with biodegradable lacquer paint – which, according to Bovet, has no impact on the environment.
The coloured crystals are then applied to the dial by hand. This meticulous, painstaking process is a highly demanding one – where mistakes cannot be afforded. The sugar crystals are extremely fragile and can be easily damaged right up until the point when they baked in the oven at high temperatures, so if the artisan scratches one during application, the whole process has to be repeated. However, the results are well worth it, giving the watch an added artisanal and handmade nature where every single dial is a unique piece.
To truly record life’s sweetest moments, the serpentine hands are also shaped in a way that when they meet, they form a heart.
A real sweet deal
And to make things that much sweeter, the Miss Audrey Sweet Art watch can be worn three ways: as the traditional wristwatch, a pendant watch, or even a desk clock – without the need of a tool to transform it. This is thanks to the crown on its Fleurier Amadéo convertible case located at 12 o’clock which helps facilitate the change, making it wearable in all three formats.
To really highlight the textured canvas of the dial, Bovet is offering the 36mm Miss Audrey Sweet Art in a vibrant array of colours – available in solid hues and gradients. Since each dial is unique, it creates a different play on texture and sparkle for every shade. You’ll easily find much difficulty choosing between the mystifying black-green gradient and the fun gold-pink gradient.
Now talking about function, beneath the sugary dial is the automatic Calibre 11BA15, offering a 42-power reserve and up to 30-metre water resistance. The bow and bezel are set with 103 round-cut diamonds that total about 2 carat, and the crown and strap bolts are set with a 0.72-carat sapphire cabochon.
And is the price tag just as sweet? Well, to get your hands on the new Miss Audrey Sweet Art watch, get ready to shell out about RM116,000. For more information, visit the official Bovet 1822 website here.
Photos: Bovet 1822.
