ReviewThe World At Your Fingertips: Presenting Bovet’s Orbis Mundi India Edition

Known for their exquisite timekeepers that employ age-old techniques such as enamelling, miniature painting, and hand engraving; independent Swiss player, Bovet have cultivated the art of crafting some of the most refined timepieces that are reminiscent of the opulence of an era gone by. While technically advanced, a signature Bovet watch will always be executed in a more classical manner when compared to their other ‘avant-garde’ contemporaries. So, it comes as no surprise that when the brand releases a world-timer watch, it’s imbued with the Bovet DNA—complex at its core, stamped with an understated elegance on the exterior. And the new Bovet Orbis Mundi India Edition is the perfect embodiment of this craftsmanship. The world timer is one of the most complex functions to implement in a watch; even tougher to execute it in a manner where it’s represented in a neat and uncluttered form on the dial, thereby keeping it simple for the wearer to use and read the time. While this is not the first Orbis Mundi watch created by Bovet, the new version—featuring New Delhi across two time zones—is definitely quite an attractive proposition for the Indian market and the collectors’ community. And the good news is that while very few pieces have been created right now, this is not a limited edition, and the brand is open to the possibilities of producing more pieces, based on the response and demand from the region. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the new Bovet Orbis Mundi India Edition so spectacular—apart from the simplified world-time display.

The World On Your Wrist—But With A Focus On India

Staying true to its name derived from Latin, Orbis Mundi literally translates to ‘The World’, and that’s exactly what this watch was developed for—to allow the wearer to read the time in all 24 time zones, straight at a glance…thanks to the prominent display. And controlling the functions is fairly easy because everything is operated by the crown, positioned above 12 o’clock on the case. The watch looks pretty stately in a 42mm red-gold case with a spectacular cobalt-blue dial, enriched by intricate guilloche work.

“We are delighted to present to you our exceptional Orbis Mundi timepiece along with our dear partner Ethos in India. With the universal time adjustable only through its crown, this refined timepiece is handcrafted in our workshops and sits beautifully on the wrist,” says Bovet CEO Pascal Raffy as the brand looks forward to garnering a favourable response from the Indian market.

While this is not Bovet's first Orbis Mundi watch, the new version—featuring New Delhi across two time zones—is definitely quite an attractive proposition for the Indian market and the collectors’ community

This world-timer is complex at its core but stamped with an understated elegance on the exterior, and is the perfect embodiment of fine horological craftsmanship

The Orbis Mundi is inspired by the brand’s award-winning Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two, which won under the ‘Mechanical Exception’ category at the GPHG 2020 edition. Bovet’s artisans took the world-time display from that watch and turned it into the main dial for the Orbis Mundi model with its top-of-the-world display, where all functions are set by simply using the crown—no correctors or pushers needed. One just has to turn the crown counter-clockwise to set the hours and minutes and clockwise to set the 24-hour dial with the world time zone display. While the previous model had Dhaka and Karachi on the time zones, for this new version, Bovet have replaced these with New Delhi across the two zones, in order to account for the 5:30-hour difference, and ensure there is no lag.

The Orbis Mundi is inspired by the brand’s award-winning Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two, which won under the ‘Mechanical Exception’ category at the GPHG 2020 edition. Bovet’s artisans took the world-time display from that watch and turned it into the main dial for the Orbis Mundi model with its top-of-the-world display, where all functions are set by simply using the crown—no correctors or pushers needed

A Classical World Timer With Modern Horological Artistry

Crafted in red gold, this resplendent timekeeper comes in Bovet’s signature Fleurier case, water-resistant to 30m and provides optimal comfort no matter the size of the wearer’s wrist, thanks to its slim profile (11.25mm). In fact, I was a little unsure how it would look on my wrist and I don’t have a petite one, but it just seamlessly aligned to the curves without looking bulky or out of place. Of course one would need to get the leather strap adjusted accordingly. And like all Fleurier timepieces, this one, too, is topped by a sapphire-cabochon studded crown, protected by a bow-shaped lug at 12 o’clock. In addition to the hours and minutes, the dial also displays the balance wheel and regulating organ, with its three-arm rotating second hand, along with a 20-second semi-circular indication at the six o’clock position. On the right-hand side, one can get a clear view of the power reserve indicator, highlighting the incredible and very useful seven days of power reserve with one single barrel. “Our exclusive Orbis Mundi India world timer is a testament to the love and appreciation we as a maison have for our dearest partner Ethos and the Indian Republic. Entirely handcrafted at our Manufacture in Switzerland, this timepiece is exceptional at all ends,” says Audrey Raffy from Bovet.

On turning the watch over one can admire the exceptional craftsmanship of the in-house Calibre 15BM01HU—a hand-wound movement beating at a frequency of 21,600vph with at least a seven-day power reserve—thanks to the exhibition caseback placed firmly by six screws. One can get a glimpse of the finely finished mechanism which is polished, angled, and decorated just like all Bovet movements—a continuation of rich horological legacy.