BOVET 1822

Founded on 1 May 1822 in London by Édouard Bovet, the company was established to manufacture luxury pocket watches exclusively for the Chinese market. Édouard had discovered the potential of this market while working for Ilbery in London, and subsequently traveled to Canton where he sold four watches for the equivalent of $1 million in modern currency. The Bovet brothers divided responsibilities: Alphonse and Frédéric managed shipping from London, Charles-Henri oversaw manufacturing in Fleurier, Switzerland, and Édouard developed the Chinese market. The brand became so successful that 'Bo Wei' (the Chinese name for Bovet) became a common noun for watches in China. After the Chinese market collapsed around 1855 due to competition and counterfeits, the company changed hands multiple times—passing through the Landry Frères (1888), Cesar and Charles Leuba (1901), Jacques Ullmann (1918), Albert and Jean Bovet (1932), and Favre-Leuba (1948). Parmigiani briefly owned the brand in 1989-1990 before it was sold to investors. Pascal Raffy, a former pharmaceutical executive and passionate watch collector, acquired the company on 6 February 2001 and transformed it into a fully integrated manufacture. In 2006, Raffy acquired the STT movement manufacture (renamed Dimier 1738), dial-making facilities, and the historic Château de Môtiers, ensuring complete vertical integration. In 2020, his daughter Audrey Raffy joined the company, continuing the family tradition.