Bovet Commemorates Bicentenary of Edouard Bovet's Arrival in China
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Bovet commemorated the bicentenary of Edouard Bovet's arrival in China, recently. Edouard Bovet’s first arrival in China was on August 16, 1818. The day is marked as an auspicious day that forever linked the Swiss watchmaking Maison with the nation of ChinaBovet Commemorates Bicentenary of Edouard Bovet's Arrival in China
Bovet commemorated the bicentenary of Edouard Bovet's arrival in China, recently. Edouard Bovet’s first arrival in China was on August 16, 1818. The day is marked as an auspicious day that forever linked the Swiss watchmaking Maison with the nation of China. Within a period of two decades, Edouard Bovet and his brothers established the success of their Maison, built on the burgeoning trade with China.“The watchmaker Edouard Bovet left his home village of Fleurier with his brothers Alphonse and Frederic in 1814, heading for London, which was at the time a major trading center for European watchmaking. In 1818, aged 21, Edouard Bovet left for China as the representative of an English trader. He left London on April 20th on board the Orwell, a ship belonging to the East India Company, arriving on August 16th in Canton, the obligatory point of entry for merchandise arriving from Europe. He quickly sold four pocket watches for the sum of 10,000 Swiss francs, the equivalent of one million francs today. Realizing the exceptional potential of the Chinese market, Edouard founded the Maison BOVET in 1822, with his brothers Frederic and Alphonse, Gustave and Charles. Their business extended from Fleurier, where the pocket watches were made, to London, the hub of commercial exchange, and Canton, where Bovet timepieces were sold,” says the official press release.As per the release, for a long time, the Chinese were fond of decorative and ornamental clocks in a diverse range of forms. Their interest evolved with the arrival of pocket watches. With their “Chinese watches,” the BOVET brothers established a form of watchmaking that took the horological arts to new heights. The movements were more richly decorated and the cases were gold or gold-plated. Their bezels and occasionally the bows were often set with half pearls. The cover could be decorated with miniature painting, sometimes an enameled motif. This led the Bovet brothers to commission the great painters and enamelers of Geneva to create exceptional works, typically depicting a pastoral scene, animals, or people.Another feature of this “Chinese watch” is that it is sold in pairs and the enamel motifs on the two watches are identical but in mirror image.“The firm also adopted three Chinese symbols – the lotus flower, an incense burner, and a vase – as its watches’ distinctive signature. The most emblematic of these is the stylized lotus flower, which today adorns the movements of the Maison Bovet,” says the release.In the center of each of these symbols, the name Bovet, transcribed “Bo Wei,” is engraved in Chinese characters.Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at Bovet watches.http://www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin Read more