The Godfather Of Haute Horlogerie

More than two decades ago, Pascal Raffy became the sole owner of a watch brand struggling to live up to its golden age. I chat with the man himself ahead of Bovet's 200th anniversary celebrations.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

PASCAL RAFFY REMINDS ME OF Mr Nancy from Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys. Well-dressed, erudite, vivacious (and often smelling of tobacco) Mr Nancy is always the de facto life of any party—always a twinkle in his eye, charming everyone with hypnotic anecdotes, smiling his unique smile at everyone in the room, but especially at you.

Pascal Raffy is best known for revitalising the Bovet brand. When he became sole owner in 2001, it was struggling to live up to its golden age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a result of Raffy’s leadership, Bovet has become a highly respected brand among collectors that is also frequently featured in the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the Oscars of the watchmaking industry.

Historically, Bovet was synonymous with luxury and innovation in watchmaking. At the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855, for example, it won the gold medal in the Luxury category for a pair of enamelled watches commissioned by the Emperor of China.

In 1889, Bovet pioneered the flyback chronograph with a seconds hand, minute counter, and hour counter that measured up to 24 hours. Continuing its streak of ingenuity, the Mono Split-Second Chronograph, still highly prized today, was patented in 1939.

The brand was so successful in Asia that “bo wei”, Mandarin for Bovet, became a blanket term for any highly decorated timepiece.

I met Raffy at the Bovet boutique in Marina Bay Sands a few days before its 200th anniversary celebration. It felt like I was chatting with a friend in a modern chateau, complete with premium wood panelling, plush carpeting, a grand piano and an ornamental fireplace. It was the perfect setting for me to discover what makes Bovet tick.