Bovet 1822 and Rolls-Royce

Since the beginning of motorized vehicles, time and the automobile have been inextricably linked. Timepieces have always had a place in the world of the automobile, either to measure speed over distance or to ensure that the owner always had the correct time.

But watches and cars have never been as linked as they are now. Today, for the first time ever, two tourbillon timepieces from BOVET 1822 have been engineered, designed, and developed in parallel with the production of a coachbuilt Rolls-Royce.

Using the revolutionary and patented Amadeo system, these timepieces can transform from a wristwatch to a pocket/pendant watch to a desk clock and... that’s right, a dashboard clock.

Born in the mind and heart of a Rolls-Royce and BOVET 1822 collector, the concept was to design and produce a bespoke Rolls-Royce and two unique BOVET 1822 timepieces, one for himself and one for his wife, that go hand in glove. Three years in development, BOVET 1822 and Rolls-Royce accomplished something never realized before in either industry.

As the mechanical tourbillon timepieces are meant to be mounted in the car as dashboard clocks, this changed the development completely as now they had to be considered part of the car. As a result, the holder and timepiece -- all 51 components engineered and manufactured by Bovet -- had to be tested like any other part of the car for vibration, security, safety, and more. No other timepiece has ever undergone such scrutiny and testing – up to and including crash tests.

BOVET 1822 was challenged to develop timepieces that could be worn on the wrist and instantly converted into dashboard clocks, mounted into a special holder that slots into the car itself.