Bovet x Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Timepieces and Dashboard Holder

Mechanical Exception: Bovet x Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Timepieces and Dashboard Holder

For the first time ever, BOVET 1822 has collaborated with Rolls-Royce to produce two bespoke tourbillon timepieces that mount into the dashboard of the coachbuilt Boat Tail – becoming part of the car itself. 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.

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.

The holder mechanism, designed completely by BOVET, started from a blank sheet of paper, as nothing like this had ever been produced before. The designers and engineers in BOVET focused on adapting the patented Amadeo convertible system, which was introduced in 2010 and is tried and proven, as the base of the system.

There was a tremendous amount of back and forth between BOVET and Rolls-Royce. So many things had to be taken into consideration – any vibration from the car had to be isolated from the timepieces or compensated for, and vice-versa, no noise could emit from the timepieces, and the system had to be simple, easy to use, and, above all, safe and secure.

From the start, BOVET was determined to accomplish this project in a purely mechanical way, in keeping with its commitment to its in-house, Swiss Handcrafted production. The engineers and designers had to devise new solutions as they were encountering challenges that they never saw in watchmaking. The solution they chose was to keep all the mechanical parts of the system on the outside of the dashboard. Usually in anything similar, the fixation system never moves, and the movable piece just slots in, like sliding a CD into a CD player. Here it is exactly the opposite – in the dashboard is simply the place for the holder, which is equipped with all the mechanical pieces.

In addition, a special drawer was designed and produced as well, using the same leather as the seats in the Boat Tail. This holds the timepieces, the straps, the chain, and the pendant when not in use. This drawer slides into the dash as well, neatly and cleanly keeping everything in place and secure. Should the timepiece not be mounted in the holder and put into the dashboard, there is a special laser-engraved and lacquered display plaque in its place, to complete the aesthetic of the dashboard.

The conservative estimate of the total number of hours that went into this entire project is 3,000 hours, including the design, the engineering, the sculptures, the miniature painting, the marquetry, the creation of bespoke movements and cases, and more.

Rolls-Royce and BOVET 1822 working together in this way is the perfect pairing. Committed to complete client satisfaction, both companies share so many values – excellence, precision, heritage, performance, design artistry, artisanal attention to detail, and innovation. Collaborating on such game-changing timepieces and dashboard display system has raised the bar for both industries.