As its latest new release of 2023, Bovet has created an updated version of its 19Thirty timepiece that takes the inherently classic series in a more modern and space-oriented direction. While virtually all of Bovet’s models offer a rather traditional overall appearance, the 19Thirty range generally falls to the extreme in that category with its pocket watch-inspired aesthetic and vintage-leaning design details. With that in mind, rather than having a case crafted from traditional precious metals or even stainless steel, the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite features a sandblasted titanium case, and it showcases a genuine meteorite dial in a vibrant shade of blue.
For those not familiar with Bovet’s 19Thirty series, the line is part of the brand’s greater Fleurier collection, and it was originally launched back in 2015, with its visual inspiration derived from the pocket watches that the brand was producing during the 1930s (hence the “19Thirty” name). Additionally, since 1930 was also the approximate year that wristwatches really started to hit their stride and overtake pocket watches as the go-to portable timekeeping method for members of the general public, Bovet’s 19Thirty timepieces offer aesthetics that play into this pivotal time period, and just like other models from the brand’s Fleurier collection, its 19Thirty watches offer cases that more-or-less look exactly like a traditional pocket watch has been fitted with a strap.
Just like other models from the 19Thirty Fleurier series, the case of the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite measures 42mm in diameter, and it offers a round profile that emulates a pocket watch, complete with its winding crown at the 12 o’clock location and a D-shaped structure surrounding it. With that in mind, rather than being fitted with a chain like on a pocket watch, the D-shaped piece extends into a strap, and on the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite, the strap is crafted from blue fabric with a black leather lining.
Just like other Bovet 19Thirty watches, the tip of the crown is set with a blue sapphire cabochon, while both the front side of the watch and its screw-on caseback are fitted with large sapphire crystals to permit an unobstructed view of both dial and movement. Water resistance for the Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite comes in at 30 meters to protect against incidental contact, and if you’re curious about how this unique case style might wear on the wrist, you can find a hands-on review of a different Bovet 19Thirty Fleurier model from a few years ago right here.
Despite the numerous similarities that the new watch shares with previous 19Thirty models from a structural standpoint, the case materials and finishing on the new Blue Meteorite edition represent a significant departure from what we have typically come to expect from Bovet 19Thirty watches. Rather than being constructed from a traditional alloy and given an entirely high-polished finish, the case of the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite is crafted entirely from sandblasted grade 5 titanium, which gives it a noticeably more modern and slightly utilitarian appearance.
Due to the fact that the Bovet 19Thirty is a dress watch, the change in case materials and finishing has a much more dramatic effect compared to when a similar update is done to something like a tool watch, and rather than mirror polishing the grade 5 titanium and simply going for a lighter package and a slightly darker hue to the metal, the decision to opt for completely sandblasted surfaces creates a distinct and intriguing appearance when paired with the classic pocket watch-inspired case of the 19Thirty Fleurier series.
While the sandblasted titanium case is certainly one of the highlights, the real centerpiece of the Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite is its dial. Although the core layout has been carried over from previous 19Thirty models, the dial is now crafted from a slice of meteorite with a transparent blue PVD treatment to give it a rich and vibrant color. For these dials, Bovet uses slices of the Gibeon meteorite that crashed down into what is now Namibia approximately 40 million years ago, and since the Namibian government declared fragments of the Gibeon meteorite national monuments in 2004 and subsequently banned their export, available slices will ultimately become increasingly rare as a continuous number get carved into watch dials and other items of jewelry. Additionally, since the blue PVD treatment applied to the surface is translucent, the unique and asymmetric lines of the meteorite’s Widmanstätten pattern (the natural result of the material melting and cooling as it travels through space) remains completely visible on the dial’s surface, with each example appearing slightly different from the next due to the naturally occurring origins of the material.
Powering the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite is the same manual-wind movement that can be found inside previous models from the 19thirty Fleurier series. While the bridges are engraved with the inscription “Caliber 19Thirty,” this movement is also officially known as the Cal. 15BM04 and it features Bovet’s in-house manufactured hairspring and regulatory organs. Meticulously finished, the manually wound movement runs at a frequency of 21,600vph, and it offers an impressive 7-day power reserve with a single barrel that contains an extra-long mainspring.
The upper plates are decorated with circular Geneva stripes that symmetrically radiate out from the bridge for the gear train, while perlage adorns the mainplate and can be seen through the small spaces that are visible under the bridges. As far as functionality, the movement inside the Bovet 19Thirty series displays the time with a pair of hour and minute hands that sit on the upper half of the dial, while the running seconds reside on a sub-dial positioned on the lower half, with an arc-shaped power reserve at 3 o’clock to track the movement’s full week of autonomy.
Bovet watches are never exactly inexpensive, although the prices that correspond with them ultimately seem relatively fair when you look at what similar sums of money will get you elsewhere within the industry. Compared to some of the brand’s art-oriented and complications pieces, the 19Thirty Fleurier series is one of the more reasonably priced, and while titanium cases, meteorite dials, and in-house hairsprings can often be correlated with astronomic sums, the new Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite is accompanied by an official retail price of 35,000 CHF (or approximately $39,450 USD, at the time of writing). While this is still undeniably quite a lot of money to spend on a fairly simple and straightforward timepiece, the juxtaposition of a classic pocket watch-inspired design mixed with thoroughly modern materials and finishing creates a highly striking overall package, and just like everything else that Bovet creates, the entirety of the new 19Thirty Blue Meteorite is executed to incredibly high standards. For more information on the Bovet 19Thirty Blue Meteorite, please visit the brand’s website.
