In the historic watchmaking village of Tramelan, Switzerland, BOVET transforms raw metal into complete movements, mastering every step of creation under one roof. Here, “Swiss Handcrafted” means true vertical integration, not just a label. From hairspring production to hand‑finishing, nearly every component is crafted and controlled in‑house. In more than two decades under the ownership of Pascal Raffy, BOVET has been reborn as a modern, cutting‑edge manufacture built on traditional high watchmaking, hand‑finishing, innovation, and an obsessive attention to detail. After acquiring the House in 2001, Mr. Raffy took a decisive step in 2006 by purchasing a specialist tourbillon manufacture in Tramelan. His goal was clear: bring as many operations as possible in‑house and rebuild BOVET as a truly integrated manufacture.
Mr. Raffy’s approach was to first assemble a team of exceptional artisans and engineers, then give them the space, tools, and freedom to express their craft. By doing so, he not only elevated BOVET’s capabilities but also helped preserve skills that were in danger of disappearing. Today, more than fifty artisans work in the Tramelan facility, with many able to move between workshops depending on production needs. There are no assembly lines here; each timepiece is treated as an individual work of art.
BOVET masters more than 50 separate skills, including concepting and engineering, part‑plan creation, prototyping, profile turning, CNC machining, electro‑erosion, ebauche flattening, stamping tool production, single‑strike and progressive stamping, teeth cutting, cold‑working and burnishing, galvanic and rhodium treatments, and consummate hand‑finishing: meticulous hand‑engraving, perlage, anglage, Côtes de Genève, mirror polishing, and more. Dial work — lacquer painting, transfer printing, assembly and polishing — as well as movement assembly, testing, and quality control are all carried out in Tramelan. Every component is handled, controlled, and finished by hand to the highest level.
“Swiss Made” is an important label, meant to reassure clients that a timepiece is truly of Swiss origin. But for BOVET, the legal requirement — that at least 60% of manufacturing costs be generated in Switzerland — does not go far enough. As a genuine manufacture with its own facility in Tramelan, BOVET produces more than 95% of the components that make up its timepieces itself. As a result, BOVET does not use “Swiss Made,” but instead emblazons “Swiss Handcrafted” on every timepiece.
The only elements not manufactured in‑house are sapphire crystals, straps, synthetic rubies, and mainsprings, while BOVET produces its own hairsprings, escapements, and regulating organs — a capability reserved for only a handful of watchmaking houses worldwide. Controlling all these operations makes BOVET truly autonomous, the master of its own destiny. It allows the Maison to be creative and reactive, to maintain uncompromising quality, and to turn the dreams of collectors into reality, one handcrafted timepiece at a time.
For a manufacture that produces only about 1,000 timepieces a year, this level of commitment is truly exceptional. While many brands outsource large portions of their production to increase efficiency or reduce cost, BOVET has chosen a different path: to do as much as possible under its own roof, on its own terms.
Since 2006, when Mr. Raffy took over the Tramelan manufacture, BOVET has designed 59 different movements — an astonishing number for such a small manufacture. This creative output underscores both the flexibility of the workshops and the ambition to continually advance high watchmaking from within.
BOVET’s Bespoke Program puts Collectors in control of their unique timepieces.