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RAPAPORT... Pascal Raffy of Bovet 1822, along with DIMIER 1738 Manufactures, unveiled the Amadeo® Fleurier Virtuoso IV, a new reference to the Tourbillon Virtuoso, which debuted in 2013. Amadeo Fleurier Virtuoso IV features jumping hours, indicated by a disk appearing in an aperture that is situated in the center of the movement. DIMIER 1738 incorporated two star-wheels, which ensure the disk performs an immediate jump at the turn of each hour.  The minutes are displayed by a hand as well as indicated on a retrograde display. The upper section of the dial is marked with a scale ranging from zero to 60 in a 160-degree arc for which the minute hand travels during the course of each hour. When the hour disk jumps, the minute hand moves back to zero. Bovet 1822 stated that the minute hand and various components of the mechanism undergo phenomenal acceleration and deceleration and very few mechanical systems would be able to withstand such stress over the long term. The power reserve is systematically indicated, lasting 120 hours, and easy to read at the lower section of the front dial between its center and the hour window, according to Bovet 1822. The complexity of the timepiece is encased with a minimal amount of space, the partners stated, with jumping hours, retrograde minutes and the power reserve on a single axis -- without the movement’s thickness exceeding that of a similar caliber. The lower half of the timepiece is occupied by the tourbillon, supported by the mainplate. Visually, the Amadeo Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso IV is characterized by a pair of three-dimensional sculptures that were engraved by hand and placed to mirror each other, while appearing to support the dial. The partners produced four different themes for the watch, offering a choice between elephants, horses, angels or doves -- all steeped in symbolism depicted in enamel on the pocket watches produced by BOVET in the 19th century.
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