For more than a century, The OWO (formerly the Old War Office) was closed to the public, designed to keep people out and its secrets in. Now, thanks to the Hinduja Group and Onex Holding, The OWO is a new center for living, entertainment, and fine dining in the very heart of London. Renovated, remodelled, and reconfigured as London’s first Raffles Hotel and Residences, The OWO offers 120 guest rooms and suites and 85 residences, including a super luxurious penthouse, nine restaurants and three bars.
To celebrate the completion of the building and the incredible living spaces within, The OWO Residences has partnered with BOVET 1822 as its Official Timepiece.
Steeped in history and tradition, BOVET was founded in London and at the same time registered in Fleurier in 1822. London is therefore a historically important place for the Maison. Since 1822, BOVET has been focused on handcrafting the most beautiful timepieces the world has ever seen.
Each of the owners of the 10 most luxurious residences within The OWO, including the outstanding penthouse, will be gifted a specially created, handcrafted solid 18K red gold BOVET timepiece, produced, hand-engraved and hand-assembled at the Home of BOVET, a 14th century castle located in the Swiss Jura mountains.
The 18K red gold cases of the timepieces are decorated with a hand-engraved “egg and dart” motif found throughout The OWO property, while the BOVET bow at 12 o’clock is hand-engraved with a marble shell motif, visible on the fireplaces and moldings. The unique dial is patterned after the Rose Ceiling above the Grand Staircase of The OWO.
The following quote from Winston Churchill is engraved on the back of the case: “We Shape Our Dwellings, and Afterwards Our Dwellings Shape Us."
he OWO Special Edition 19Thirty© Bovet 1822
The Project
BOVET 1822 and the Hinduja Group met by chance in Monaco, during the Formula 1 GP race, where BOVET was exhibiting its collection of fine timepieces. The Hinduja Group was looking for an extraordinary timepiece partner, one that had a long tradition and was renowned for hand-craftsmanship and innovation -- BOVET 1822 suited the project perfectly.
Committed to making The OWO Edition 19Thirty special, members of the BOVET team visited the site in its early days. They paid special attention to the unique handcrafted touches and artistic details in the building that celebrated the craftspeople that forged it more than a hundred years ago.
Drawing from these details, Mr. Raffy designed the timepiece and the crafting of the exclusive edition of 10 timepieces began.
In the BOVET manufacture, every timepiece is touched by many pairs of human hands – there are no assembly lines to be seen. Each case and bow of The OWO Special Edition are hand-engraved in BOVET’s atelier, taking more than 20 hours of intense handwork to complete.
A fitting tribute to The OWO, the 10-piece OWO Edition of the 19Thirty combines modern high-watchmaking with artisanal métiers d’art and painstaking attention to detail.
Courtesy: World Tempus |
