Rolls Royce and Bovet team up on luxury dashboard detailing for $37m convertible

Nick Kenyon

A couple of weeks ago, Rolls Royce announced a $37m four-seat convertible that would be almost entirely bespoke. Known as the Boat Tail, the car was said to have been dreamed up by one of Rolls Royce’s most important clients who was excited by the possibility of commissioning something truly magnificent with the manufacturer. The level of bespoke detail extended to the dashboard clocks of the car, which saw the creation of two Rolls Royce and Bovet watches that can be worn on the wrist when they aren’t set into the convertible’s dashboard.

The Boat Tail is said to be inspired by the convertible tourers of the 1920s and ’30s, featuring every conceivable accessory that might be required for a picnic by Lake Como, including a refrigerated compartment for your champagne and Waterford flutes, an integrated umbrella as well as a table and two folding carbon-fibre chairs.

The dash clocks are equally impressive, using Bovet’s own Amadeo case system that allows them to be used as a table clock, pocket watch or simply worn on the wrist.

The two watches are designed with a him and a her in mind, both featuring 44mm white-gold Fleurier cases, but  with details that aim to appeal to their respective owners. Both of the watches are powered by the same manually wound calibers that feature a 60-second tourbillon, five-day power reserve and 284 components, but that is almost where their similarities finish.

The case of the gentleman’s watch has been finished with a high polish and features a wood marquetry dial on one side while the reverse features a blue aventurine glass with a sky chart that shows the owner’s birth date and location. The wood marquetry side of the watch also features the Rolls Royce emblem, the Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture, carved in miniature and set into the tourbillon bridge.

The lady’s watch in contrast has a case that has been extensively hand engraved, before being filled with a deep blue lacquer. The dial also features wood marquetry panelling and a tiny Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture, with the reverse featuring a flower bouquet on mother-of-pearl.

Both watches had to be tested rigorously for 3000 hours to ensure they would remain robustly accurate in the dashboard of a car, which will inevitably be subject to vibrations and bumps as it drives.

Having a pair of bespoke watches produced is a privilege that not many of us will ever experience, never mind a pair that were designed for your custom Rolls Royce. Still, it’s good to know brands such as Bovet will offer such a service. Just in case we win the lottery.