Watchmaker Bovet Taps Owner’s Eldest Child as General Counsel

Maker of luxury watches Bovet Fleurier has hired Audrey Raffy, daughter of owner Pascal Raffy, as its first-ever general counsel and vice president.

Audrey Raffy will work out of the Switzerland-based company’s North American office.

“It is a huge responsibility, but at the same time my life has been a progression to get to this point,” she told Bloomberg Law in an interview. “I’m also learning as I go, of course. It is a learning experience, and I have the support of my father, and I have the support of my Bovet team.”

Raffy, the oldest of three, graduated from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law this May and assumed her role as general counsel in Miami last month.

“The addition of Audrey to the House of Bovet is another reiteration of the House’s principal value: Family,” the watchmaker wrote in social media posts announcing Raffy’s new role on Aug. 3.

Raffy’s father gained majority ownership of Bovet nearly two decades ago after retiring in his 30s from a career as an executive for French pharmaceutical company Synthelabo.

“I grew up seeing his fascination. I grew up seeing the love and respect that he has not only for the brand but the synergy that he has with his team, and honestly I always wanted to be part of that,” Raffy said.

Raffy said her addition to the company will allow more legal work to be streamlined and brought in-house.

She served as a summer law clerk for the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Miami and as a summer associate for Lenz & Staehelin in Geneva, Switzerland. She plans to take the bar exam in February 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic delayed her original plans to sit for the test in New York this summer.

Bovet, originally founded by watchmaker Edouard Bovet in 1822, is historically known for its pocket watches which were often sold in imperial China to nobles and even emperors.

Today, Bovet’s intricate watches—many of which have a clear reverse side—sell for over $50,000 and most prices are only available upon request. Three collections are named for the Raffy siblings.

Bovet is sold through 104 retailers around the world, 10 of which are in North America, according to the company’s website.