The original Bovet company was founded in London in 1822 by Edouard Bovet[1] for the purposes of manufacturing watches exclusively for the Chinese market.[8] Some watch historians believe that the company was established in London due to the ease of shipping watches to China on the frequent ships of the East India Company.[3] Edouard's brothers, Alphonse and Frederic, stayed in London to manage shipping; another brother, Charles-Henri, managed manufacturing in Fleurier, while Edouard developed the market in Canton.[4]