Bouvet Supermarine Mm01 - Tailored For Luxury And Performance
With the Supermarine MM01, the Bouvet brothers are setting the course for a new era in Personal Watercraft: iconic design and outstanding performance.
For the first time in the nautical world, watercraft manufacturing has risen to the level of an art, pushing back the limits of technique to achieve hitherto unmatched performance. Combining precision, high standards and creative freedom, the BOUVET house unveils its Supermarine MM01, the flagship of a revolution underway. The last prototype foreshadowing the series will begin testing in the spring, with delivery of the first units scheduled for early 2024. The Supermarine MM01 will be produced in only 15 units in the NACRE version and 15 units in the BLACK EDITION version.
THE GENESIS OF AN ICON
From their Parisian workshop, the two brothers create their machines as a manifesto of intensity. A true ode to piloting and pure speed, they symbolize the high standards and precision of their creators. Sharing their time between Paris and the Atlantic coast, the Bouvet brothers supervise the development of their latest prototype in deepest secrecy. On the wall, a photo of a sailboat with a dark, tapered hull, adorned with a name in white letters, an immutable landmark of their collaboration. It was on board that the idea appeared in 2017. Based on the observation that no electric PWC (Personal Watercraft) on the market was able to meet their expectations, they set out to design the ultimate machine: the most efficient ever built.
Germain and Léopold Bouvet are not at their first attempt. After several years of collaboration on the design of land vehicles and the intensive practice of navigation, the creation of their own shipyard is the fruit of a long reflection. Their approach is radical, without concession. No room is left to chance and each subject is approached with the same passion for details, aesthetics and performance. It is above all, the search for pure sensations that guides the two brothers and the desire to achieve excellence in everything they do. Almost four years of development are necessary to develop the prototype foreshadowing the series. Its code name: MM01, for “Motomarine 01“, sounds like a declaration of independence from the current market. “The exercise turned out to be extremely difficult. We have chosen to start from a blank page, and never give in to easiness. We had a radically different concept from what was being done in the industry, making it impossible to use existing solutions. It was about reinventing the discipline, its practices and its codes.“ explains Léopold Bouvet, Managing Director. The machine symbolizes the rebirth of a category, the dawn of a new era in electrical performance on water.
A REVOLUTIONARY MACHINE DRIVEN BY
PERFORMANCE AND STYLE
The Supermarine MM01 draws its architecture from performance-driven hydrodynamic and aerodynamic goals. During the design phase, every square millimeter of its envelope was shaped by hand from a block of clay. A traditional modeling technique that maintains a sensual relationship to line and volume, guaranteeing this timeless aesthetic.
The ultimate personal watercraft is the result of a specific manufacturing process, of which most steps cannot be changed. The extreme requirements practiced within BOUVET house generate a very significant increase in certain parameters, such as development time or the number of prototypes required to launch a series. “The radical nature of our concepts requires technical teams to continually surpass themselves. Most of the processes we develop are unique and begin with a particularly expensive and time-consuming experimental phase. This is an essential condition for the pursuit of permanent innovation.” said Germain Bouvet, Chairman of Bouvet Frères Marine. This watercraft has the particularity of being made of a carbon-Kevlar monocoque chassis, designed to act like a spine on which the various elements are grafted. The assembly phase, including assembly and adjustment, must be carried out with horological precision, which is why it is carried out entirely by hand, in France. This is just one of the many details that gives each vehicle its unique character.
The front fenders, for example, are the result of architectural prowess. Very complex to produce, their surfaces require the design of specific molds, certain parts of which are doomed to be destroyed during demolding. “Manufacturing cost is not our primary concern and is addressed only when the model is finished. We quickly realized that our productions could only become profitable in a very exclusive segment. Today, the so-called ‘luxury’ brands tackle the issue of profitability before that of creativity. We are doing the exact opposite.” explains Léopold Bouvet. These technical constraints imposed by ergonomics and design constantly require the development of solutions that challenge conventional approaches.
VALUES OF EXCELLENCE
Founded in 2018, the young French luxury house has carved out a place for itself in the very closed world of Superyachting. “Ten years ago, when we developed our first concepts, we never imagined they would generate such enthusiasm.“ they declare. Confidential, it bases its economic model on the production of ultra-limited series, counting on controlled growth, insensitive to the sirens of demand. Its extremely complex products require an average of 500 hours to manufacture and more than 4,000 hours to design. Each new vehicle that leaves the BOUVET workshops symbolizes the convergence of a great deal of know-how, collective intelligence and tenacity on the part of the teams who shape these fragments of the absolute on a daily basis.
The company has cultivated its strengths by making its youth a force to redefine the codes of Superyachting. “Our history has been built naturally and gradually, over the course of travels, encounters and our clients. The welcome we received from people in the industry was surprising. It was there that we realized that we had shaped a world apart.” says Léopold Bouvet. Since their beginnings, the two brothers, passionate and masters at bringing their ideas to life, have remained consistent. They display an uncompromising approach, on the fringe of the segment’s standards, rejecting the heritage of a cautious and predictable industrial past. “Producing in limited quantities allows us to master every aspect of manufacturing, and to guarantee flawless pieces.“ he continues.
At Bouvet Frères, we are inventing the future of ultra-luxury every day. We craft objects of rare elegance that appeal to an increasingly young clientele, uninhibited, sensitive to a radical approach and tired of the banality of industrial production. “For the moment, access to the order remains confidential and we do not wish to respond to all requests.“ specifies Léopold Bouvet. Commitment and risk-taking occupy a predominant place there, as essential elements to venture further into the field of performance every day. “We do not allow any financial limits on the development of our machines. Our models are handmade, with French players and technologies that we are, on numerous occasions, the only ones to use in these fields.” affirms Léopold Bouvet.