Carl F. Bucherer and Harley Davidson

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Carl F. Bucherer and Harley Davidson - Bucherer
3 minutes read
A Blue Edition on two wheels? Patrick Graf (Chief Commercial Officer) talks about this world première and the popularity of Bucherer’s Blue Editions.

Why would a watchmaker want to make the world’s most expensive motorcycle?
It’s about a meeting of minds between creative entrepreneurs, and their human story, but we also wanted to surprise our clients with an unexpected world première. This one-of-a-kind piece on two wheels represents a triple world première: it’s the most expensive motorcycle in the world (CHF 1.888 million, a reference to Bucherer’s founding year), the first motorbike to come with its own haute horlogerie watch set with precious stones, and the only motorbike with internal lighting, so that you can admire the engine. Eight artisans and engineers (from Carl F. Bucherer, Bucherer and Bündnerbike) devoted over 3000 hours to making this machine by hand. It’s a peerless 100 hp mechanical machine made of steel, leather, diamonds and silicone, which also contains two integral safes, one of which has an armoured window. The Harley Davidson Blue Edition not only comes with diamond rings on the forks, the hand grips and the tank, there are also two unique Patravi TravelTecs by Carl F. Bucherer, designed to match the bike, one of which is built into the motorcycle. It’s about the product, and it’s about lifestyle. This is the first time that Bucherer watchmaking and jewellery and Carl F. Bucherer have worked together so intensively.

Carl F. Bucherer and Harley Davidson

Is there a roadshow planned for the Harley Davidson Blue Edition?
It left Zurich on the same day it was due to arrive in London for a month-long exhibition. We’ve had requests from the United Arab Emirates and the United States, but we’d also like to show it to Bucherer clients in Paris.

What would you say if a craftsman from a different field suggested creating a unique boat or car?
They already have! But before we take on anything else we need to digest this huge project, to which we devoted a huge amount of resources, and bring it to completion. Then we will take the time to choose the next adventure that makes the most sense for Bucherer.

Bucherer sells around 50 brands in its boutiques; since 2016, 17 of them have signed up for Blue Editions. Can we expect to see more?
In fact, almost all our brands have approached Bucherer to propose exclusive Blue Edition creations. We study them all extremely carefully and respectfully, in the interests of both the end client and the brand. Each one has its own tailored launch, which has to be meticulously prepared. We don’t rush these things. Because the project has been extraordinarily well received by Bucherer’s clients, we are planning to continue to develop the Blue Editions collection with other brands, and also with additional models from existing brands. In May we launched the Piaget Polo S as a Blue Edition, along with a new IWC in June.

Carl F. Bucherer and Harley Davidson

Why would a client buy a Blue Edition version of, for example, a Piaget Polo S?
For the exclusivity, because the Blue Editions can only be obtained from Bucherer, and, of course, for the aesthetic appeal. Since we created the Blue Editions in 2016, many brands have added this colour to their ranges.

Carl F. Bucherer and Harley Davidson

What proportion of Bucherer’s sales now come from Blue Edition watches?
A very significant proportion! I can’t give you the figures, but sales of Blue Edition watches have far exceeded our expectations. That applies to the ladies’ models too.

In which countries are they available?
Blue Edition watches are sold in all our Bucherer boutiques in Europe (Germany, UK, Austria, Denmark, France and Switzerland), and will be coming to the USA when the purchase of Tourneau has been finalised, probably next year. US clients would not understand Bucherer’s Blue Editions concept under the Tourneau label. First, we need to adapt and integrate the Bucherer brand into the existing stores.