Peripheral technology has been at the heart of Carl F. Bucherer’s movements since 2008 when the Luzern-based watchmaker unveiled its ground-breaking peripheral rotor, becoming the first to serially produce this unique style of oscillating weight.
This technology was joined, 10 years later, by a transparent peripherally mounted tourbillon. Normally a tourbillon – made up of the balance, the balance spring, and the escapement – is placed in a continuously rotating cage to counteract the negative effects of gravity. Where the Manero tourbillon differs is that the mechanism is supported peripherally by three ceramic ball bearings, ensuring a completely open yet stable connection of the regulating organ.
This year, the brand adds yet another peripheral invention to its portfolio of patents with a brand-new peripherally mounted regulator that, like the tourbillon, is also supported peripherally by three ceramic ball bearings.
A Trio of Peripheral Inventions
If a trio of patented peripheral inventions wasn’t exciting enough, this new edition to the Manero collection also comes with the watch industry’s most technical mechanical complication – the minute repeater. The timepiece is powered by the COSC-certified MR300 manufacture movement with a 65-hour power reserve and is right at the top of the Carl F. Bucherer offering.
The Manero Minute Repeater Symphony has two different tones made by two gongs that can be viewed through apertures at the edge of the dial, while a further opening between five and seven o’clock showcases the striking hammers. The fourth window, at six o’clock, reveals the watch’s unique peripheral regulator.
Genuine Functionality
The timepiece may be complex on the inside, but it has been designed to provide easy and simple manipulation for the client. The timepiece includes a protective mechanism that is built into the movement to prevent inadvertent misuse. In a discrete display at nine o’clock, a blue dot informs the user that the crown is pulled out, and a musical note lets the user know that the minute repeater function is activated. An additional safety measure prevents the user from pulling out the crown while the minute repeater is activated, and conversely, when the crown is pulled out the minute repeater mechanism is locked.
More Details
The timepiece comes in a 43.8mm 18-karat rose gold case with open-worked and hand-angled lugs that reduce the mass of the case and amplify the watch’s sound. The 18-karat white gold dial is also beautifully crafted with a hand-galvanisation and a fine grainy texture that contrasts beautifully with the polished 18-karat rose gold hands and hour markers. Other interesting features include a stop-second function on the tourbillon for the precise setting of the time.
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
The details do not stop there, as for this new launch, Carl F. Bucherer has partnered with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Swedish composer Lisa Streich in the creation of a unique piece of music to celebrate the watch.
Sascha Moeri, Carl F. Bucherer’s CEO explains, “The word ‘symphony’ in the name of our watch expresses harmonic complexity and the delicate interaction among different parts – qualities it shares with the orchestra. Their stunning new piece of music and our watch are a perfect pairing. We both share a commitment to artistic perfection and a dedication to our craftsmanship.”
Entitled Periphery, the piece of music takes core elements of the watch’s design and gives them a voice. The repeater’s peripherally mounted regulator is reproduced using the striking and stroking of a triangle, while the floating tourbillon is recreated with brass instruments, and the string and wind instruments depict the complexity of the peripheral rotor.
So, let the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Symphony delight not only your eyes but your ears too.
