Giving us a taste of what’s to come from them for the rest of 2020, Lucerne-based brand Carl F. Bucherer presented this week during an exclusive brand experience their new watch releases presented so far this year. Organised at the Bucherer boutique in Geneva, the brand showed new releases to collectors and press, as well as not-so-new releases in order to display the complete Carl F. Bucherer universe—one that focuses on its sports-chic aesthetic codes, with a strong influence from its vintage archives. With WorldTempus in attendance, here’s a look at rich world of Carl F. Bucherer and all they have to offer.
A world rich in heritage
The Heritage collection is Carl F. Bucherer’s ode to vintage and their interpretation of what “modern vintage” should be in watchmaking. Updating beloved classical codes with modern touches for a more streamlined look, the brand continues to position themselves as a fine manufacturer of mechanical watches for the new age Millennial. Each new Heritage model unveiled this year, while limited in number, also shows Carl F. Bucherer’s strong movement manufacturing capabilities, each housing an in-house movement.
A fine example of the brand’s watchmaking ability is the new Heritage Tourbillon DoublePeripheral, featuring a tourbillon at 12 o’clock—an uncommon sight when we’re so used to seeing tourbillons at 6 o’clock. Initially launched in 2018 in a rose gold version, the piece now comes in a limited edition of 88 pieces in white gold with a silver, sunburst-finished dial with applied diamond-shaped hour markers. The slender lugs and convex sapphire crystal evoke a late 60’s aesthetic: refined with a bit of a twist, now decidedly vintage. On the caseback, to make this limited edition even more special, is an engraving of the city of Lucerne, the original home of Carl F. Bucherer, with at its centre the Chapel Bridge, a landmark for the city.
This modernised vintage aesthetic that Carl F. Bucherer proudly boasts is none more apparent than in the new Heritage Bicompax Annual. Available in two limited editions of 888 pieces each, one in bicolor stainless steel/rose gold with rose and champagne dial and the second in a stainless-steel case with a silver dial with black subdials, the Heritage Bicompax Annual oozes a cool, retro attitude. On the dial, you can find a large date display below 12 o’clock, an annual calendar and a distinct chronograph design with its two subdials (at 3 and 9 o’clock, respectively). The modern and vintage is blended seamlessly with the sans serif typeface for the hour markers combined with a classic, serif font for the date, month indicator tucked between 4 and 5 o’clock and the tachymeter scale on the outer ring of the dial. Instead of looking dated, the curvature of its delicate 34mm case combined with prominent, elongated chronograph push buttons modernises a classic pulled from the brand’s archives. The stainless-steel version in particular, with its silver dial and black subdials, has quite the sporty “tuxedo” look—not quite a panda dial, but close enough with a twist.
A world rich in color
Completing its world of retro-inspired watches is a splash of color in two of Carl F. Bucherer’s key collections: the Manero and the Patravi.
Introducing two new versions of the Manero Flyback, in stainless steel with a vivid navy-blue dial, available either on an elegant metal bracelet or a sportier blue textile strap. At 43mm, the stainless-steel case remains stylish for both men and women, so universal is its design. While the new blue dial trends towards a more masculine crowd, it’s undeniably chic.
The other additions to the Manero family, however, is very clearly aimed towards women—the Manero AutoDate LOVE, created and launched in collaboration with the brand’s global ambassador Li Bingbing, a popular Chinese actress. Available in several versions, from two-tone to all steel, the most striking of all is the red gold case version with red dial. Each version features a delicate leaf motif on the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, as well as a little peek-a-boo leaf on the hour marker at 8 o’clock.
Carl F. Bucherer also continues to strengthen its diverse offering in the diving category, with four new colors of the Patravi TravelTec, one for each season in the year, and darker Patravi ScubaTec Black, demonstrating the brand’s continuing commitment to the oceans, sustainable practices and its partnership with the Manta Trust.
The Patravi TravelTec Color Edition Four Seasons celebrates the passing seasons by injecting some brightness on the wrist: green for spring, yellow for summer, orange for autumn and blue for winter. At 46.6mm, the large watch features two chronograph counters, a small seconds subdial and a date display under a loupe for extra-legibility. On the other end of the color spectrum sits the new all black Patravi ScubaTec, made of an ultra-light titanium case with a matte black DLC coating. The bezel, also in matte black, also has scratch-resistant ceramic. Despite the monochromatic black design, all the indices, 60-minute scale and hands are generously coated in Super-LumiNova for maximum legibility. In an effort to be more in line with sustainable practices and with their partners at the Manta Trust, the rubber strap is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles recovered from the ocean.
