Carl F. Bucherer likes to do things its own way. The family company, which is part of the Bucherer group, is 100% independent and one of the biggest operators of watch and jewellery stores in the world, with its own brands, its own production facilities and, de facto, its own distribution network.
Nevertheless, despite the obvious advantages of its business model, Carl F. Bucherer does not always choose the simplest routes. The brand’s ladies’ collections are a case in point. In order to enter this market, Carl F. Bucherer first presented the Alacria. The collection, with its rectangular but strongly curved shape, offered an unusual format, supported by a mixture of both sensible and audacious versions, like the Bamboo. The brand’s entry into this segment was therefore strong and disruptive.
The second ladies’ collection, the Pathos, was therefore highly anticipated. Its objective: to complement the Alacria with a more consensual shape. This mission was accomplished a few months ago with a selection that now comprises 18 references, from the steel model with a quartz movement to the high jewellery version. But here too Carl F. Bucherer toyed with convention. With a round watch that appears conventional but has profoundly innovative touches.
A halo of fire
The major innovation of the Pathos is the halo surrounding its case. Sculpted with unusual motifs that range from flames to a honeycomb pattern, this external crown decorates the piece in a truly original manner. The choice made by Carl F. Bucherer allows it to distinguish itself from the competition and at the same time offer numerous possible variations in the future. All that the brand needs to do for this is to consider different types of sculpture on the surface or even different materials for it. Its cavities could even be filled with diamonds, ceramic or any other kind of material.
The Pathos by Carl F. Bucherer is therefore not just another ladies collection: it is a casing concept. Where other brands are engraving their cases and removing material, Carl F. Bucherer is adding it without increasing its size, thanks to an ingenious integration of the halo around the case itself. To avoid the motifs on the case being isolated from an aesthetic point of view, Carl F. Bucherer repeats it on the flange of the dial, opening up almost infinite possibilities for further decoration.
Feminine ambitions
“The Pathos is aimed at an audacious clientele in the 20-35 year-old age range,” confirms Sascha Moeri, CEO of Carl F. Bucherer. “Ladies’ watches account for almost half of our sales, so a launch such as the Pathos is a considerable bet on the future.”
In order to ensure that it is a success, the brand has used the same recipe as the Alacria. There are three lines within the collection, called Diva, Queen and Princess. This judicious classification has gradually become the norm at Carl F. Bucherer. It offers two main advantages.
Firstly, the customer can move from one collection to another and find the same hierarchy and the same coherence in what is on offer. Secondly, this classification allows Carl F. Bucherer to stretch out its collections from steel models with quartz movements for 1,900 Swiss francs to those overflowing with diamonds for 342,000 Swiss francs. This is where you can see the business nous of the Bucherer group: no divisive collections at Carl F. Bucherer, every woman can freely chose her preference from the Diva, Queen or Princess line of each collection, according to their means.
What lies in store for the future of the Pathos? “We steel need some time for it to become established in the markets,” cautions Sascha Moeri. But we cannot help but think about a manufacture movement for ladies’, similar to the CFB A1000 used in the men’s collections. Or even of the first complications for ladies, like a moon phase or an annual calendar. “Yes, we could do this,” Sascha Moeri smiles. The strategic plans for Carl F. Bucherer have probably already been written for well into the future, but they are not about to be revealed any time soon...
