A retailer and a brand
Carl F. Bucherer is the eponymous brand of Carl Friedrich Bucherer, who opened his first watch and jewellery shop in Lucerne in 1888, where the Swiss brand still has its headquarters to this day. The company plays heavily on its roots, using the tagline "Made of Lucerne" and adding "Lucerne 1888" to the dial of many of its watches and the beautiful view across the lake from the old town of Lucerne in its advertising. Gold is the signature colour of the company, in addition to being the precious metal used in some of its watch cases. The brand lives alongside the Bucherer name, which has grown from a modest watch seller to a major international retail operation.
The collection is built around five pillars: Patravi, Manero, Adamavi, Pathos and Alacria, which include watches in stainless steel and gold for ladies and men.
Like many high-end Swiss watch brands, Carl F. Bucherer masters the production of its own movements. One of its watchmaking milestones is the CFB A1000 automatic movement. First introduced in 2008, it has spawned five additional variations that incorporate a number of patents, such as the dynamic shock absorption system found in this in-house movement.
A five-pillar collection
The first pillar in the collection, the Patravi, is a versatile watch that caters to a number of uses, from the simple elegance of the Autodate model for ladies to the highly sophisticated Patravi Traveltec Black for men, whose matte black case incorporates an automatic chrono movement with a GMT function. The Traveltec model is also available with a triple time zone function that is perfect for the modern globetrotter. The Scubatec within the Patravi collection is, as its name suggests, the Carl F. Bucherer diver's watch, complete with rotating graduated bezel and rubber strap and an extra-thick sapphire crystal, and comes in sizes suitable both for men and women.
The Manero line offers classic elegance, with a predominance of rose gold cases and most of the watchmaking complications, including perpetual calendar, tourbillon and moonphase. The Manero Peripheral is a signature model in the collection, since its A2050 automatic movement has a peripheral oscillating mass, while the popular Autodate function is also available in this collection.
Adamavi is an ode to ladies, offering classic designs with a round case in stainless steel or rose gold and a choice of bracelets or straps. Their appeal is intended to endure, as the meaning of their name suggests: Adamavi is derived from the Latin and means "to come to love something." The allure of the diamond is available in this collection for those seeking an extra touch of luxury.
Pathos is also geared towards ladies and its name famously alludes to a technique of persuasion. Here the aesthetic is more modern, with subtle curves and a more generous use of diamond setting to create watches that stand out on a feminine wrist. The same is true of Alacria, which uses an elongated rectangular case with elaborate fluted sides that give off a vintage vibe. Limited edition diamond versions, such as the diamond set Alacria Swan and the diamond and sapphire studded Alacria Royal Rose, have been particularly popular jewellery pieces.
Golden stars
Carl F. Bucherer uses a number of brand ambassadors to promote its watches around the world and cinemagoers have been able to view its timepieces in a number of blockbusters. Incredible hitman in both senses of the word, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has been seen wearing the Manero Autodate automatic watch for men in stainless steel, for example. In Atomic Blonde, most of the principal characters wore Carl F. Bucherer watches. Charlize Theron had a diamond set Manero Autodate automatic watch in stainless steel on her wrist. Swiss actor Daniel Bernhard, also an ambassador for the brand, wears the CentralChrono for men in stainless steel. The eclectic mix of personalities who support CEO Sacha Moeri in his tireless efforts to promote the brand include China's Li Bing Bing, local Swiss skier Wendy Holdener and, more recently, musician Brian Sacawa.
Carl F. Bucherer also supports the admirable work of the men and women of the Manta Trust, a UK registered charity, which aims to save the Manta Ray population. The trust has collected data on the individual spot patterns for a number of rays. When purchasing one of the 188 limited-edition Patravi Scubatec watches, you can choose a particular ray and help to save the species.
