Carl F. Bucherer

Carl Friedrich Bucherer, founder of the Swiss watch manufacturer.

In 1888, Carl Friedrich Bucherer established his first boutique selling watches and jewelry in Lucerne, Switzerland. In 1919, Carl Friedrich Bucherer launched his first ladies’ watch collection in the art deco style. He is one of the first watchmakers to adopt the watch strap, which at the time was still a revolutionary concept. By 1948, the company was focusing on sporty chronographs that prominently displayed the current date.[3]

Carl Friedrich Bucherer's first boutique in Lucerne, Switzerland.

By 1968, Carl F. Bucherer had manufactured around 15,000 high-precision, certified chronometers, making the company one of the top three Swiss producers of these specialized timepieces. In 1969, the company became part of a Swiss consortium for the development and production of the first quartz movement for wristwatches, the Beta 21.[3]

In 1976, Jörg G. Bucherer, the third generation of the family, took over the company. In 2001, the Carl F. Bucherer brand was repositioned and the company launched the Patravi watch collection. In 2005, the company filed a patent for the monopusher mechanism of the Patravi TravelTec watch, which permits the parallel display of three time zones.[3]

In 2007, Carl F. Bucherer acquired Téchniques Horlogères Appliquées of Sainte-Croix, Switzerland and incorporated it into the company as Carl F. Bucherer Technologies. The acquisition enables the company to research, develop, and produce its own manufacture movements and modules for additional functions. This leads in the following year to the company's launch of the CFB A1000 manufacture movement, which features a weighted geared ring peripherally mounted power source.[4] In 2014, the Manero PowerReserve becomes the first Carl F. Bucherer model to receive a unique laser signature in order to ensure product authenticity and quality.[5] From that year, all models are equipped with this technology.[6]

The first Carl F. Bucherer ladies' wristwatch, from 1919.

In order to increase its production capacity, Carl F. Bucherer moved its production workshops from Nidau to a larger production site in Lengnau, Bern in 2002.[7][8] In 2015, Carl F. Bucherer announced that its manufacturing will be consolidated to a new factory in Lengnau in order to optimize production processes and its value-added chain, as well as increase the scope of vertical manufacturing.[9][10]

The company currently sells about 25,000 watches a year (around 60% men, 40% women) .[11] The price range varies between CHF 5,000 and CHF 30,000 with some exception over CHF 400,000. The world market is divided between Europe with 40%, Asia also 40% and rest of the world, including US market with 20%.[12]

The CFB A2000 caliber manufacture movement.

The CFB A1000 caliber has the first reliably functioning automatic mechanical watch movement with a peripherally mounted power source.[4] A geared ring and a rotating unbalance mass segment made of tungsten encircles the entire mechanism, rotating on carbon rollers whenever the watch moves. A system of clutch wheels captures power. Discarding a centrally mounted rotor means thinner watches and an ultradense weight swinging around a greater radius means a better chance of achieving a greater power reserve with same amount of arm movement.[13] The peripheral rotor provides power when turning in either direction and allows for full visual display of the movement.[2] The A1000 movement includes the patented "Dynamic Shock Absorption" (DSA) system for effective shock absorption.[4]

The 2016 Manero Peripheral model, marking the launch of the CFB A2000 movement family.

At BaselWorld 2016, Carl F. Bucherer introduced the CFB A2000 manufacture movement. The A2000 retains the A1000 caliber's signature winding mechanism but is enhanced from a 3 Hz to a 4 Hz beat rate "for increased precision and a newly free-sprung balance for increased resistance to shock-induced timing deviation." The A2000 has the COSC Swiss Chronometer certification to attest to its high-level performance.[14]

Carl F. Bucherer's new Manero Peripheral model, also introduced at BaselWorld 2016, is driven by the CFB A2000-based CFB A2050 caliber. This watch marks the launch of the CFB A2000 movement family.[15][16][17] The new Manero Flyback model features the CFB 1970 caliber, "which is controlled by a gearwheel and also provides a flyback function, allowing multiple time intervals to be measured in quick succession."[18]

As of 2014, the company's manufacture movements have been protected against counterfeiting by special laser technology. Developed by the Swiss company Mimotec SA, the CLR-LIGA process imprints a unique signature on the surface of the watch movement using diffractive nano-structuring that can then only be authenticated with a specialized laser scanning device.[6][19]

Carl F. Bucherer watches are divided into five core collections:[20]

• Patravi.[21][22][23]
• Manero.[24]
• Heritage
• Adamavi (luxury watches).[25]
• Pathos (luxury watches for women).[26]
• Alacria (jewelry watches for women).[27]

• 
  The Patravi ScubaTec diver's watch.
• 
  The Manero Tourbillon Limited Edition.
• 
  The Manero PowerReserve.
• 
  The Pathos Desire.
• 
  The Patravi TravelTec FourX Limited Edition

The Patravi ScubaTec SFV Special Edition.

In 2013, Carl F. Bucherer celebrated its 125th anniversary with an international roadshow presenting over 200 historical watches and the history of the company. The company also released four limited edition watches: the Manero MoonPhase, Manero Tourbillon, Alacria RoyalRose, and the Patravi TravelTec FourX. A jubilee volume, "125 Years' Swiss History of Time," further commemorated the history of the company.[28]

In 2014, Carl F. Bucherer partnered with the Swiss National Football Association, providing each member of the Swiss national football team a Patravi ScubaTec SFV Special Edition watch ahead of that year's World Cup.[29][30] The logo of the Swiss Football Association is at 6 o'clock on the bezel. The back case of each watch has an engraving of the individual player's name.[31]

As of 1 July 2016, Carl F. Bucherer is the "Official Timekeeper" for the Swiss national football teams for a period of four years.[32] As part of this partnership, Swiss national players are wearing the exclusive Patravi ScubaTec SFV timepiece. The press conference announcing the partnership was attended by Stephan Lichtsteiner, captain of the Swiss national team, and star player Granit Xhaka.[33][34]

In Deadpool 2 the character Cable, a time-travelling soldier played by Josh Brolin, uses a time machine on his wrist; close-ups of the device it is inscribed with the Carl F. Bucherer name and logo suggesting that, far in the future where Cable originates, the watchmaker produces wearable time pieces that can manipulate time itself.

Keanu Reeves wears a Carl F. Bucherer Manero AutoDate watch in John Wick (2014) and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).[35] In John Wick: Parabellum, actor Ian McShane wears a Carl F. Bucherer Manero AutoDate with black dial.

• Official website