Introducing the All-New Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne
Carl F. Bucherer is one of those brands that often flys under the radar when it comes to mainstream watches, and innovation. Undeserved, admittedly, the brand finds itself releases some truly uniquely inspired pieces that are wildly successful, if rarely discussed in the regular watch enthusiast circuit. This week the brand released an all new model in a super limited run - The Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne.
THE BASICS:
Brand: Carl F. Bucherer
Model: Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne (ref. 00.10803.08.12.22)
Case Material: Steel
Case Size: 41mm x 14.15mm
Water Resistance: 30m
Movement: CFB Calibre 1972
Movement Specs: Automatic, 47 jewels, 42 Hour Power Reserve
Strap Options: Steel Milanese Bracelet and Black Calfskin Leather Strap
THE JUICE:
The watch is inspired by a vintage Lincoln Towncar that belongs to the Bucherer family. The story goes that it was entered into the Concours d’Excellence International in 1949 where it won the Public Prize. The car originally belonged to Carl Friedrich, the founder of the brand. Since the competition, the car changed hands a number of times before landing back into the hands of Jorg Bucherer - his grandson and current chairman of Carl F. Bucherer.
The car was light blue, with chrome accents - the obvious design aesthetic for the watch. Interestingly the watch was originally debuted in 2019 with a different, monochromatic color scheme and slight differences to the case and dial.
This version of the BiCompax Annual Lucerne takes more visual queues from over 70 years ago that it’s previous iterations. The chrome 12 and 6 o’ clock indices resemble the dashboard of the car, while the light blue and white tones on the subdials and tachymeter pull the influence from the body. Predominantly under the 12 o’ clock and between the 4 and 5 o’ clock indices are the annual calendar Windows - displaying the date and month.
The BiCompax Annual Lucerne displays a lot of information without feeling cluttered. It’s a well-designed dial with a lot of influence to the car that inspires it. It’s clean, efficient, and handsome. I can’t imagine this watch having a difficult time selling out of its ultra limited edition number.
How Much is the Carl F. Bucherer BiCompax Annual Lucerne?
The watch will be limited to only 188 pieces, in homage to the brands founding date of 1888 - and be priced at a modest $7,900 USD.
You can read more about the watch on the brands website.