Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral
Spirited Away: Carl F. Bucherer Goes for the Bold with Three New Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Models
These limited-edition Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral timepieces show off Carl F. Bucherer’s jewelry and watchmaking prowess.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Bucherer is an international multi-brand retailer with stores in Switzerland, the United States, England, Germany, France, Denmark, and Austria. But there’s more to Bucherer than just boutiques because while the retailer sells both jewelry and watches, Carl F. Bucherer manufactures its own well-regarded timepieces.
So, if you’re not familiar with the brand, you should know that these watches are more than a retailer’s name on a dial. Carl F. Bucherer produces visually distinct watches with in-house movements, and its newest release – the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral – is its most design-forward and technologically advanced watch to date.
Supreme Team
Bucherer was, of course, in the news last summer when chairman Jörg Bucherer, the third-generation leader of the family-owned company, sold the brand to Rolex. However, if any Carl F. Bucherer fans were worried that the brand would find itself in competition with Rolex or Tudor, these new Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral models will put your fears to rest.
That is because, with its emphasis on more formal designs, Carl F. Bucherer operates in a distinct lane. And these new Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral models prove that the brand is proudly doubling down on its horological history and its unique aesthetic.
Touted as the maison’s most vibrant designs to date, this trio comes in three bold colorways – purple, green, and blue. Moreover, the dials of these Manero Tourbillon Double Peripherals are almost baroque in style, given that their design emphasizes contrast, exuberant detail, deep color, and grandeur.
This effect - which Carl F. Bucherer is calling a “three-dimensional guilloché” – is achieved by using a laser-patterning technique to decorate the curved surface with a repeating motif of miniature pyramids. These patterns are then galvanically reinforced by being coated in a semi-transparent lacquer, which concentrates its pigment around the base of each pyramid.
The dial also uses 11 baguette-cut diamonds to mark the hours. Meanwhile, the bezel is set with 40 hand-selected, naturally occurring and colored, baguette-cut precious gemstones (either 5.1-carat sapphires, 4.7-carat tsavorites, or 3.5-carat amethysts, depending on the colorway).
To keep it contemporary, the 43.1mm cases of all three editions are crafted from 18-karat rose gold and set on a hand-stitched strap made from recycled PET.
Cage Match
Carl F. Bucherer says that the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral was created for watch lovers who pride themselves on their unique sense of style. Therefore, it is no surprise that the flair CFB brings to its designs is also reflected in the movement powering this trio: the CFB T3000 manufacture calibre, one of CFB’s most technically accomplished movements.
Launched in 2018, the CFB T3000 is the first movement to ever combine a peripheral automatic winding system (which features a bidirectional oscillating weight) with a peripherally mounted floating tourbillon.
The floating tourbillon (a CFB signature) has a peripheral mounting that is neither set on the main plate nor connected to an overlying bridge. This allows for an unobscured view of the movement through the caseback. It’s an impressive trick to make such an intricate complication look so effortless!
For all its fanciness, the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral offers outstanding accuracy. Composed of 189 individual parts, the mechanism also includes a balance wheel oscillating at a frequency of 3 Hz, or 21,600 beats per hour, and regulated by eccentric screws (or masselottes).
Moreover, for a frictionless experience, the escapement is made from silicon, which keeps things ticking without lubrication (and boosts the power reserve to a total of 65 hours).
Finally, another distinctive feature is the stop-second function, which allows for the rotation of the tourbillon cage to be stopped, which means the watch can be more easily synchronized to a time, down to the very second.
The Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral is limited to only 18 pieces in each colorway. For more information, including pricing, check out the Carl F. Bucherer website.
(Images © Carl F. Bucherer)
