Horological Meandering

Family jewel: A visit to the Carl F. Bucherer manufactories Report by Marcus Hanke When I received the invitation to visit Carl F. Bucherer's technical development center in a small Swiss town named Sainte-Croix, I tried to find that village in Google Map...  

. . . the more you see." Thanks, Marcus, for broadening my perspective on this intriguing manufacturer that's been at the margins of the watch world far too long . . . happy New Year, Art

Hello marcus, Thanks for the photos and insights into CFB. IMO, the A1000 peripheral rotor is very unique and will be on my 2010 purchase list! -MW

Hi Marcus, Thank you for your article. As you I didn't know all that historical background behind the Bucherer watches and didn't know much more about their current watches. I didn't know either what THA had become. About that pic: That picture reminds me...  

Hi, Jerome and Marcus, Yes, this caliber reminds me something, but I thought it was a Jaquet movement, modified by FP Journe himself. Now, I'm a bit lost with LJP... Thanks for the great reading! Best, Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 20... 

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Yes, this movement had been developed by THA, paid by UN and FM. SEries production was executed by Jaquet-Baume, since at that time, to my knowledge, THA did not have the possibilities for series production. Jaquet-Baume has been refounded under the name ... 

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We had this issue in a discussion here some time ago, and I recall the finding that Cartier's monopusher movement is different from the THA. Regards, Marcus

First of all I would seriously love to thank you , I so love the way you build you article, report or whatever you want to call it, truly I admit I longed to continue your report word after word, line after line not because of my love for watches , but ab... 

First of all, let me thank you for your kind compliment, which I certainly do not deserve. My English is far from what I would like it to be, my sentences are long and clumsy, my grammar is bad. What I could easily express in my mother-language German, be... 

again i would like to really thank you for reminding me of what I've forgotten. and no matter how you evaluate your writing style still captures me. Faisal

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I learnt a lot. I still don't like the look of the watches but I certainly now have a lot of respect for the brand, which I previously thought was little more than a fashion brand. Best Andreas

Carl F. Bucherer certainly has its own well-deserved merits. Interestingly, I noticed that the watchmaker in CFB wore shorts and sandals to work! Regards Ling

I was not aware at all of the actual real history behind CFB. You have done a great job bringing the legitimacy of the brand to us and that CFB is not just another "wannabee". The dials of the new CFB watches have never really been my cup of tea but I hop... 

And passionate CEO; Technical Director; Marketing Director; et al. They've got a sound technical base. Their distribution groundwork is being laid (though it still has some ways to go for the top down message and passion to filter down) I am looking forwa... 

Dear Herr Prof Dr Hanke, Thank you for the detailed report and history of C.F. Bucherer brand and their new facilities. Despite spending hours at both the PuristS' Hong Kong and Taipei events with C.F.Bucherer, I did not know some of the details you revea...  

What an enlightening article! I especially appreciated how you took some time to photograph the factory in situ. Sainte-Croix looks like a charming place. Documenting the locale and providing some company history really helps me to appreciate CFB more. I'... 

... regarding the EvoTec on the pictures. While I have not really a problem with rubber bezels, I thought the whole watch might apeear a bit too cheap. However, it was another positive surprise during the visit: This watch fits perfectly, it is comforgabl... 

in one axis, i.e face up/down? Kong

... in other positions as well. You might recall some arguments that the peripheral rotor is said to be more prone for damage from shocks. While this might have been true for the predecessors by Patek, Longines etc. decades ago, but CFB has done a lot of ... 

to tackle shock according to CFB literature. Marcus, thanks for the reply. For the peripheral rotor, shock on the rotor is addressed with a roller/ball bearing units and two special screws, while the regulating unit with their Central Dual Adjusting Syste... 

as it demonstrates how smaller manufacturers, often overlooked, contribute to horology with proprietary, refreshing solutions. This story demonstrates that it pays off to keep an open eye and look off the trodden paths. I congratulate you to your successf... 

... this is our mission: Inform about the important role of the "small ones". I feel that the tenedency towards concentration within big luxury groups, as witnessed during the last decade, might have passed its apex already. Now, the flexibility of the sm... 

And I very much look forward to your technical article on the Cal. 1000.

... as you are aware of myself being neither a watchmaker nor an engineer. I have been supplied with ample information on the cal. A1000, but I am unable to independently evaluate it. All I can do - when I get that EvoTec - is subjecting the watch to vari... 

Damn, if I can just write half as good as you .... I particularly like this sentence: " I know that small companies like these are the nightmare of financial analysts and investment gurus, but I like them." Yes, I too, have driven many bankers to tears ce... 

... However, I hope that following the last year's crisis, companies that focus on a slow, but steady growth, and are ready to accept some bad times as well, without firing the majority of their employees, will be valued higher in the regard of the rankin... 

I have been a happy CFB owner for several years now, and look forward to acquiring a piece with the new movement down the road. Nice report Marcus....  

... I espcially like the big date. Hope it will keep making you happy! Regards, Marcus

they r missing a bit of sparks... or sex appeal sort of speak. I have pass through its Venetian boutique a few times and among boutiques, CFB seem to be missing some luster to lure ppl in somehow. I have learned a lot though PPro knowing this brand is lot... 

It's a very interesting read and I personally resonated with many of the points that you made. Before DRMW first told me about the A1000 movement last year, and before I read your article, I never thought twice about CFB as a serious horological innovator...