Certain timepieces carry a legacy that predates their first appearance, and the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage collection typifies this phenomenon with its limited-edition pieces that pay homage to bygone eras. Among these tribute models aimed at today’s watch enthusiasts is the brand’s fetching Heritage BiCompax Annual.
On one hand, this timepiece’s origins can be traced back to 1888, the year in which Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened his first store in Lucerne: From the off, Bucherer was devoted to creating both watches and jewellery in-house.
More specifically, though, its beginnings took shape six decades later: During the 1940s, the CFB workshops became renowned for producing chronographs with a variety of designs, displays and functionalities, including the highly coveted bicompax display, characterised by two symmetrically positioned subdials on the dial’s horizontal central axis.
From the Archives
This very symmetry was the hallmark of a standout timepiece in the Carl F. Bucherer archives dating from 1956, whose curved lines and slim chronograph pushers lent the watch a remarkable sporty flair and helped it to characterise that era’s pioneering spirit and sense of optimism.
And it was this mid-century chronograph that inspired the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual, which debuted in 2019 and quickly became one of the brand’s best-sellers.
Retaining the nostalgic qualities that have endeared it to watch aficionados, the Heritage BiCompax Annual now boasts an alluring new silver-grey dial and versatile grey-toned strap options, designed to appeal to contemporary connoisseurs.
A New Hue & Versatile Straps
The new silver-grey dial, complemented by black syringe hands treated with Super-LumiNova, lends the watch a bright, luminous finish. This fresh aesthetic is further enhanced by the two new strap options: a stainless-steel bracelet for a sportier, casual look, and a light grey "nubuck" vegan leather strap for understated elegance. A quick-change mechanism allows the wearer to effortlessly switch between the two, adding to the watch’s overall versatility.
Elsewhere, the watch retains the coveted traits that have made the Heritage BiCompax Annual a hit, starting with the ultra-harmonious bicompax dial design, featuring two symmetrically arranged totalizers: small seconds at 3 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock. The concentric finish of the small seconds and elapsed minutes counter contrasts beautifully with the sunray decoration of the main dial. And encircling the dial is a tachymeter scale for measuring average speed, just like the 1956 original had!
The annual calendar – a feature reflected in the watch's name – displays the month and date, automatically adjusting to the months’ differing lengths and requiring only one correction per year. The large date display below 12 o’clock, meanwhile, provides top-notch legibility. Powering all these functions is the automatic CFB 1972 calibre, based on the ever-reliable ETA 2894-2, offering a 42-hour power reserve.
Vintage Appeal
Housing the movement is a brushed and polished stainless-steel case whose silvery tones contribute to the watch’s striking monochromatic look. While its 41mm diameter is 7mm larger than the 1950s bicompax on which it is based, the case still has a throwback quality to its design and wears very comfortably on the wrist.
The double-domed sapphire crystal covering the dial adds to its vintage appeal, while a transparent display back reveals the intricacies of the CFB 1972 calibre. Water resistance is up to 30 metres.
Limited to just 888 pieces, this latest iteration of the Heritage BiCompax Annual, reference no. 00.10803.08.12.23, is priced at CHF 8,500. To find out more, visit the Carl F. Bucherer website.
