Introducing Carl F. Bucherer’s Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne

There is a common thread that runs through both wristwatches and cars. Both are fiercely collected by incredibly passionate aficionados, with a fervour that makes even the most die-hard football fan look a little half-hearted. There is also a lot of technical know-how involved in making both cars and watches, alongside which runs the competitive drive to innovate and create the latest interpretations or improvements on each component. And one family-run Maison, Carl F. Bucherer, has a long-lived relationship with a very special car in a story that is based close to its home in Lucerne, Switzerland. In 1949, Carl Eduard Bucherer, son of founder Carl Friedrich, entered a blue Lincoln Cosmopolitan Town Car into the Concours d’Excellence International. More than a showpiece that sat in storage to be paraded at shows and rallies, the Lincoln was actually the Bucherer’s family car. That was in fact the first year of manufacture for the Lincoln Cosmopolitan, so the car would certainly have been a real head-turner for all attendees at the show. One can only imagine the excitement of Carl Eduard’s son Jörg, who at the impressionable age of 13 saw his family’s new car being shown at the prestigious car event and, in fact, claiming the Public Prize. Vintage cars, much like vintage watches, often change hands over the years, and so was the case with this Lincoln Continental. However, Jörg G. Bucherer managed to track down that original car and submitted it for full restoration to bring it back to its original glory. The body work was stripped down to bare metal and the engine painstakingly rebuilt to allow the automobile to look as good as it did on the day it was delivered to the family in Lucerne. The teal-blue paintwork, white wall tires and polished chrome work make the post-war car look new.

Jörg G. Bucherer, now the Chairman of the Bucherer Group, has a very special connection to the classic car. He says, “It was always a very special experience to sit next to my father in this magnificent car and to go on excursions.” And the lovingly restored automobile remains a meaningful part of his life: “Now the car is running smoothly again, sometimes a bit bumpy, but I always feel transported back to my youth.” Sascha Moeri, the CEO of Carl F. Bucherer, loves the story of the watch and the inspiration it took from the Bucherer family’s beloved car. He says, “This is such an incredible narrative. All of us who have been privileged to work closely with Jörg G. Bucherer over the years know how much this car means to him. Our designers and watchmakers took inspiration from the automobile and created a great timepiece that pays homage to the Chairman of the Bucherer Group, to his passion for the family car that returned to his life after so many years, and, of course, to our beloved hometown of Lucerne, the place where the car and the Bucherer family have shared such an extraordinary history.” To celebrate this amazing moment for the family and the brand, Carl F. Bucherer is releasing a limited-edition watch, the Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne, in a run of 188 pieces. The 41mm steel watch comes on a Milanese-style bracelet with a quick release system that allows for a quick change to the calfskin leather strap that also accompanies the Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne. The watch pays homage to Swiss city that is the brand’s and family’s hometown, and tips its hat to the Lincoln Continental after which it was designed.