How does a manufacture of Carl F. Bucherer’s calibre celebrate such a rich narrative? You know the answer, so without
further ado, the crucial details: the 188 Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne timepieces pay homage to the firm’s
hometown of Lucerne, a European mini-metropolis given picture-postcard-status by its abundance of medieval
architecture and its proximity to the lake of the same name.
Aesthetic nods to the car, in this vintage-looking chronograph whose beating heart is very much in the here and now,
are unobtrusive, but obvious enough to elicit appreciative nods of recognition from those who know the story of the
family’s beloved Lincoln: there are chrome elements, and the vehicle’s teal blue is referenced on the sub-dials,
running seconds and chronograph minutes, as well as the chapter ring (which has a tachymeter scale).
Elsewhere on the silver-coloured dial, viewed through a double-domed sapphire crystal, are a month aperture between
four and five o’clock and an elegantly conspicuous date window just below 12 o’clock. Completing the look are
luminous syringe hands, which echo a stylistic preference that was prevalent as Carl Eduard Bucherer watched his
beloved Lincoln roar across the finish line in the heady altitudes of post-war Lucerne.
The 41mm stainless steel case can be fixed to the wrist with two strap options: a multi-link Milanese stainless steel
bracelet and a calfskin leather strap, interchangeable thanks to both featuring a quick-release system. Inside, a
CFB Calibre 1972 automatic chronograph with a 42-hour power reserve also has an annual calendar complication, which
allows for different month lengths, and thus needs correcting only at the end of each February. Owners can behold
the calibre in question in all its glory while also taking in the peripheral rotor (an innovation Carl F. Bucherer
was first to put into series production; Carl F. Bucherer are also significant innovators when it comes to
peripherally mounted floating tourbillons and minute repeaters with peripheral regulators).
Unlike with, say, the Bugatti/Jacob & Co. Chiron Tourbillon, nobody without the surname Bucherer will ever get to
own both car and watch. But the 188 collectors who land one of these timepieces will certainly consider themselves
custodians of a rich piece of automotive history. “This is such an incredible narrative,” says Sascha Moeri, the
Chief Executive of Carl F. Bucherer. “All of us who have been privileged to work closely with Jörg G. Bucherer over
the years are excited to help bring the car back to the place where it made history and to celebrate the event with
a great new watch.”
Indeed, what better tribute — to a much loved, four-wheeled family heirloom and an equally cherished family place of
domicile — by a still-family-owned watchmaker.
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