Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Three New Versions on Steel Bracelet for The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback
Expanding the design versatility of the brand's cool, vintage-inspired chronograph watch.
The Manero Flyback is a watch that should be no stranger to you, as we’ve covered it on multiple occasions. It’s a watch we clearly love here, at MONOCHROME, for many reasons: it looks good, the movement is great, and it has a lot of vintage charm. Almost a collection within the Carl F. Bucherer collection, multiple variants have been launched since its introduction in 2016, whether in elegant gold or racing-oriented steel. Yet, until recently, it was only available on leather straps. Earlier this year, the brand announced a new, sportier and more casual edition with blue dial and steel bracelet. Today, the brand adds three new references, with classic dial colours and that cosmopolitan attitude of the steel-on-steel combination.
Even though it’s been in business since 1888, and among the oldest watch brands with continuous ownership by the founding family with the third generation currently in charge, Carl F. Bucherer really took off and made a proper name for itself recently thanks to impressive mechanical innovation, among which is the brand’s peripheral technology. This, coupled with the fact that the brand can now manufacture its own movements, has given the brand a totally different aura and allows it to enter the small circle of highly respectable watchmakers – something that was recognized by the FHH recently. There’s more to the brand though, which also crafts great classic models, including the cool Manero Flyback. And here again, we’re talking about a mechanically advanced watch.
As mentioned in the introduction, the Manero flyback is a complete range of watches ranging from discreet stainless steel models to luxurious and bolder editions in gold. While the dimensions and finishings are clearly contemporary, the watch has a classic appeal with retro touches all around. And until now, the Manero Flyback veered more on the elegant side of things and was only available on leather straps – somehow complementing the vintage two-tone look of the dial. Yet, CFB wanted to add a cosmopolitan and urban style to this watch, which has been done by offering the option of a stainless steel bracelet; not the super sports kind of bracelet you’d find on a diver’s watch, but something more casual. In July, the Manero Flyback was introduced with a new blue dial and this bracelet. Today, the brand expands its collection by offering this metallic option on all stainless steel models.
The case of the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback remains unchanged and retains its original proportions and shapes. The 43mm case is on the large side for a vintage-inspired watch, but the design is very pleasant. The thin bezel frames a highly domed sapphire crystal, the lugs come with a nice and elegant polished bevel, and the oversized pushers have a typical “mushroom” look that, once again, adds an old-school charm to the watch. The case is mostly satin-brushed, with polished accents positioned to dynamize the design. The overall execution is refined and oozes robustness.
While the blue dial launched in July 2020 was new, the three new references we have here rely on dial colours that were used in previous models on leather straps. The two-tone dial has a charming 1940s-inspired layout with an opaline-finished central part and tachymeter scale, and a radially brushed hour chapter ring. The bi-compax architecture is also an ode to old watches with recessed sub-counters that animate the dial and bring depth, just like the dynamic openworked hands and faceted applied indexes. A date is positioned at 6 o’clock. Three colours will be available: silver for a discreet tone-on-tone look, classic black and an elegant, restrained grey-blue option.
The main update here concerns the addition of a stainless steel bracelet. As mentioned, the idea was to provide something more casual. As such, the bracelet is built around a 9-link architecture with thin satin-brushed central links and polished external links. The bracelet is very comfortable and flexible and complements the case really well. It is closed by a concealed triple-folding clasp with safety pushers.
Inside the case of the Manero Flyback is the calibre CFB 1970 produced with La Joux-Perret. It is an extensively modified Valjoux base, which now incorporates a flyback function – a complex mechanism that allows resetting a timing session by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock, without the usual stop-reset-start sequence. It also replaces the cam-lever architecture with a more desirable column wheel, which is visible through the caseback. This automatic movement is pleasantly decorated, runs at 4Hz and provides 42 hours of power reserve.
Price
The new Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback Steel bracelet collection will soon be available from boutiques and retailers in non-limited editions. All models are priced at EUR 5,900. For more details, please visit www.carl-f-bucherer.com.
