Women’s Watch Wednesday – Hands-On with the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Ladies

Carl F. Bucherer realizes that today’s discerning woman wants a timepiece that has true brains under the hood, as well as beauty. At first glance, the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral watch seems like an ordinary, albeit classically elegant, timepiece. However, further inspection demonstrates that this watch has a highly technical secret. These timepieces boast a peripheral rotor – something very few brands have accomplished. This is why we wanted to bring this both elegant and mechanically-superb watch on the table.

Carl F. Bucherer is no ordinary brand, however. Some might call this family owned company a sleeping giant – as its far reaching scope in technical and aesthetics shines through in every collection it creates. Proud of its Swiss roots, the brand tags itself as “Made of Lucerne” – not made in Lucerne. Why, you may ask? Since 1888 when it was founded in Lucerne, the company seems to regularly thrive on and take inspiration from the cosmopolitan spirit of its hometown. One of the most popular towns in central Switzerland nicely located on the shores of Lake Lucerne, Lucerne is a main tourist stop and is renowned for its cultural and architectural beauty.

From this heady location, Carl F. Bucherer, now headed by third generation Jorg G. Bucherer, forges ahead with a pioneering spirit, developing and producing movements and finished watches that have a very particular style and panache. Such is the case with the peripheral rotor caliber found in this Manero Peripheral watch – which we reviewed in a men’s version too.

It was back in 2008 that Carl F. Bucherer became the first manufacturer to put the concept of an external rotor into series production. That movement was the CFB A1000 caliber with peripherally mounted rotor that revolves around the movement instead of being incorporated into the movement.  This caliber armed a few different timepieces in the Carl F. Bucherer lineup since then. In 2016, though the brand launched the new CFB A2000 caliber with a new design but still housing a peripheral rotor. The modern automatic caliber receives its energy from a double-sided self-winding mechanism and is able to achieve a thinner case thickness – making it possible to offer peripheral rotor watches for women.

This year, Carl F. Bucherer unveiled the Manero Peripheral watch for women, with central hour and minute display and a small seconds sub-dial at 6. It also features a highly readable date via an aperture at 3. Powered by the Caliber CFB A2050 movement, the newest pieces are offered in what the brand calls velvet brown or snow-white color schemes, with color-coordinated mother-of-pearl dials and Louisiana alligator straps. The stainless steel bezel of the 40mm watch is set with 60 diamonds.

For several weeks, I wore the velvet brown watch. I hate brown. Let’s get that out of the way right up front. The white version wasn’t available, though, so I received the brown one. I was prepared to hate wearing the watch. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This dial is superb. The brown mother of pearl has a mottled incandescence that offers grand variation of color and shimmer with every flick of the wrist. I have to say that on multiple occasions, I was asked what the dial was made of because of its unending variable sheen. The high-quality mother of pearl in this chocolate hue is truly rich and inviting.

The raised and applied faceted hour indices give a nice dimension to the dial and the long thin lance hands make time telling easy. Of course, it doesn’t hurt the overall look that the dial is enhanced by the high-polished steel case, and the diamond bezel adds luxurious luster to the entire package.

Best of all – me being a mechanical watch lover – is the caliber. Generally, I love to see the rotor on a watch; I find it mesmerizing. However, it was pretty cool to turn this watch over and see the peripheral rotor along the outer edge of the movement. I also loved knowing I have a COSC-certified chronometer on my wrist. It tells me the brand went that extra step to make this a highly reliable watch without wondering if women care about durability. Of course we do.

To be honest, I looked for something negative to say about this timepiece. But it kept time impeccably and its classic elegance yet generously sized 40mm case enabled me to easily go from business to evening and weekend with it on my wrist. Did Carl F. Bucherer help me get over my distaste for brown? No; I still don’t care for the color. However, when it came time to take this watch off my wrist and return it, I was smitten. Ah, if only I could run away with it. Well, I guess I could if I had the $9,800 USD for it… More details on www.carl-f-bucherer.com.

Technical Specifications – Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Ladies

• Movement: automatic, CFB A2050 manufacture caliber, diameter 30.6 mm, height 5.28 mm, 33 jewels
• Power reserve: 55 hours
• Functions: date, hour, minute, small seconds
• Case: stainless steel
• Bezel: 60 FC Top Wesselton VVS 0.6 ct. diamonds
• Crystal: domed sapphire crystal with antireflective coating on both sides, sapphire crystal case back
• Water Resistant: to 30 m (3 ATM), diameter 40.6 mm, thickness 11.2 mm
• Strap: Louisiana alligator leather, stainless steel pin buckle
• Dial: mother-of-pearl
• Price: US$ 9,800

This article has been written by Roberta Naas, founder of A Timely Perspective; and author of six books on watches.