The New Carl F. Bucherer Manero Central Counter

Carl F. Bucherer traces its history back to 1888 when the company was founded in Lucerne by Carl-Friedrich Bucherer. The brand enjoys a long history with various historical models to draw inspiration from and chooses not to copy or revive past references but rather capture the timeless spirit. CFB has been producing chronographs since the 1940s, and in the current catalogue, Manero Flyback watches are a perfect and convincing example of this approach. The brand recently announced the release of an all-new Carl. F Bucherer Manero Central Counter, this watch is all about sporty feeling and modern times. It is a “lifestyle-driven chronograph” with a solid appeal to outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate classic elegance paired with contemporary styles.

The well-thought-out design of the watch is what builds this appeal. In the new Manero Central Counter, for the first time in this collection (apart from the Chronoperpetual), we find a tachymeter scale – a nod to auto racing – on the bezel and not on the periphery of the dial. A sporty spirit is enhanced with the extra minute-track ring marked with “additional time”, “15 minutes extra time”, and “add. time” sectors that refer to football. The central minute hand is what this track is for, while there is a standard stop-second hand too in the centre. The sub-dials we usually have in a chronograph at 3 and 9 o’clock in this Carl. F Bucherer Manero Central Counter bear functions of a 24-hour day-and-night indicator at 9 o’clock, with a seconds counter at 3 o’clock. The position at 6 o’clock is occupied by a date window. The white colour chosen for most of the dial and DLC-coated bezel markings seems like an excellent match to the overall olive green and black appearance of the Manero Central Counter, complemented by a hybrid rubber black and olive-green strap with a brushed texture.

The 42,5 mm diameter 14,43 mm thick stainless steel case with brushed surfaces looks very much up to the task of adventurous timekeeping, with a few elements to reveal the elegant nature of the timepiece. The hour and minute hands are alpha-shaped, a popular 1950s style. The chronograph push buttons are inverted, a relatively rare kind, round and polished, and the crown is fluted and decorated with a CFB logo. The caseback is transparent to showcase the automatic Calibre CFB 1967, with some decent decoration. The bridges have technical angular outlines; the bridge and the winding system rotor are decorated with a striped texture, and note the blued screws. The movement uses the Sellita SW300 as a base, with a chronograph module. It is capable of 40-44 hours of power reserve, depending on how frequently you use the chrono functions. 

The Carl. F Bucherer Manero Central Counter expands the Manero collection, creating perhaps a new line. The Manero Flyback series and the Heritage Bicompax limited edition watches are very much on the classic side of the chronograph world, and for this, they are appreciated. Nevertheless, keeping up with the times means updates are necessary, and the Manero Central Counter can be a game-changer. According to FIFA, there are currently 3,903 professional football teams worldwide; each should get a special limited edition. Until then, one of these Carl. F Bucherer Manero Central Counter 188 pieces (limited edition) can be yours for EUR 7,350. For more details, please visit www.carl-f-bucherer.com.