Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar Watch Review
The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar combines the Swiss brand’s innovative peripheral technology with Thomas Mudge’s highly desirable calendar complication of 1762. As Angus Davies explains, this brand repeatedly reimagines historical mechanisms to successfully deliver new and fresh expressions of fine watchmaking.
The origins of the Swiss lever escapement
Thomas Mudge (1717-1794), the renowned English watchmaker, invented the detached lever escapement (circa 1755), a mechanism intended to control the flow of time. With this form of escapement, the lever is positioned perpendicular to the balance. Later, the English escapement was reimagined by the Americans and the Swiss, culminating in a design where the lever is positioned in-line with the balance wheel and escape wheel. Today, the Swiss lever escapement is the go-to mechanism employed within most mechanical watches.
The evolution of the tourbillon
In 1801, Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the ‘tourbillon’. His invention countered the adverse influence of gravity acting upon the escapement and regulating organ. Over a century later, Alfred Helwig, a horologist and teacher at the watchmaking school in Glashütte, invented the ‘flying tourbillon’ (1920). Unlike Breguet’s invention, the flying tourbillon eschews the upper bridge, thereby affording superior views of the escapement, regulating organ and cage in motion.
More recently, in 2018, Carl F. Bucherer released the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral. This model features a new take on the tourbillon. Rather than have an upper and/or a lower tourbillon bridge, the CFB T3000 caliber features a cage that is supported ‘peripherally’ by three ball bearings. When the watch is viewed from the front, the escapement, regulating organ and cage appear to float mid-air.
A different take on the perpetual calendar
Returning to Thomas Mudge, his prowess for creativity was not limited to inventing the detached lever escapement, he also conceived the first pocket watch to be equipped with a perpetual calendar (1762), an example of which is housed in the British Museum.
A perpetual calendar is a complication that automatically takes into account the number of days in the month and correctly displays the prevailing date even taking into consideration leap years. If the watch is kept fully wound, the date won’t require manual correction until 2100. The Gregorian calendar omits three leap years every 400 years to remain aligned with solar time. This means that a perpetual calendar requires manual correction in 2100, 2200, 2300 but doesn’t require adjusting in 2400 (a leap year).
Carl F. Bucherer has just unveiled the new Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar and, once again, has revisited a historical mechanism and reimagined with a sizeable dose of creativity.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar – a different look
An inherent weakness with most watches equipped with a perpetual calendar is that they can appear intimidating. The plethora of indications can sometimes overwhelm the wearer with too much information. However, this is not the case with the latest Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar. This model sidesteps clutter, imparting much information in a clear, user-friendly format.
I’ve perused the dial and checked the inventory of functions. The day, date, month, leap year and moonphase are all there but somehow everything is eminently legible and nothing appears squashed. I’ve tried to fathom out how the high-end brand has achieved this seemingly impossible feat.
The dauphine-style hour and minute hands, paired with faceted indexes, say everything you need to know in a measured way, while the crisp minute track encircling the dial also aids readability. Close examination reveals that the Swiss firm has shrewdly used colour to augment intelligibility and imbue the dial with a sense of calm and tranquility. Moreover, Carl F. Bucherer has not marred the view with intrusive branding. On the contrary, the brand’s moniker and the name of the complication are arranged on a diagonal axis running from 10 o’clock to 4 o’clock.
Carl F. Bucherer offers the new Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar in a choice of four dial colours: black, green, rose and taupe. Each reference is housed in an 18-carat rose gold case, measuring just 41.6 mm in diameter. The neat, faceted lugs help mitigate the scale of the watch, hence it should suit most wrist sizes.
Carl F. Bucherer CFB A2055 Manufacture Caliber
An endearing feature of CFB’s Manufacture calibres is that they often exhibit a different character to movements made in Geneva or Neuchâtel. Made at the brand’s modern facility in Lengnau, about one hour from the company’s headquarters in Lucerne, the movements are contemporary in appearance, featuring angular bridges and barely a curve in sight. The Manufacture also creates much space between these bridges, bestowing sublime views of various movement components in motion. Personally speaking, I adore seeing parts of the gear train along with the sight of pallet lever repeatedly kissing the escape wheel. The finishing is very impressive with Côtes de Genève, gleaming bevels and polished sinks much in evidence.
In this instance, instead of the ubiquitous index-regulated balance, the CFB A2055 Manufacture Caliber is fitted with a variable-inertia balance. This delivers superior precision and should the watch be subjected to a shock it is less likely to require remedial regulation.
The oscillating mass employed in an automatic movement occupies much space and normally sits above the bridges. This increases movement thickness and partially obscures the view of a finely decorated movement. In 2008, Carl F. Bucherer unveiled its groundbreaking peripheral technology, providing an interesting alternative to the customary semicircular-shaped oscillating mass. With CFB’s system, the mass runs in a channel running around the outside of the bridges, turning on three ceramic ball bearings. The result is a movement that provides the convenience of automatic winding while remaining impressively slender. Indeed, despite the complexity of the CFB A2055 Manufacture Caliber, it measures just 5.73 mm in height.
The watch is also a COSC-certified chronometer, providing independent assurance that the CFB movement is highly precise.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar – closing thoughts
I began this article by discussing the evolution of the Swiss lever escapement, before looking at different forms of tourbillon and then the perpetual calendar. The rationale for my protracted introduction was to demonstrate how mechanisms are invented and then reimagined or refined.
For many years, Carl F. Bucherer has done things slightly differently, following its own, unique path to success. The brand unveiled its peripheral rotor in 2008, the first ‘series-produced movement ever to use this technology’. In 2018, the firm paired this know-how with its peripherally mounted tourbillon cage. In 2021, CFB released the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony, a grand complication comprising a peripheral tourbillon and a minute repeater. This model broke with horological convention by positioning the hammers, gongs and the centrifugal governor front of house. The resultant watch, a technical tour de force, wonderfully demonstrates the brand’s prowess for creativity and design.
Having set the bar very high, it was possibly an insurmountable challenge for the Swiss company to surpass all previous achievements. The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar does not outdo the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral or the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony; that would have been a tall order for any new watch to achieve. However, what the Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar does remarkably well, is it says many things clearly and concisely. The design and execution of this watch make the complex appear seemingly simple and reaffirms why Carl F. Bucherer has a remarkable talent for reimaginging historical mechanisms, successfully delivering new and fresh expressions of fine watchmaking.
Further reading
https://www.carl-f-bucherer.com/
Technical specifications
- Model: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar
- Reference: 00.10916.03.33.01 (black), 00.10916.03.93.01 (green), 00.10916.03.93.04 (taupe), 00.10916.03.93.02 (rose)
- Case: 18K rose gold, diameter 41.6 mm, height 11.73 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30m), sapphire crystal to the front, exhibition case back
- Functions: perpetual calendar (leap year, month, date and day), moon phase (hand-engraved hemispheric rose gold moons on aventurine), hour, minute
- Movement: CFB A2055 manufacture caliber, self-winding movement, 33 jewels, power reserve 55 hours
- Bracelet: gradient-coloured calfskin strap with quick release system, 18 K rose gold pin-lock folding clasp
- Price: £36,100 (RRP as of 19.12.2023)