Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban Watch Review
The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban is housed in a 38 mm steel case and is ideally suited to both male and female wrists. Contemporary in style and said to be inspired by the ‘world’s most dynamic cities’, the Manero Urban still possesses the company’s distinctive Lucerne flavour.
Carl F. Bucherer watch
According to figures produced by the Swiss government in July 2023, the country’s citizens speak one of four languages: German (62.3% of the population), French (22.8%), Italian (8%) and Romanish (0.5%). These numbers relate to the first language spoken and, generally, are specific to different geographic areas of the country. However, as anyone who has spent time in Switzerland will attest, the country’s citizens are often multilingual.
In the western part of the country, French is widely spoken, particularly in the four cantons of Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud, while the remaining citizens tend to speak German.
The birth of Swiss watchmaking
The origins of Swiss watchmaking can be traced to Geneva and the influx of Huguenots in the 16th century, fleeing persecution in Catholic France. Often highly educated and skilled, these refugees employed their talents to making clocks and watches and, as the saying goes, ‘the rest is history’.
Swiss French watch brands
Watchmaking and associated trades emanated from Geneva, spreading to other parts of Switzerland, predominantly the French speaking regions. Specialisation saw the Vallée de Joux become known for movement making, especially high complications such as minute repeaters and calendar watches. Likewise, experts in artisanal crafts emerged, often undertaking work for several watch brands at the same time.
Industrialisation led to the division of labour, with the production of watches spread across a group of individuals, each performing particular tasks. Indeed, La Chaux-de-Fonds was famously described by Karl Marx as a ‘huge factory town’ in his legendary book, Das Kapital.
Swiss German watch brands
However, not all watches are made in the French-speaking parts of Switzerland. The bilingual town of Biel/Bienne is home to several watch brands, including some that identify as Swiss-German. In Swiss-German Lengnau, you will find the likes of Delma and Rado.
Likewise, Schaffhausen, a town close to the German border where Swiss-German is spoken, is home to IWC. This company has a rich history of making pilots’ watches for military use. In this instance, the emphasis has historically been on robustness, precision and legibility rather than métiers d’art or mirror polishing.
Carl F. Bucherer – founded in 1888
As for Carl F. Bucherer, it has always been headquartered in the city of Lucerne, a place where German is the official language. Sometimes termed the ‘heart of Switzerland’, Lucerne is surrounded by natural beauty. The picturesque lake and snow-clad peaks provide a distinct character that flavours the watch brand’s products. Indeed, similar to the influence of ‘terroir’ with the making of wine, Lucerne has always influenced the design and execution of the company’s products.
Carl Friedrich Bucherer established his eponymous company in 1888. Early timepieces united his knowledge of jewellery and watchmaking. The firm’s back catalogue chronicles the history of design from Art Nouveau, Belle Époque, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Retro…Carl F. Bucherer has embraced them all.
The luxury marque has also gained a reputation for being innovative, creating watches equipped with different examples of its ‘peripheral technology’, including the Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar, the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise and the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony. Since 2016, the brand’s watches have been made in a modern Manufacture located in Lengnau, but the influence of Lucerne continues.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban – design and execution
Recently, Carl F. Bucherer unveiled the Manero Urban, a watch inspired by ‘the style and energy of the world’s most dynamic cities’. Contemporary and streamlined, it knows that its job is to communicate the time and date unequivocally, and it does so brilliantly. The interplay of colour, shape and textures combine in a harmonious composition, highlighting the date, time and tick of the sweep-seconds. Bold, squared-off hands that are rhodium-plated and filled with Super-LumiNova® circle the dial marked with angled indices, while the date announces itself at 3 o’clock.
The sunray brushed dial has a striped opaline finish, granting a three-dimensional texture that provides both depth and contrast. The Manero Urban comes in four colourways: black, blue, sand and mocha. Carl F. Bucherer chose these muted hues so they would complement any outfit and be appropriate for any occasion. That’s practical Swiss German philosophy in action. Meanwhile, the contrasting texture of the reflective outer part of the dial with the opaline lines at its centre not only provides the eye with an aesthetic delight, it also serves the purpose of keeping the time and date front and centre. Rather than blend in with the dial colour, the black date numerals rest on a contrasting white background in a silver frame to punctuate its importance. The full look is confident, cool and collected. No nonsense, yet highly artistic in its clarity.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban – unisex appeal
Set in a 38 mm stainless steel case with a height of 11.2 mm, the Manero Urban hits the sweet spot in terms of diameter. Its size makes it a truly unisex piece that will appeal to both men and women. In Swiss German fashion, the case is also engineered to ergonomically contour the wrist. Securing the watch are several straps to choose from, including a textile tide ocean material® offered in black and blue or a vegan leather in brown and sand, all of which match the dial colours. In addition, there’s the option of a stainless steel bracelet which gives the Manero Urban a sleek, luxury sports watch look.
With its screw-down crown and 5 bar water resistance, the Urban Manero is up to weathering the elements in all environments, be it for work or pleasure. Located behind the solid case back, stamped with the Carl F. Bucherer logo, sits the automatic CFB 1950 caliber.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban – closing remarks
The new Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban is a smart piece of Swiss German engineering. It offers functionality and precision in a handsome and contemporary package. The updates to the collection highlight Swiss German watchmaking at its best, with attention to detail that aligns performance in a watch that is loaded with elegance and Teutonic style. Despite Carl F. Bucherer seeking to embrace a stated global theme with the release of the Manero Urban, the watch is still very much a product of Lucerne. And, in my opinion, that’s a good thing.
Further reading
https://www.carl-f-bucherer.com/
Technical specifications
- Model: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Urban
- References: 00.10929.08.33.21 (black dial with bracelet), 00.10929.08.53.21 (blue dial with bracelet), 00.10929.08.93.21 (mocca dial with bracelet), 00.10929.08.93.22 (sand dial with bracelet)
- References: 00.10929.08.33.01 (black dial with textile #tide ocean material® strap), 00.10929.08.53.01 (blue dial with textile #tide ocean material® strap), 00.10929.08.93.01 (mocca dial with vegan leather strap), 00.10929.08.93.02 (sand dial with vegan leather strap)
- Case: steel, diameter 38.0 mm, height 11.2 mm, water resistance 5 ATM (50 m), sapphire crystal to the front, solid case back
- Functions: hour, minute, centre seconds, date
- Movement: CFB 1950 caliber, self-winding movement, 26 jewels, power reserve 38 hours
- Price – Bracelet versions: £4,200 (RRP as of 21.6.2024)
- Price – Strap versions: £3,800 (RRP as of 21.6.2024)