Carl F. Bucherer’s Heritage BiCompax Annual Evokes a Sporty-Chic 1950s Chrono
Following its initial unveiling at the Baselworld Fair in Switzerland last spring, Carl F. Bucherer’s retro-styled BiCompax Annual has finally reached dealers worldwide.
Modeled after a 1950s timepiece in the brand’s museum collection, the Heritage BiCompax Annual combines popular vintage flair with contemporary sensibilities, such as an upsized 41 mm case, an on-trend stainless steel and rose gold option, and a state-of-the-art automatic movement, the CFB 1972 caliber, delivering 42 hours of power reserve.
From a technical point of view, the watch combines the stopwatch function of a chronograph with a practical annual calendar complication, which automatically adjusts for months of various lengths, so you only need to adjust the date once per year on March 1.
The linear dial layout echoes the original that inspired it with two symmetrical seconds and minute counters positioned horizontally at 3 and 9 o’clock. There’s also a big date and a tachymeter scale, which can be used to calculate speed, enhancing the watch’s sporty character.
The BiCompax Annual is available in two handsome variations: one in stainless steel ($7,200) with a silvered dial accented by panda-style black totalizers on a textile strap and another in stainless steel and rose gold ($11,000) with a rose-and-champagne colored dial complemented with 18k rose gold push buttons and crown paired with a cognac brown calfskin leather strap. Each is limited to 888 pieces in a nod to the year 1888, when Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened his first watch and jewelry shop in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Launched in New York in 2018 with the innovative Heritage Tourbillon DoublePeripheral, the Heritage collection pays tribute to the brand’s illustrious 130-year history with limited edition, complicated timepieces that embody the highest-level watchmaking the brand has to offer.
