While I personally don’t find myself a fan of chronograph, I do like the mechanical marvels that they are. And for me, if you’re going to dive into one, vintage vibes certainly don’t hurt things. The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual has all of that, plus a very modern date display.
The looks
Now, long-time readers will be aware of the fact that we’ve talked about Carl F. Bucherer before (you can see those here), with most of those hitting the vintage look we have with this Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual. You’ve got the perfectly-balance bi-compax layout (chronograph minutes and running seconds) set against the tachymeter scale that feels old school whenever it shows up. Pair in the very monochromatic look with the syringe handset, and yes, you get that vintage feel. But then there are some modern touches as well.
The “annual” in the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual
First, you could presume it to be because these limited editions are released every so often, so it’s an annual release. However, this is actually because of the Annual Calendar complication that is built into the automatic movement. This hand is tipped on the dial side note by the large date display, but by the month window.
That particular display shows up where we traditionally expect the date to show up on a watch – between 4 and 5 o’clock. With this particular system, you will only need to adjust the date once per year. Presuming you keep the watch wound and running, that is. Complications of this sort may be one of the only arguments for keeping a watch on a winder.
Wrapping things up
While I’m not a chrono guy, something like the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual is what I’d go for (aside from a fully modern one, like this). And in this iteration, I think all of the silvers and greys work together quite nicely. If you want something with a bit more color, they do have other options, so you could find something that works for you. For this version, though, you can get it for $9,500. For more details, head on over to carl-f-bucherer.com
Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Tech Specs
- Reference: 00.10803.08.12.23
- Movement: Automatic, CFB 1972 caliber, diameter 30 mm, height 7.3 mm, 47 jewels, power reserve 42 hours
- Functions: Chronograph with minutes and seconds counter, tachymeter scale, annual calendar, big date, hour, minute, small seconds
- Case: Stainless steel, double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, case back with sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 3 bar (30 m), diameter 41.00 mm, height 14.15 mm
- Dial: Silver opalin with rhodanized counters, printed Arabic numerals in black
- Hands: Black hands with Super-LumiNova®
- Bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet with quick release system and stainless-steel folding clasp
- Additional strap: Textile strap (nubuck look) in light grey with quick release system, stainless steel pin-lock folding clasp
