The high-tech Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Four X (Ref. 00.10620.22.93.01) chronometer was officially introduced at the Baselworld 2012 trade show in March 2012.
Designed with frequent travelers and businessmen in mind, the new watch is equipped with their new CFB 1901.1 self-winding caliber: probably, just a skeletonized version of the original CFB 1901 movement that was first presented back in 2009 when the Swiss brand presented the original Patravi TravelTec model.
Featuring 39 jewels and being only 7.3 millimeters thick, the movement makes the watch capable of showing whole three time zones: a local time zone, which is indicated with the usual hours and minutes hands, as well as a couple of secondary time zones that are indicated with thinner hands.
One of them is in gold and the other simply painted red. Each has its own scale in the military-style 24-hour format on the bezel flange.
The wheel of the simple calendar is clearly visible through the tinted sapphire crystal that replaces the solid dial of the original watch. To make the date wheel even more readable, the top crystal (which is, by the way, treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides) is equipped with a rather large fish-eye magnifying lens.
In their press release, Carl F. Bucherer especially stresses that the watch was built using whole four materials: 18-Karat rose gold for the case, as well as black ceramic for the bezel, rubber for the chronograph pushers, crown, and the black rubber strap, and titanium for the GMT monopusher.
Frankly, I can’t say that I like this watch: there are just too many details, too many colors, too many functions that have little practical use now when everyone has a smartphone in their pockets. Its case, which is almost 47 millimeters in size, is too huge, defying the emerging trend of making smaller, more elegant timekeepers.
However, I must admit that from the point of view of pure mechanics, this is indeed a work of art, a micromechanical tour de force that only a few Manufactures can replicate without turning to third-party contractors. It would be nice to have one in one’s private collection of contemporary industrial design.
See also: Fortis F-43 Flieger Chronograph Alarm GMT Limited Edition (Ref. 703.20.92 LC05)
Photos: Carl F. Bucherer
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Four X (Ref. 00.10620.22.93.01) specification
Price: €38,600 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber CFB 1901.1, in-house, chronometer, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 39
Movement decoration: Skeletonized, decorated by hand
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronometer, date, two secondary time zones (GMT)
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: 18-karat rose gold
Bezel: Black scratch-resistant ceramic
Crown: Black rubber and rose gold
Shape: Round
Size: 46.60 mm
Case height: 15.50 mm
Dial: Skeletonized
Numerals: Arabic
Hour markers: Applied, luminous
Hands: Rose gold, open-worked, luminous
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Black rubber strap with 18-carat rose gold folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective on both sides
Back: Sapphire
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Bought my first mechanical watch in 1986 and it took me ten more years to realize that I have a problem: at some point in time watches became my passion. Well, it could be worse.