Swiss Watches
The Swiss watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer will use the upcoming Baselworld 2012 trade show, which is going to be held in March, 2012 in Geneve, Switzerland, to introduce its new, high-tech and massive Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Four X (Ref. 00.10620.22.93.01) automatic wrist watch.
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 more readable, the top crystal (which is, by the way, treated with antireflective 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 carat 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 really 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 seems to have 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 really nice to have one in one’s private collection of contemporary industrial design.
See also: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Big Date Power in Rose Gold (Ref. 00.10905.03.13.01)
Photos: Carl F. Bucherer
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Four X (Ref. 00.10620.22.93.01) automatic watch specification
Price: €38,600 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber CFB 1901.1, in-house, chronometer, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 39
Movement frequency: No data
Movement decoration: Skeletonized, decorated by hand
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronometer, date, two second time zones (GMT)
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case material: 18-carat rose gold
Bezel material: Black scratch-resistant ceramic
Crown material: Black rubber and rose gold
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 46.60 mm
Case height: 15.50 mm
Lug width: No data
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
Case back: Sapphire