Bucherer Patravi EvoTec DayDate Watch
Open-case backs on watches are evocative as their glass windows give a view of the intricate mechanism within. On automatic watches, however, they can be just plain frustrating because the rotors that power the movements cover half of the view as they pivot back and forth. In other words, the rotors defeat the purpose of the glass back by blocking your vantage of the internal workings of the timepieces.
But jeweler-cum-watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer's introduction of the CFB A1000 movement has changed all that. The new caliber winds itself with a peripheral rotor that spins around its outside edge instead of with the traditional triangular weight located on top. But it is as impressively innovative as it is aesthetic. While the caliber doesn't unduly cover the movement through the glassed back of the case (letting you see all the glory of the mechanism of the watch at long last), it also increases the efficiency of the self-winding movement and makes it more shockproof.
Bucherer's first watch to use the new movement is the large 44 mm x 44.5 mm Patravi EvoTech DayDate, a bold yet elegant dress watch that includes a separate small second hand, big date and day of the week, as well as a 55-hour power reserve. The large displays make it very readable. The model is available in both stainless steel and rose gold. The dark rubber bezel gives the watch a sporty look, despite its elegance. The retail prices are suggested at $15,500 and $37,500, respectively.
Carl F. Bucherer began in Lucerne, Switzerland, more than a century ago as a jeweler and the Bucherer family still owns the company. Until recently, it has been very traditional, even stodgy. That all changed with the EvoTech DayDate. During the Baselworld watch fair one Bucherer representative described it as "technology that doesn't exist" and "a completely different engine." Hardly dull and boring now.
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