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MANERO Tourbillon<br />
N o 8<br />
BY CARL F. BUCHERER
The year 1888 is an extraordinary one. It is a year of change, upheaval<br />
and transformation. It is also the beginning of a new era in Swiss<br />
watch history: in Lucerne’s Falkenplatz, <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
and his wife, Luise, open the first store under the name <strong>Bucherer</strong>.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> gets his financial stability and unique sense of aesthetics<br />
from his father, who had already opened his own toy store in Basel.<br />
It is not yet clear where the new enterprise will lead, what story it<br />
will tell and what milestones will be achieved, but the artistic talents<br />
of <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> and the bold entrepreneurial spirit of his<br />
wife, Luise, give them reason to look optimistically into the future.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> <strong>Bucherer</strong> announces<br />
the opening of his son’s business<br />
in the Lucerne daily newspaper.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
opens the first <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
shop on Falkenplatz.<br />
Richard Wagner Weg is a<br />
street named after the German<br />
composer who lived for six years<br />
in the Tribschener Landhaus<br />
(right) on the lake of Lucerne.<br />
A look at the <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
cash ledger from the first<br />
few months after its opening.<br />
A view of the lake of Lucerne<br />
from the train station.<br />
The Chapel Bridge is the city’s most<br />
recognizable icon. Over 200 meters<br />
in length, it is the oldest and longest<br />
covered wooden bridge in Europe.<br />
The year 1888 is part of a decade that<br />
promises upheaval and paves the way<br />
for the “fin de siècle”. The period between<br />
1885 and 1914 is considered<br />
by many to be the end of the “world<br />
of yesterday” and the beginning of the<br />
modern era. Grandiose ambitions and<br />
gilded decadence define the mindset of<br />
the times while technical accomplishments,<br />
designs and inventions are the<br />
driving forces of a dynamic epoch. Examples<br />
of this spirit include the Eiffel<br />
Tower (1887-1889), a structure that<br />
was meant to be torn down 20 years<br />
after its completion but which established<br />
itself in 1900 at the World’s<br />
Fair as a permanent icon of the French<br />
capital. Automobile history is written<br />
by Bertha Benz as she takes the first<br />
overland journey in a car with her two<br />
children. On August 5, 1888, she drives<br />
with her husband <strong>Carl</strong>’s motorcar from<br />
Mannheim to Pforzheim - without him<br />
knowing. One other journey is etched<br />
into the collective memory as well:<br />
On August 17, 1888, the<br />
Pilatus railway successfully<br />
makes its first run<br />
up to Lucerne’s Mount<br />
Pilatus - the incline is<br />
48 per cent, making it the<br />
steepest cog railway in the<br />
world. In the political arena,<br />
1888 goes down in German<br />
history as the “Year of the<br />
Three Emperors”. Within just<br />
three months, three generations<br />
of monarchs reign over<br />
the German Empire.<br />
The political landscape in Switzerland<br />
is also in a state of flux. On October<br />
21, 1888, the Swiss Labor Convention<br />
founds the Social Democratic Party of<br />
Switzerland. On the other side of the<br />
Atlantic, Benjamin Harrison becomes<br />
the 23rd president of the United States.<br />
Sporting history is written by Scotsman<br />
William McGregor in England when he<br />
founds the world’s first professional<br />
soccer league: “The Football League”.<br />
Literature and art flourish in the 1880s<br />
like never before. Vincent van Gogh’s<br />
famous Sunflowers first grace the canvas<br />
in August of 1888. After opening its<br />
doors in 1881, the Moulin Rouge intoxicates<br />
Paris with its opulent decadence.<br />
Extravagance has also returned to the<br />
world of fashion. The Polonaise style is<br />
rediscovered, this time featuring a wavy<br />
folded overskirt and playful details such<br />
as ribbons, bows and ruffles.<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
INSIGHT Nº8<br />
1888<br />
1888<br />
A vision becomes reality<br />
Impressions<br />
of Lucerne<br />
12 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
8. 13<br />
4<br />
28<br />
14<br />
18<br />
26<br />
3 EDITORIAL:<br />
Sascha Moeri, CEO<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
18 PREVIEW:<br />
Q&A with<br />
Arnold Schwarzenegger<br />
Impressum<br />
INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
Issue 8 | November 2013<br />
2 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8<br />
4 FEATURE STORY:<br />
Manero Tourbillon<br />
8 125 YEARS<br />
SWISS HISTORY OF TIME:<br />
Book around the World<br />
14 A VISIT TO:<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Paris<br />
22 CATCHING UP WITH:<br />
Pirmin Schwegler<br />
and Murat Yakin<br />
26 SPONSORSHIP:<br />
The pace of things in<br />
Sainte-Croix<br />
28 COLLECTION:<br />
Alacria collection<br />
31 VIEWPOINT:<br />
Sustainable luxury for<br />
tomorrow’s world<br />
Published by<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
a brand of <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
Langensandstrasse 27<br />
CH-6002 Luzern<br />
Tel. +41 41 369 70 70<br />
Fax +41 41 369 70 72<br />
insight@carl-f-bucherer.com<br />
www.carl-f-bucherer.com<br />
Project management and<br />
Editorial Team<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A., Luzern<br />
Convensis Group, Stuttgart<br />
Art Direction<br />
Kerstin Vorwalter, Ulm
EDITORIAL<br />
Dear Reader,<br />
It was Democritus who wrote that a life without festivity was like<br />
a long journey without an inn. Our jubilee book “125 Years – Swiss<br />
History of Time” certainly has a long journey behind it. We sent<br />
this historic volume out to destinations all over the world and,<br />
exactly 125 years to the day after <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> opened his<br />
first store in Lucerne, presented it to friends, colleagues and longstanding<br />
supporters of the brand. One of the best ways to mark the<br />
jubilee was probably the opening of the new branch of <strong>Bucherer</strong> in<br />
Paris. As the biggest watch and jewelry store in the world, it presents<br />
a choice selection of diamonds, gemstones and outstanding examples<br />
of watchmaking on over 2000 sq.m of floor space at the Boulevard<br />
des Capucines. We visited Nathalie Celia, General Manager of<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong>’s new branch, in Paris and talked with her about the store<br />
concept, about time in general and about her passion for arts and<br />
crafts.<br />
A passion for craft and the art of watchmaking is reflected in the<br />
timepieces in the Alacria line. These exclusive models combine extraordinary<br />
jewelry-making skills with distinctly feminine elegance to<br />
create genuine masterpieces. In this issue, we present these fabulous<br />
wristwatches in all their dazzling variety. One of the greatest<br />
achievements in the art of watchmaking is the complication known<br />
as the tourbillon. Making this complex mechanism calls for infinite<br />
expertise, and only a few watchmakers worldwide possess the skill<br />
required to create the ‘whirlwind’ at the highest possible level. For<br />
the first time ever in the history of the company, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
presents a timepiece with an integrated tourbillon. It gives me<br />
enormous pleasure that we have been able to launch this extraordinary<br />
model in <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s jubilee year. It is another gift to a House<br />
steeped in tradition.<br />
An institution with a tradition almost exactly as long as <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s<br />
is FC Basel. Murat Yakin, the football team’s manager, has done<br />
much to make it so popular and successful. We met up to talk to him<br />
and Pirmin Schwegler, Swiss national team player and captain of<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt, where we discovered that the two “Friends of<br />
the Brand” are moved by concerns other than football.<br />
I wish you inspired and exciting reading.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Sascha Moeri,<br />
CEO <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 3
FEATURE STORY<br />
Manero Tourbillon Limited Edition<br />
The craft of<br />
watchmaking<br />
at its most consummate<br />
It is like climbing Mount Everest: an impressive<br />
achievement that calls for courage,<br />
stamina and unwavering self-belief. A strong<br />
will and no fear of setbacks help us to overcome<br />
all the hindrances and obstacles on the<br />
way to the goal. In view of its complexity<br />
and mechanical sophistication, the tourbillon<br />
is considered to be one of the most daunting<br />
challenges and the supreme discipline in the<br />
art of watchmaking: a little like conquering<br />
the world’s highest mountain. For the first<br />
time ever, Swiss watch manufacturer <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> presents this complication in a<br />
model from the Manero line. And, with it,<br />
underscores its expertise and craftsmanship<br />
at the very highest level.<br />
The history of the tourbillon stretches back<br />
all the way to the 18th century, when the<br />
mechanism was first invented. Its manufacture<br />
poses enormous technical challenges.<br />
For this reason, only very few watchmakers<br />
worldwide are able to produce the complication<br />
to the highest possible quality standards.<br />
For all devotees of this tour de force of<br />
traditional watchmaking, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
presents the new Manero Tourbillon<br />
Limited Edition. The tourbillon’s job is to<br />
compensate for the errors in the rate of a<br />
mechanical watch caused by gravity. Because<br />
as a result of the watch’s different positions,<br />
gravity acts upon the balance and influences<br />
the speed at which it moves. In order to<br />
minimize these errors, a rotating cage was<br />
invented to contain the balance. The arrangement<br />
allowed the balance and the escapement<br />
to rotate around themselves. This way,<br />
they are independent of the position of the<br />
watch.<br />
INTEGRATING THE<br />
SUPREME DISCIPLINE<br />
For the first time ever, the Manero Tourbillon<br />
Limited Edition brings together the classic<br />
elegance of the Manero line with a tour de<br />
force in the shape of the tourbillon. The<br />
perforations in the dial at 6 o’clock provide<br />
4 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 5
FEATURE STORY<br />
a view of the fascinating mechanism within.<br />
Delicate, and beautifully constructed, the<br />
impressive complication is a construction<br />
of the very finest quality. The Manero<br />
Tourbillon also comes with a host of other<br />
special features. The date, for instance, is<br />
shown by a central hand. In order to ensure<br />
that the figures are readily legible when<br />
glancing quickly at the watch, the numerals<br />
on the date scale change direction at 3 and 9.<br />
Another unusual feature of the Manero<br />
Tourbillon Limited Edition is the aboveaverage<br />
power reserve of 70 hours. The energy<br />
remaining can be read off on the power<br />
reserve display at 9 o’clock. The magnificent<br />
dial is completed by a 24-hour display at 12<br />
o’clock.<br />
NEATLY ORGANIZED<br />
AND ELEGANT<br />
Despite the numerous functions and displays,<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> spared no effort to<br />
ensure that the Manero Tourbillon Limited<br />
Edition offers maximum legibility. It was a<br />
challenge the designers overcame by making<br />
the dial as spacious as possible and integrating<br />
several different levels. The eye-catchingly<br />
positioned, wedge-shaped hour indices and<br />
typically bold <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> script and<br />
numerals, combined with hour and minute<br />
hands that taper to a point, give the traditional<br />
tourbillon a contemporary touch. The<br />
luxuriously elegant styling is taken up in the<br />
case, which is made of precious rose gold.<br />
THE VERDICT:<br />
EXTRAORDINARILY VALUABLE<br />
The exclusiveness of the Manero Tourbillon<br />
Limited Edition is underscored not least by<br />
the fact, as its name suggests, that it is strictly<br />
limited: a mere 188 examples of this prestigious<br />
timepiece will be available worldwide.<br />
In this new model from the Manero collection,<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has produced a watch<br />
destined to send connoisseurs into raptures,<br />
especially those who attach value to traditional<br />
watchmaking expertise and maximum<br />
functionality in a classic and yet impressive<br />
case. A watch whose design, both inside and<br />
out, integrates a great deal of strength,<br />
stamina and attention to detail. As a result,<br />
the Manero Tourbillon Limited Edition is<br />
a model that is more than worthy of being<br />
called an extraordinarily valuable timepiece.<br />
It is an achievement of the highest order. In<br />
every sense.<br />
6 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 7
12 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
Richard Wagner Weg is a<br />
street named after the German<br />
composer who lived for six years<br />
in the Tribschener Landhaus<br />
(right) on the lake of Lucerne.<br />
the opening of his son’s business<br />
in the Lucerne daily newspaper.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
opens the first <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
shop on Falkenplatz.<br />
A view of the lake of Lucerne<br />
from the train station.<br />
The Chapel Bridge is the city’s most<br />
recognizable icon. Over 200 meters<br />
in length, it is the oldest and longest<br />
covered wooden bridge in Europe.<br />
A look a the <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
cash ledger from the first<br />
few months after its opening.<br />
The year 1888 is part of a decade that<br />
21, 1888, the Swiss Labor Convention<br />
founds the Social Democratic Party of<br />
by many to be the end of the “world Switzerland. On the other side of the<br />
of yesterday” and the beginning of the Atlantic, Benjamin Harrison becomes<br />
modern era. Grandiose ambitions and the 23rd president of the United States.<br />
gilded decadence define the mindset of Sporting history is wri ten by Scotsman<br />
the times while technical accomplishments,<br />
designs and inventions are the founds the world’s first professional<br />
Wi liam McGregor in England when he<br />
driving forces of a dynamic epoch. Examples<br />
of this spirit include the Ei fel Literature and art flourish in the 1880s<br />
soccer league: “The Footba l League”.<br />
Tower (1887-1889), a structure that like never before. Vincent van Gogh’s<br />
was meant to be torn down 20 years famous Sunflowers first grace the canvas<br />
in August of 1888. After opening its<br />
after its completion but which established<br />
itself in 1900 at the World’s doors in 1881, the Moulin Rouge intoxicates<br />
Paris with its opulent decadence.<br />
Fair as a permanent icon of the French<br />
capital. Automobile history is wri ten Extravagance has also returned to the<br />
by Bertha Benz as she takes the first world o fashion. The Polonaise style is<br />
overland journey in a car wit her two rediscovered, this time featuring a wavy<br />
children. On August 5, 1888, she drives folded overskirt and playful details such<br />
wit her husband <strong>Carl</strong>’s motorcar from as ribbons, bows and ruffles.<br />
Mannheim to Pforzheim - without him<br />
knowing. One other journey is etched<br />
into the collective memory as well:<br />
On August 17, 1888, the<br />
Pilatus railway successfu<br />
ly makes its first run<br />
up to Lucerne’s Mount<br />
Pilatus - the incline is<br />
48 per cent, making it the<br />
steepest cog railway in the<br />
world. In the political arena,<br />
1888 goes down in German<br />
history as the “Year of the<br />
Three Emperors”. Within just<br />
three months, three generations<br />
of monarchs reign over<br />
the German Empire.<br />
125 YEARS SWISS HISTORY OF TIME<br />
Book around<br />
the World<br />
When <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> opened his<br />
first watch and jewelry store in Lucerne on<br />
July 17, 1888, he laid the cornerstone of an<br />
unusual Swiss history of time. Precisely 125<br />
years later, on July 17, 2013, this impressive<br />
history embarked on a journey around the<br />
world. In countries in every corner of the<br />
globe, we took great pleasure in presenting<br />
our jubilee volume, “125 Years – Swiss<br />
History of Time” to special friends and<br />
supporters of the brand. The book juxtaposes<br />
the story of the House of <strong>Bucherer</strong> with the<br />
history of watch and jewelry making during<br />
that period to create a proud legacy that is<br />
also an incentive: it is a success story that<br />
yearns to go on being told.<br />
THE JUBILEE<br />
It is now 125 years since <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> opened his first watch and jewelry<br />
store under the <strong>Bucherer</strong> name at Falkenplatz<br />
in Lucerne. His two sons, Ernst and<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong>, likewise pursued their<br />
father’s vision. In Berlin, they founded a<br />
jewelry making workshop whose clientele<br />
included the Kaiser himself. With the launch<br />
of the first ladies’ watch collection in 1919,<br />
the two brothers erected yet another milestone<br />
in the history of the House. From then<br />
on, the company created timepieces that, in<br />
their own unique way, have fused jewelry<br />
making with the watchmaker’s craft to this<br />
day. This has remained <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s recipe for<br />
success down to the present. In the 1970s,<br />
Jörg G. <strong>Bucherer</strong> took over at the helm and<br />
became the third generation of the family to<br />
oversee the company’s fortunes.<br />
8 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
125 Years‘ Swiss History of Time<br />
1888<br />
A vision becomes reality<br />
1888<br />
. 9<br />
125 Years‘ Years’ Swiss History of Time . 9<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> <strong>Bucherer</strong> announces<br />
The year 1888 is an extraordinary one. It is a year of change, upheav-<br />
al and transformation. It is also the beginning of a new era in Swiss<br />
watch history: in Lucerne’s Falkenplatz, <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
and his wife, Luise, open the first store under the name <strong>Bucherer</strong>.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> gets his financial stability and unique sense of aesthetics<br />
from his father, who had already opened his own toy store in Basel.<br />
It is not yet clear where the new enterprise wi l lead, what story it<br />
wi l tell and what milestones wi l be achieved, but the artistic talents<br />
of <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> and the bold entrepreneurial spirit of his<br />
wife, Luise, give them reason to look optimistica ly into the future.<br />
Impressions<br />
of Lucerne<br />
promises upheaval and paves the way<br />
for the “fin de siècle”. The period between<br />
1885 and 1914 is considered<br />
The political landscape in Switzerland<br />
is also in a state of flux. On October<br />
125_CFB_CoverEinzeln.indd 1 27.09.13 14:11<br />
8 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 13
In 1899, Wilhelmina sees the light of day for the firs time. As the<br />
daughter of the Heeb embroidery manufacturing family in Appenze<br />
l, she grows up amids the finest fabrics and lace and develops<br />
an early fascination for luxurious materials. The Heeb family’s<br />
embroidery is in demand in many countries and is also made to<br />
order for Paris’ haute couture set. Wilhelmina develops into a very<br />
worldly woman who can quickly win people over with her charming<br />
ways. <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong> grows fond of the young woman and<br />
soon asks her for her hand in marriage. The wedding takes place<br />
in 1921. Soon after, the young couple moves to Santiago de Chile<br />
and builds a watch and jewelry business in this heavily immigrantinfluenced<br />
city.<br />
The success of <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s South American business is very much<br />
a result of Wilhelmina’s efforts as well: Every summer she makes<br />
the long trip back to Switzerland to purchase new watches and<br />
jewelry for the Chilean market. She of course uses those summer<br />
months to visi the family in Switzerland. She stands by her father<br />
a the embroidery factory and helps her father-in-law <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> in the Lucerne store. As she embarks in fall 1927 from<br />
32 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
Genoa to Buenos Aires, her bags are fi led with Swiss watches and<br />
jewelry pieces, as always. But the journey aboard the “Principessa<br />
Mafalda” takes a tragic turn: A prope ler shaft on the ship breaks,<br />
water infiltrates the machine room and a boiler explodes. Panic<br />
breaks out on board the ship. Though the sea is calm and a number<br />
of ships are already en route to save the damaged vessel, the ship<br />
sinks four hours after the panic breaks out and 314 people go down<br />
with it. One of them is Wilhelmina. It is the worst maritime tragedy<br />
in Brazilian coastal history. Wilhelmina <strong>Bucherer</strong>-Heeb is never<br />
found. Even the wreck of the “Principessa Mafalda” has never been<br />
discovered. On the ocean floor, with the ship’s remains, are also<br />
the remains of Wilhelmina’s procurements for the shop in Santiago.<br />
Among the valuable watches and jewelry pieces from Switzerland<br />
that were in the ship’s safe is Wilhelmina’s own watch, one of the<br />
first <strong>Bucherer</strong> wristwatches for women in the world: a diamondstudded<br />
masterpiece in art deco style.<br />
In memory of Wilhelmina in 2005, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> produces<br />
70 limited-edition women’s watches with a modern art deco interpretation.<br />
The pioneering woman lives on.<br />
In 2005, in Wilhelmina‘s memory,<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> created a special<br />
edition ladies‘ watch limited to 70<br />
pieces. It is a modern interpretation<br />
of art deco styles that commemorates<br />
the life of this pioneering woman.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and Wilhelmina<br />
enjoy life as newly-weds.<br />
The elegant interior of the<br />
“Principessa Mafalda”.<br />
The Heeb family had an embroidery<br />
factory where they produced fine<br />
fabrics for various markets including<br />
the Parisian haute couture set.<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong> asks for<br />
Wilhelmina’s hand in ma riage.<br />
“Principessa Mafalda”.<br />
in Santiago, Chile.<br />
The Golden Twenties<br />
As a tribute to <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong>,<br />
founder of the company and grandfather of<br />
Jörg G. <strong>Bucherer</strong>, the watchmaking brand of<br />
the same name was repositioned in 2001.<br />
This move strengthened the company’s<br />
watchmaking expertise and led to a sharper<br />
focus on mechanical timepieces. In 2013, we<br />
celebrate the 125th anniversary of the<br />
company’s foundation. To mark this very<br />
special day, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> is proud to<br />
unveil several wonderful jubilee models and<br />
its unique jubilee book.<br />
Beautifully decorated<br />
This brooch timepiece is in the shape of a horse<br />
and ca riage. The case is made completely of silver<br />
and set with marcasite stones.<br />
“A good design for us<br />
is one based on the functional<br />
and technical demands of a product<br />
that fulfills its stated purpose<br />
and looks beautiful all at the same time.”<br />
Max Bill<br />
Numerous functions<br />
The dial on this chronograph has an unusual pink color.<br />
The telemeter and tachymeter scales enhance the<br />
functionality of the piece.<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 35<br />
34 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
THE BOOK<br />
Geometric shapes<br />
The design of this ye low gold watch<br />
highlights its angles and edges.<br />
The crown is adorned with a blue sapphire.<br />
From <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s beginnings in 1888, the<br />
book “125 Years – Swiss History of Time”<br />
has three separate, parallel threads that place<br />
the company’s history alongside contemporary<br />
history and the story of watchmaking.<br />
These interconnections are woven together<br />
to create a multifaceted image of the House<br />
of <strong>Bucherer</strong> and its origins in Switzerland<br />
and, at the same time, within the context of<br />
Europe and the rest of the world.<br />
40 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
Sporty watch for men<br />
This model has a chronograph and a 30-minute counter.<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 41<br />
Eventful times<br />
1920–1930<br />
It is primarily the political unrest in Berlin in 1922 that leads <strong>Carl</strong><br />
1921<br />
Eduard and Ernst <strong>Bucherer</strong> to give up their business in the capital<br />
and leave Germany all together. Ernst, for his part, also has a<br />
strong desire to travel. He becomes particularly enchanted by South<br />
America on his journeys around the globe. The watchmaker travels<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong> proposes to<br />
his beloved Wilhelmina. They go on to<br />
a total of 26 times between Europe and South America, fascinated<br />
again and again by Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.<br />
build a successful business together<br />
In the 1920s, Ernst <strong>Bucherer</strong> establishes wholesale operations in<br />
Argentina and Chile with his brother <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and <strong>Carl</strong>’s wife<br />
Tormented by this fate, <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard and Ernst return to their parent’s<br />
shop in Switzerland. The first premises near what would later<br />
be the <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s main location on Schwanenplatz 4 have been<br />
Wilhelmina. These successful years are unfortunately interrupted by<br />
in use for three years a this point. The family company continues to<br />
grow in the years that fo low, due in no small par to the experience<br />
a fateful blow: Wilhelmina <strong>Bucherer</strong>-Heeb dies in a shipwreck while<br />
traveling between the continents after procuring watches and jewelry<br />
in Europe intended for the South American markets. Her passage<br />
in the fa l of 1927 ends with the sinking of the ship and Wilhelmina<br />
and the other 313 passengers on board perishing.<br />
and open-mindedness of the two brothers: In 1927, they open their<br />
first shop in Interlaken, and in 1928 the <strong>Bucherer</strong> Boutique is opened<br />
in Lugano. A this point the company is ski lfu ly combining the arts<br />
of goldsmithing and watchmaking. The manufacture and sale of<br />
1927<br />
Wilhelmina <strong>Bucherer</strong>-Heeb is<br />
jewelry and watches go hand-in-hand with watch repair services.<br />
one of 314 people who go down<br />
Sti l, the imminent global economic crisis leaves nothing untouched,<br />
in the tragic shipwreck of the<br />
not even the <strong>Bucherer</strong> business…<br />
1889–1920<br />
An era of learning and travel<br />
The first few years of <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s business in Lucerne are fi led with Berlin together. The shop at 47 Unter den Linden quickly becomes<br />
momentum and growth. The store on Falkenplatz quickly becomes an establishment with a good reputation, which results in strong<br />
too sma l; new premises are found in the Kape lgasse and then on growth in their customer base and even a bit of a tention from the<br />
Kape lplatz. With clever foresight, <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> decides emperor: The <strong>Bucherer</strong> brothers soon become suppliers to the royal<br />
to provide his sons with good educations. Ernst <strong>Bucherer</strong> spends court. These successful times are marked by the launch of their<br />
three years at the watchmaking school in St. Imier while <strong>Carl</strong><br />
first collection of ladies’ watches in 1919. The new models become<br />
Eduard <strong>Bucherer</strong> goes to London to learn goldsmithing. In 1913, available a the <strong>Bucherer</strong> stores under the name C. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. The<br />
after completing their studies, both brothers get into the family<br />
watch design emulates the earlier art deco style and perfectly fits<br />
business. Ernst and <strong>Carl</strong> Eduard are very close and make a perfect the spirit of the times, while also ski lfu ly combining the outstanding<br />
craftsmanship of the two brothers.<br />
team with regard to the craftsmanship of watchmaking. It comes as<br />
no surprise, then, when they decide to open a goldsmith studio in<br />
La Grande Dame<br />
This ladies’ watch is one of <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s firs timepieces.<br />
1901<br />
Enthusiastic fans cheer on the<br />
FC Luzern soccer team.<br />
Street scenes<br />
from the era<br />
The lakeshore promenade<br />
covered in snow.<br />
Over the rooftops<br />
of Kape lgasse.<br />
The National Quay<br />
a tracts visitors for a stro l.<br />
1903<br />
The pioneers of FC Luzern.<br />
Schwanenplatz a the turn<br />
of the 20th century.<br />
Colorful commerce<br />
on the marketplace.<br />
La Belle Époque<br />
After the Franco-Prussian<br />
War, 1871 marks the beginning<br />
of an era of peace in<br />
Europe that lasts 43 years,<br />
until World War I breaks out<br />
in 1914. The period after 1890 is considered<br />
one of the most fascinating begin organizing themselves into un-<br />
ized by the division of labor; workers<br />
epochs in European history and though ions and political parties. A desire is<br />
th exact dates are not agreed upon, it awakened among a l strata of society<br />
is associated with a particular emphasis<br />
on cultural advancement. Virtua ly nary. The spirit of the times is char-<br />
to live and experience the extraordi-<br />
no other era boasts the quantum leaps acterized by a sense of exuberance<br />
of discovery made by noteworthy artists,<br />
scientists and contemporaries, felt in the cafés and cabaret establish-<br />
and freedom that can be most palpably<br />
many of which take place in Europe’s ments of Paris’ Montmartre district,<br />
most influential countries: England, in the artist ga leries and studios, and<br />
France, Austria-Hungary and Germany. on the boulevards of the capital. Recreational<br />
travel becomes increasingly<br />
Many new discoveries are made in<br />
physics in particular. Röntgen discovers<br />
gamma rays in 1895 and the Curies panded transport system and rising in-<br />
popular due to the already greatly ex-<br />
discove radium in 1898. Max Planck’s comes. A tractive destinations include<br />
quantum theory is released just in time the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris and the<br />
for the turn of the century, and in 1905 first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in<br />
Einstein brings us the theory of relativity.<br />
Sigmund Freud, who had founded also felt in the arts, which manage to<br />
Athens. The ability to cross borders is<br />
the study of psychoanalysis in 1890, become a part of everyday life. After<br />
enriches the world of medicine with a the worldwide public showing in Berlin<br />
scientific approach to the human soul. in 1895, Jules Chéret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec<br />
make advances in Paris<br />
The emergence of La Be le Époque<br />
can most e fectively be explained by in color lithography. Their e forts enable<br />
the cost-e fective printing of styl-<br />
the second wave of industrialization<br />
that sweeps the globe at that point in ized posters that become “street art”<br />
time. For the population, it means immense<br />
gains for society and increased among the masses”. Significant figures<br />
and awaken a “passion for co lecting<br />
prosperity. The positive developments in this artistic wave, from impressionism<br />
to art nouveau and cubism, include<br />
help transform social consciousness<br />
and inspire a gradual sense of dissatisfaction<br />
with tradition and established Picasso and Gustav Klimt. In the musi-<br />
Paul Cézanne, Franz von Stuck, Pablo<br />
institutions. A titudes toward work cal world, Gustav Mahler’s unfinished<br />
also change as a result. In industry, symphony goes into the history books<br />
manufacturing processes are rational- after his death in 1911.<br />
Distinctive shapes<br />
This piece is densely set with bri liant-cut diamonds<br />
on the bezel while the detailed shapes of the strap rings<br />
and clasp give it a unique character.<br />
26 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 19<br />
A noble duo<br />
Two of the most precious materials in the world are combined<br />
in this exclusive watch for ladies: platinum and diamonds.<br />
Impressions<br />
of Lucerne<br />
Panorama view over the<br />
rooftops of the city.<br />
The Lion Monument in the<br />
Glacier Garden commemorates<br />
members of the Swiss<br />
Guard who were massacred<br />
in the a tack on Tuileries<br />
Palace in Paris in 1792.<br />
Snowmelt and heavy rains cause the<br />
lake of Lucerne to spi l over its banks.<br />
Parts of Lucerne are flooded.<br />
The lively promenade is a<br />
meeting point for traders and<br />
folks out for a stro l.<br />
The boat “Swan” (left) is<br />
driven by a gas motor.<br />
The boom in the world economy, political<br />
stabilization and a blossoming of<br />
the arts, culture and science make the<br />
1920s into a “golden age”. It remains<br />
in the co lective memory as a time of<br />
progress and exhilaration. Women are<br />
wearing feather boas and knee-length<br />
shirt dresses and getting bob haircuts<br />
while men don sport coats and slick<br />
their hair back. The charleston vibrant<br />
a titude to life and the cabarets of that<br />
time ar evidence of fiery sense of romanticism<br />
and extravagant luxury. This<br />
lightness of everyday life contrasts with<br />
the political realities of the Weimar<br />
Republic in Germany. Thanks to these<br />
new freedoms, the flowering arts and<br />
culture scene experience a rapid revival<br />
that represents a splendid contradiction<br />
to Weimar. New forms of mass culture<br />
emerge based on the American model,<br />
and the avant-garde establishes itself<br />
as th epitome of the Weimar culture.<br />
Societal portraits like O to Dix’s “Metropolis”<br />
triptych become an important<br />
genre. Many artists like George Grosz,<br />
disi lusioned by World War I, hit back<br />
with provocative paintings against figures<br />
within Wilhelminian society who<br />
have begun staking claims within the<br />
young republic. Others like Käthe Ko l-<br />
witz are investing their innovative spirit<br />
and work into the cause of revolutionary<br />
proletariat art, a seen in her pacifist<br />
images.<br />
Architecture and design inspire and<br />
characterize a new sense of cool sobriety.<br />
The Weimar-based Bauhaus movement<br />
becomes the icon of the modern<br />
aesthetic. In 1930, theater works like<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> Zuckmayer’s “Captain of Köpenick”<br />
become a massive success in the<br />
New Objectivity movement. In Berlin,<br />
Bertolt Brecht’s “Threepenny Opera”<br />
provide socia ly critical entertainment<br />
in a modern disguise. In the mid-1920s,<br />
literature also experiences a heyday<br />
with classics like Thomas Mann’s “The<br />
Magic Mountain” in 1924 and Hermann<br />
Hesse’s “Steppenwolf” in 1927. Cafés<br />
and theaters magically draw almost unmanageable<br />
hordes of artists, directors,<br />
literary figures, actors, art dealers and<br />
painters. This new sense of anonymity<br />
in the big city makes it easier for<br />
women to distance themselves from<br />
society’s traditiona ly assigned roles.<br />
Female authors like Vicki Baum paint<br />
a picture of the “new woman” as critical<br />
and self-confident protagonists who<br />
deliver the same results in their professional<br />
lives as male co leagues. Print<br />
media and cinemas also experience<br />
astounding growth during the period.<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 27<br />
18 . 125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
A dynamic life –<br />
Wilhelmina <strong>Bucherer</strong>-Heeb<br />
Around 1910<br />
Wilhelmina’s first communion.<br />
Tribute to Mimi<br />
125 Years’ Swiss History of Time<br />
. 33<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 9
125 YEARS SWISS HISTORY OF TIME<br />
Successful businessman, media and sports<br />
director and politician Paul Godfrey receives<br />
a copy from Ami Freiberg and Sam Freiberg at<br />
the Classic Creations watch and jewelry store in<br />
Toronto. Godfrey embodies the values for which<br />
the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> brand stands: independence,<br />
innovation and indefatigable determination.<br />
Well-known author and beauty activist<br />
Kenetia Lee presents the reigning Miss Universe,<br />
Olivia Culpo, with her copy of the book<br />
in New York.<br />
Diego Benaglio, goalkeeper of the Swiss<br />
national soccer team and Friend of the Brand,<br />
receives a copy in Zurich from Sebastian Martin,<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> Managing Director.<br />
Actor, producer, director and Friend of the<br />
Brand Joe Mantegna receives the jubilee book<br />
from David Orgell in Beverly Hills, California.<br />
Pirmin Schwegler, Swiss national soccer<br />
player and captain of the German league team<br />
Eintracht Frankfurt, receives the jubilee book<br />
at the Frankfurt <strong>Bucherer</strong> boutique from<br />
Friederike Lockau, General Manager.<br />
While paying a spontaneous visit to the new<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> store in Paris, Julien Noilo is presented<br />
with his personal copy of the jubilee book<br />
by Nathalie Célia, General Manager, and<br />
Sandrine Perrot, Director of Sales.<br />
Mexican entrepreneur Emilio Vega bought<br />
his first <strong>Bucherer</strong> watch at the Lucerne store on<br />
Schwanenplatz. It was the beginning of a love<br />
story that has continued to this day.<br />
El Corte Inglés is Spain’s biggest and most<br />
famous department store chain. <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
is proud to be part of the company’s portfolio<br />
and presents Rafael Valero with a copy of the<br />
jubilee book as a token of thanks.<br />
10 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8<br />
In Locarno, Robert Ritschel hands a copy<br />
of the jubilee book to Sofia Milos. The actress,<br />
who is of Italian/Greek descent, is a great<br />
fan of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>.
In Vienna, Sascha Moeri hands a copy of the<br />
jubilee book to Christine Fleischer, General Manager<br />
of the <strong>Bucherer</strong> store in the Austrian capital.<br />
Joseph Chu, Executive Director at Prince<br />
Jewellery & Watch, Macao, is presented with<br />
the jubilee book by Jerry Tsang, Honorary<br />
Chairman and CEO <strong>Bucherer</strong> Hong Kong.<br />
Noel Chow, Vice President Marketing <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
Hong Kong Limited, hands a copy of the jubilee<br />
book to well-known watch expert and founder<br />
of Watch Report, Phillip Ng L.K.<br />
Lydion Inc., <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s largest distributor<br />
in Turkey, presents the jubilee book in front of its<br />
Antalya boutique.<br />
In front of one of the world’s tallest buildings –<br />
the 101 – Sophie Shang, Managing Director<br />
of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> Taiwan, hands over the<br />
jubilee book to Lee Shun-Lung, General Manager<br />
at J.G.T. WATCHES in Taipei 101.<br />
In Tokyo, Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland<br />
electronic musical instrument manufacturers,<br />
is presented with the book by Hans-Peter<br />
Kappeler, <strong>Bucherer</strong> Japan.<br />
Indian star photographer and Friend of the<br />
Brand Atul Kasbekar accepts the book from<br />
Mukhtar Mohammed, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> Regional<br />
Market Director, in Mumbai.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 11
Dining room. Living room.<br />
Bedroom. Legroom.<br />
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A VISIT TO<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Paris<br />
On April 15, 2013, <strong>Bucherer</strong> gave itself the most beautiful gift to celebrate its 125th jubilee:<br />
the family-owned Swiss company opened the world’s largest watch and jewelry store in Paris,<br />
luxury’s international capital. At the same time, <strong>Bucherer</strong> laid the cornerstone of a new paradise for<br />
watch and jewelry shopping on the Boulevard des Capucines. On over 2000 sq.m of floor space,<br />
lovers of fine watch- and jewelry-making can lose themselves in a choice selection of leading<br />
watch brands and exquisite diamond jewelry. General Manager Nathalie Celia revealed some of<br />
the secrets behind the fabulous new premises in one of Paris’ prime locations to INSIGHT by<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. She also declared her affection for one watch in particular: the Alacria.<br />
When Nathalie Celia walks into the store,<br />
it is almost as if she was competing with the<br />
glittering diamonds on display: her eyes light<br />
up with the same fiery sparkle. She is also<br />
fired up by what she does: managing the<br />
largest <strong>Bucherer</strong> store of them all, consisting<br />
of 23 shops, with 120 staff. For Celia, it is a<br />
privilege to be able to pour all her passion<br />
into a tradition-steeped Swiss company, and<br />
she appreciates the “genuine partnership”<br />
she experiences through the cooperation.<br />
“We share a myriad of ideas, we listen<br />
carefully to each other, and we pursue the<br />
same goal: to build up <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s reputation,”<br />
she enthuses. French by birth, she has<br />
Russian, Majorcan and Ukrainian roots. She<br />
also considers it to be a very special declaration<br />
of confidence that <strong>Bucherer</strong> involved<br />
her in the entire planning process long<br />
before the store opened.<br />
She arrived where she is today thanks to a<br />
passion for jewelry and watches: a passion<br />
that has fanned increasingly through the<br />
exciting stages of her life. She found her<br />
way into accessories through fashion and<br />
its “very special values” at the House of<br />
Christian Lacroix, where she was initially<br />
responsible for European and international<br />
markets. When the Louis Vuitton Group<br />
bought up Christian Lacroix in 1997,<br />
Celia was offered the job of building up the<br />
first branch in Moscow. She accepted the<br />
task without a second’s hesitation and spent<br />
the next two years building up important<br />
contacts with, among others, the military,<br />
the public authorities and the press. In 1999,<br />
she returned to the French capital.<br />
Following the birth of her two children, she<br />
found herself on the tightrope between work<br />
and her family, but managed to stay grounded<br />
by studying psychomotor therapy at the<br />
Hôpital de la Salpêtrière. She says she still<br />
benefits from the experience, particularly<br />
14 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
when it comes to individual customer relations.<br />
With an impressive diploma in her<br />
pocket, she finally returned to the Louis<br />
Vuitton Group as manager of the perfume<br />
section in the Champs-Elysées store. She<br />
was fascinated by the elaborately fashioned<br />
vials – tiny works of art in themselves – that<br />
gave the fragrance “le petit plus”. She also<br />
sees this stage of her career as good training<br />
for her subsequent position as General Manager<br />
of a jewelry store.<br />
Before joining <strong>Bucherer</strong> in August 2012, she<br />
was in charge of the accessories and luxury<br />
goods department at no less impressive an<br />
address than Printemps. This was where she<br />
finally discovered her deep affinity with<br />
watches and jewelry. She is particularly<br />
fascinated by the skilled handicraft behind<br />
them. “Watches and jewelry tell an unending<br />
story,” says Celia, explaining her passion.<br />
“A group of individuals jointly produce a<br />
fascinating creation, a unique masterpiece<br />
that is presented to the customer and then<br />
goes on telling its story from generation to<br />
generation. She also enjoys the fact that the<br />
sector she works in largely involves family<br />
histories and brings her together with<br />
customers and connoisseurs who share her<br />
passion. “It’s wonderful to share part of a<br />
journey with these people and to be able to<br />
give them a moment of pleasure.” In this<br />
respect, she recalls two American ladies who<br />
came into the store because one of them<br />
wanted to buy a watch by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>.<br />
It was in memory of her deceased father,<br />
who had bought his watch during the<br />
Second World War in Europe. After the sale<br />
was completed, the ladies remained for another<br />
hour, recalling stories and memories<br />
that eventually moved the new customer<br />
to tears. “We like to offer our customers an<br />
experience they will remember forever, and<br />
which they can pass on to their children<br />
together with the piece of jewelry or watch,”<br />
is how Celia describes the perfect sale.<br />
She personally experiences moments of<br />
real happiness through sport, particularly<br />
swimming and running. The fact she shares<br />
her second hobby with a team makes it that<br />
bit more special. She proudly tells us about<br />
taking part in the recent La Parisienne run,<br />
which she shared with 15 women who work<br />
for the store, each wearing the same<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> T-shirt. For moments like this,<br />
which have a bonding effect on everyone<br />
involved, she would like one thing above all:<br />
more time. For her, time is an important<br />
dimension in life, divided into two distinct<br />
areas. First, there is personal time, which is<br />
bound up with values and emotions. This<br />
contrasts with real time, which is regulatory<br />
and imposes norms. “It is a mix of the two<br />
that determines our past, present and future.”<br />
Celia admits that time is a commodity in her<br />
life that is in short supply. “Occasionally, I’d<br />
like more time for my team, for my customers,<br />
and, of course, for my children. It would also<br />
be nice to think more about how I’d like to<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 15
A VISIT TO<br />
plan the future and give myself more time to<br />
be creative. To cut a long story short: I wish I<br />
had more time to do the things I have to do,<br />
and do them well.”<br />
Her quest for excellence is also reflected in<br />
her sales philosophy, which she continually<br />
strives to perfect. “We’re never satisfied with<br />
the way things are today; we always want to<br />
get better at what we do. It’s a privilege for<br />
my team and me to work for <strong>Bucherer</strong> and,<br />
through our hard work, to give something<br />
back to the owner, Mr. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. The fact<br />
that the customer is king in the prime-location<br />
store remains undisputed. “We offer our<br />
customers an extraordinarily high level of<br />
service, because that’s where our business<br />
stands or falls,” explains Celia. This is one of<br />
the reasons why she takes such pleasure in<br />
surprising her regular customers with special<br />
events. Selected customers, for instance, may<br />
find themselves invited to brand-themed<br />
evenings, to a private visit as part of the<br />
store’s cooperation with the Grand Palais, or<br />
even to the Lucerne Music Festival. Another<br />
highly visible cooperation is the store’s<br />
involvement in the debutantes’ ball, where<br />
the ladies wear <strong>Bucherer</strong> jewelry and the<br />
men <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> wristwatches.<br />
What the store tries to make unforgettable<br />
for the customer is the purchasing experience<br />
itself. The unique nature of the store<br />
concept is reflected immediately in its<br />
architecture, where the focus is on the company’s<br />
history and uses the figure “8” as its<br />
platform: The number, traditionally a lucky<br />
one in China, is an allusion to the year 1888,<br />
when <strong>Bucherer</strong> was founded. The space, too,<br />
is divided up in such a way as to give customers<br />
complete freedom. “The architecture<br />
in the sales space is an extremely successful<br />
compromise,” says Celia, explaining the store<br />
concept. “The wide passages allow people to<br />
feel relaxed as they move and stroll freely,<br />
while the private sales booths provide an<br />
intimate sales experience.” This idea reflects<br />
the contrast between mass consumption and<br />
an individual sales experience. This is further<br />
manifested outside the store, in its location<br />
between the Place Vendôme and the large<br />
Galeries La Fayette and Printemps department<br />
stores.<br />
According to Celia, this also helps her divide<br />
customers into two groups: tourists and<br />
international buyers, as well as a “very good,<br />
very loyal, local clientele that devotes a lot of<br />
time to buying, is proud to buy at <strong>Bucherer</strong>,<br />
and ultimately makes a considered decision.”<br />
The General Manager finds this a good mix,<br />
as well as the fact that, inside the boutique,<br />
each brand has its own world integral to the<br />
overall concept. “For customers, it’s an<br />
advantage that they have a wide selection of<br />
different brands to choose from, which they<br />
can discover and discuss with a single salesperson,”<br />
is how Celia explains the added<br />
value for her clientele. In her experience, a<br />
jewelry sale is generally more likely to be an<br />
emotional affair because jewelry is inseparable<br />
from the more important stages and<br />
key moments in an individual’s lifetime. In<br />
the case of a watch sale, by contrast, there is<br />
usually more emphasis on masculine and<br />
16 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
technical factors, as well as the whole aspect<br />
of collecting. And, according to Celia, there<br />
are differences in the way customers handle<br />
the two types of sale: “Jewelry is something<br />
people love to show off, while people tend to<br />
buy watches for themselves.”<br />
Almost automatically she touches her wrist<br />
and gently strokes her own watch: an<br />
Alacria, whose elegance and femininity she<br />
particularly loves. “It represents the values<br />
of the House like no other watch in the<br />
collection and, with its enchanting combinations<br />
of diamonds, is a reminder of the first<br />
ladies’ watches from <strong>Bucherer</strong>,” is how she<br />
explains her fascination with the line. “With<br />
this watch on my wrist, I simply feel good.”<br />
Apart from this, she wears a Patravi EvoTec<br />
BigDate, which she considers to be a perfect<br />
reflection of the company’s commitment to<br />
designing and manufacturing its own movements<br />
in-house. “Thanks to its size and to<br />
the diamonds, which make it very feminine,<br />
it really is a fabulous accessory.” Celia takes<br />
the greatest pleasure in the unusual nature<br />
and independence of the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
brand. “In its collections, the brand succeeds<br />
in conveying the history of the House’s<br />
values. Its timepieces stand for family,<br />
creativity and technical precision, as well as<br />
manufacturing excellence, innovation and<br />
independence. <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> is a genuinely<br />
worthy name.”<br />
Nathalie Celia is relaxed and optimistic<br />
about the future. “Although sales in the<br />
“WE SHARE A<br />
MYRIAD OF IDEAS,<br />
WE LISTEN<br />
CAREFULLY TO<br />
EACH OTHER,<br />
AND WE PURSUE<br />
THE SAME GOAL:<br />
TO BUILD UP<br />
BUCHERER’S<br />
REPUTATION.”<br />
luxury segment in France are down 3%,<br />
watches and jewelry will always be a good<br />
investment because they retain their value<br />
and can be handed down from one generation<br />
to the next.” The fact that the <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> brand now has a presence in the<br />
French capital poses her with a very enviable<br />
challenge: to further develop and raise<br />
awareness of a brand to which she is totally<br />
devoted.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 17
PREVIEW<br />
Preview: Q&A<br />
with Arnold<br />
Schwarzenegger<br />
18 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
Something to look forward to: in one of the next issues of INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>, readers can enjoy an<br />
exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger, not only the world’s most successful bodybuilder but also<br />
famous as an actor and politician. Born in Austria, he moved to Los Angeles, produced movies in Hollywood,<br />
and, in 2012, released his autobiography “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story”. As a tireless and<br />
successful businessman who co-founded theme restaurant Planet Hollywood, he is a self-confessed watch<br />
enthusiast and fan of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> – his private watch collection contains several of the brand’s models.<br />
He even infected one of his friends, Sylvester Stallone – who met up with for Q&A with INSIGHT by<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> in issue no. 7, with his enthusiasm for the Lucerne-based watch manufacturer.<br />
Schwarzenegger discovered the new models for himself during a visit to the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> pavilion at this year’s<br />
BASELWORLD, where Sascha Moeri presented him personally with his favorite model, the Patravi TravelTec.<br />
To find out more about the “Terminator” and his love of fine watches, be sure not to miss one of our next issues.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 19
CATCHING UP WITH<br />
Pirmin Schwegler and Murat Yakin<br />
Two brand ambassadors<br />
in a verbal exchange<br />
“On Saturday afternoon, millions of people<br />
forget their everyday concerns,” Ottmar<br />
Hitzfeld, head coach of the Swiss national<br />
football team, once said. Unlike virtually any<br />
other international sport, football – or soccer<br />
– has established itself at all levels of society<br />
as a sports event that genuinely moves<br />
people and generates a powerful emotional<br />
response, whether it’s at the edge of the field,<br />
on the terraces or in front of the TV.<br />
Murat Yakin and Pirmin Schwegler also<br />
hold a firm position in the world of football.<br />
“INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>” met up with<br />
the two Friends of the Brand to discuss “the<br />
beautiful game”. “Football is highly emotional<br />
and brings people together across national<br />
boundaries,” says 26-year-old Pirmin<br />
Schwegler. This particular aspect of the sport,<br />
and of the game itself, fascinates the captain<br />
of German league team Eintracht Frankfurt.<br />
“It’s an incredible feeling to be out there on<br />
the pitch.” And, as Murat Yakin points out,<br />
“the atmosphere created by the fans does the<br />
rest.”<br />
”TACTICS AND STRATEGY<br />
ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH.“<br />
Murat Yakin<br />
The two Swiss professionals have played<br />
for teams in both Switzerland and Germany.<br />
“I’ve always been well looked after by all the<br />
teams I’ve played for, and here in Frankfurt<br />
I feel very much at home. I’m proud to be<br />
captain of Eintracht Frankfurt,” says Pirmin<br />
Schwegler. Since his arrival, Frankfurt has<br />
become a little like home. Apart from the<br />
Commerzbank Arena, the city in the state<br />
of Hessen boasts numerous other sights.<br />
Germany’s big financial center has the<br />
Roemer (its medieval city hall), St. Paul’s<br />
Church and the Goethe House. At the same<br />
time, it deftly mixes the traditional with the<br />
modern. Apart from this, it is a place where<br />
many different cultures come together –<br />
22 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
”FOOTBALL IS HIGHLY EMOTIONAL<br />
AND BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER<br />
ACROSS NATIONAL BOUNDARIES.“<br />
Pirmin Schwegler<br />
Photo: © Rolf Kosecki/Corbis<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 23
CATCHING UP WITH<br />
”WHAT I ADMIRE<br />
MOST ABOUT<br />
MURAT ARE<br />
HIS CREATIVITY<br />
AND STRENGTH<br />
OF WILL.“<br />
Pirmin Schwegler<br />
a phenomenon that occurs on the football<br />
pitch, too, as Yakin agrees: “It’s irrelevant<br />
what nationality or skin color you have: on<br />
the pitch, all that counts is the team.” Now<br />
39, and a Swiss national with Turkish roots,<br />
he considers his mixed cultural background<br />
to be an enrichment. His ties with both have<br />
remained close to this day. “I love Turkish<br />
cuisine, and I’ve always enjoyed eating my<br />
mother’s food.” That may well be one of the<br />
reasons why Murat Yakin owns his own<br />
restaurant in Basel today. As well as the fact<br />
that Basel is so international, too. Because<br />
of its location, it is a melting pot for Swiss,<br />
French and German culture, and thus has a<br />
very special flair of its own. Apart from Basel<br />
Cathedral, the Kunsthalle and the idyllic<br />
banks of the Rhine River, the city has St.<br />
Jakob-Park – FC Basel’s stadium – which<br />
attracts locals and visitors from all over the<br />
world.<br />
Yakin is manager of FC Basel and led the<br />
team to the league title last season. He recently<br />
wrote another chapter in football<br />
history in London, when FC Basel beat<br />
Chelsea FC in the Champions League.<br />
“It’s all about passion, combined with a lot<br />
of blood, sweat and tears. A manager has to<br />
grow together with his team,” explains Yakin.<br />
“Tactics and strategy alone are not enough.”<br />
Schwegler and Yakin demonstrate that<br />
football is also about humanity and sticking<br />
together in their lives outside of the game.<br />
Both are committed to foundations that look<br />
after children and young people. The Murat<br />
Yakin & Stamm Foundation helps children<br />
and adolescents. “As a kid, I grew up in difficult<br />
circumstances, as part of a large family<br />
with eight children. Expenses like a new pair<br />
of football boots were a real luxury for us.<br />
That’s the reason I want to give something<br />
back today.” There are also personal reasons<br />
for Pirmin Schwegler’s work with the Bern<br />
Foundation for Children and Young People<br />
with Cancer. As a child, the Swiss national<br />
team player was stricken by leukemia. Back<br />
then, no one believed he would ever be able<br />
to live his dream of a career in professional<br />
football. But with typical pluck and indefatigable<br />
will power, Schwegler stuck at it.<br />
“I’m deeply grateful, even today, for all the<br />
support people gave me. And I’m delighted<br />
to be able to give something back.”<br />
Society, they both agree, is a little like football:<br />
respect is a crucial factor. They have<br />
mutual regard for each other and their<br />
individual achievements. “What I admire<br />
most about Murat are his creativity and<br />
strength of will,” explains Schwegler. “Pirmin<br />
is an excellent midfield player with a great<br />
deal of potential and I’d love to coach him<br />
one of these days. Perhaps I can learn<br />
something from him. Or maybe he could<br />
learn something from me,” replies Yakin,<br />
with a wink.<br />
24 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
”PIRMIN IS AN EXCELLENT MIDFIELD<br />
PLAYER WITH A GREAT DEAL<br />
OF POTENTIAL AND I’D LOVE TO<br />
COACH HIM ONE OF THESE DAYS.“<br />
Murat Yakin<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 25
SPONSORSHIP<br />
The pace of things<br />
in Sainte-Croix<br />
Perched high on a terrace in the Jura mountains at the heart of the Vaud, a small village with<br />
a lot of cachet offers a unique view of the area around Lake Geneva and the Alps: Sainte-Croix<br />
and the resort of Les Rasses, popular with tourists all year round.<br />
In summer, the lush Jura meadowlands and<br />
fir tree forests offer a vast network of walks<br />
and hikes, and attract countless visitors.<br />
Sitting up above them is the Les Rasses<br />
valley station for the chairlift to the Chasseron<br />
(La Robella), an interesting starting<br />
point for – or end to – tours of the region.<br />
Mountain bikers can look forward to 84<br />
kilometers of trails. Hikers and bikers alike<br />
appreciate the fact they can drop into the<br />
many alpine huts, which have been converted<br />
into small hostelries selling local produce<br />
and specialties. When the cold weather sets<br />
in, the region is transformed into a paradise<br />
for winter sports. Les Rasses, which lies<br />
above the sea of fog shrouding the lowlands,<br />
has eight lifts ranging between 1150 and<br />
1580 meters, and offers perfect skiing for<br />
beginners. Another 65 kilometers of<br />
cross-country trails and tracks for snowshoe<br />
hikers, all prepared daily, stretch from Les<br />
Rasses to Creux du Van.<br />
Just a few kilometers from Sainte-Croix is<br />
another popular spa town, Yverdon-les-<br />
Bains, which is famed for the special quality<br />
of its thermal springs. Situated on the shores<br />
of Lake Neuchâtel, Yverdon looks back on<br />
a long history, as affirmed by 45 Neolithic<br />
menhirs and Celtic ruins, as well as a Roman<br />
camp and the medieval and classical buildings<br />
in the town center. While the History<br />
Museum in the castle pays fitting tribute to<br />
this fascinating past, the Swiss Fashion Museum,<br />
the Science Fiction Museum and the<br />
Espace Jules Verne display the achievements<br />
of the 21st century. Apart from its rich cultural<br />
heritage, Yverdon-les-Bains can also<br />
lay claim to an extraordinarily rich natural<br />
inheritance: the Grande Cariçaie is the most<br />
extensive lake-shore wetland area in Switzerland,<br />
with the extraordinary flora and fauna<br />
around Champ-Pittet Castle awaiting discovery.<br />
The 40-kilometer-long lakeshore<br />
between Yverdon-les-Bains and Murten<br />
26 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
offers a wealth of opportunities for relaxing<br />
at the many lidos and in the unspoiled<br />
countryside.<br />
Against the backdrop of this glorious<br />
panorama, the town of Sainte-Croix produces<br />
wonderful music boxes and automatons.<br />
They date all the way back to the discovery<br />
of the music box by Antoine Favre,<br />
a Geneva-based watchmaker, in 1796.<br />
Between 1811 and the end of the 19th<br />
century, the town established itself as the<br />
global center for music box production and<br />
musical automatons. Genuine artisans, singularly<br />
passionate about their work and<br />
sometimes known as “dream-makers”,<br />
fashioned them from wood and metal. Some<br />
of the more outstanding examples of their<br />
craft can be admired at the Centre International<br />
de la Mécanique d’Art (CIMA) in<br />
Sainte-Croix and at the Musée Baud for<br />
mechanical musical instruments in<br />
L’Auberson.<br />
MUSEUMS, EVENTS<br />
AND EATING OUT<br />
Musée CIMA in Sainte Croix<br />
The museum houses a collection of music<br />
boxes and other musical instruments that are<br />
all masterpieces of precision mechanics<br />
and fine cabinetmaking.<br />
www.musees.ch<br />
Musée Baud in L’Auberson<br />
Many of the items at this museum, which specializes<br />
in musical automatons, can still be played.<br />
www.museebaud.ch<br />
Sainte-Croix Carnival<br />
Carnival bands from all over Switzerland play and<br />
perform to the delight of thousands of spectators<br />
on the streets, in processions and in marquees.<br />
www.carnaval.ch<br />
Sainte-Croix summer market<br />
Mid-August is time for the annual summer market,<br />
which draws over 100 stallholders to the town center<br />
and offers a rich choice of regional products.<br />
www.sainte-croix-les-rasses-tourisme.ch<br />
Sainte-Croix gourmet hike<br />
What better way for nature lovers to discover<br />
the Jura’s hiking trails? The excursion includes<br />
breaks for mouth-watering specialties at the<br />
Mont-de-la-Mayaz, Sollier and Casba alpine huts?<br />
A splendid time is guaranteed for all.<br />
www.sainte-croix-les-rasses-tourisme.ch<br />
Restaurant des Cluds<br />
The Chablais family receive their guests at<br />
a chalet built in 1938 in an area steeped in<br />
tradition and local history.<br />
www.restaurantlescluds.ch/2008/<br />
There is one location where the focus<br />
is exclusively on industrial activity.<br />
Here, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has for some<br />
time developed and manufactured its<br />
own in-house watch movements and<br />
functional modules. On July 1, 2007,<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A. acquired THA<br />
(Téchniques Horlogères Appliquées) in<br />
Sainte-Croix and integrated it into the<br />
company under the name of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
Technologies. The cornerstone was thus laid<br />
for Lucerne’s independent watch brand to<br />
fulfill a long-time ambition: that of manufacturing<br />
movements from start to finish in<br />
its own workshops.<br />
In no time at all, the results spoke for themselves:<br />
the workforce expanded from seven to<br />
40 employees. Today, most of the staff at<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> Technologies are qualified<br />
watchmakers, engineers, designers, mechanics,<br />
supply chain managers, project managers<br />
and process engineers. Expansion of the<br />
workshop floor to 2000 sq.m has made space<br />
for the many newly acquired machines that<br />
have pushed up the level of vertical integration<br />
to 70 percent.<br />
Now, following upgrading of its technical<br />
equipment and workforce, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong><br />
is geared to take on new challenges. Shortly<br />
after taking over THA, <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres<br />
S.A. unveiled the CFB A1000, an automatic<br />
caliber with a peripheral rotor patented by<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. Other sophisticated modules<br />
have since been developed on the basis<br />
of this movement, the latest of which was<br />
the CFB A1011 caliber unveiled this year.<br />
As a further development of the in-house<br />
CFB A1002 caliber, the CFB A1011 shows<br />
the remaining power reserve with a hand<br />
and thus references classic elements in watch<br />
design. It was first used in the Manero<br />
PowerReserve.<br />
In the meantime, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> Technologies<br />
S.A. has become a center of excellence<br />
for research, development and manufacture,<br />
with wide-ranging expertise, a high level of<br />
creativity, and a state-of-the-art infrastructure.<br />
Every process and production stage<br />
stems from a concept based on the company’s<br />
own legally protected procedures.<br />
The aim of this is simple: to develop and<br />
Win an exclusive<br />
visit to<br />
Sainte-Croix!<br />
CONTEST<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> invites one reader of<br />
INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> on a very<br />
special kind of trip to Sainte-Croix.<br />
Apart from a private viewing and tour<br />
of the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> manufacturing<br />
facility, the winner and one companion<br />
can look forward to a night at the<br />
five-star Hôtel Palafitte, which is situated<br />
– literally – over the lake.<br />
Don’t miss your chance to win<br />
this fabulous prize:<br />
www.carl-f-bucherer.com<br />
You can also return the enclosed subscription<br />
coupon for INSIGHT by <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong>, which automatically qualifies you<br />
for the draw. Closing date for entries:<br />
February 28, 2014.<br />
Further information about the<br />
Hôtel Palafitte: www.palafitte.ch<br />
Employees of <strong>Bucherer</strong> Montres S.A. are not eligible to<br />
take part in the competition. The draw takes place under<br />
the supervision of a notary. The prize cannot be taken in<br />
cash. No correspondence will be entered into.<br />
Only one entry per person.<br />
build mechanisms and additional functions<br />
that are sensible, useful and attractive. Every<br />
single timepiece has to satisfy the company’s<br />
exacting quality requirements. Which means<br />
ensuring that every single watch and movement<br />
that leaves the workshops has been<br />
thoroughly tested. For its owner, it will be<br />
a perfect combination of aesthetic appeal,<br />
traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and<br />
advanced technology.<br />
In Sainte-Croix, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has chosen<br />
a location in which watchmaking enjoys a<br />
very special status. Originally produced by<br />
workers in their homes, watches here were<br />
industrially manufactured from the mid-<br />
18th century onward. It was thus the<br />
watchmaking industry that put the tiny<br />
village on the road to major economic<br />
success all those years ago and helped write<br />
its economic history.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 27
COLLECTION<br />
The Alacria collection<br />
Hommage to<br />
femininity<br />
Joy, passion and a zest for life: the meanings<br />
of the word Alacria are as multifaceted as<br />
the dazzling ladies’ watch collection from the<br />
House of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>. As early as 1919,<br />
founder <strong>Carl</strong> Friedrich <strong>Bucherer</strong> launched<br />
his first in-house ladies’ watch collection.<br />
With designs inspired by the Art Déco style,<br />
the dainty jewelry watches exerted a singular<br />
charm. These historic roots are reflected to<br />
this day in the Alacria collection, a series of<br />
exquisite wristwatches that enchant women<br />
all over the world.<br />
The finely proportioned aesthetic of the<br />
Alacria’s case is distilled in a sculptured,<br />
appealing shape: “The true value of a fine<br />
watch lies in the attention to detail.” In the<br />
case of the Alacria, this approach led to the<br />
creation of a unique and, more importantly,<br />
new case shape in the world of watchmaking.<br />
Held securely in place by screws, the case<br />
with its free-form surfaces and spherically<br />
domed sapphire glass is incredibly difficult<br />
to make and calls for high-precision watchmaking<br />
and jewelry making skills. The concave<br />
case body creates the most spectacular<br />
reflections and turns each model into a<br />
genuine eye-catcher. With gentle, rounded<br />
28 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
contours, the sides of the Alacria are uncompromising:<br />
the highly sophisticated reflection<br />
of incident light makes the unconventional<br />
form even more fabulous to look at.<br />
Whether finished in simple gold, set with<br />
diamonds or a gemstone pavé, the variety of<br />
the Alacria collection is incomparable. The<br />
elegant Alacria TwoTone is housed in a<br />
bicolor case made of stainless steel and rose<br />
gold. The classically arranged dial is divided<br />
into three sections by two pale, narrow ver-<br />
tical stripes and one broader, patterned<br />
stripe, adding a touch of grandeur to the<br />
face, which is beautifully rounded off by the<br />
wonderfully finished hour and minute hands<br />
in rose gold. The Diva Gothic is considered<br />
to be a masterpiece of the ladies’ line. Set<br />
with 211 rubies and 169 brilliant diamonds,<br />
it skilfully combines the magic of love,<br />
grandeur and Gothic architecture. The 54<br />
rubies on the bezel have been transformed<br />
into rectangular, rhombus-like, baguette-cut<br />
diamonds. The polished surfaces of the gem-<br />
stones are set downward, while the rounded,<br />
uncut body of the stones faces upward. It is a<br />
rare and special process that lends the watch<br />
an additional touch of uniqueness. Another<br />
extraordinary design can be found in the<br />
Alacria Diva WildCat. Both dial and case<br />
feature an exotic tiger design set with black,<br />
yellow and orange-colored sapphires: an<br />
enchanting mix of grace and luxury to<br />
bedeck the wearer’s wrist. Perhaps the most<br />
exotic beauty in the Alacria line is the<br />
Alacria Diva Bamboo.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 29
COLLECTION<br />
Eighty-three orange and black baguette-cut<br />
sapphires represent the slim forms of the<br />
bamboo on the white gold dial of this<br />
fabulous timepiece. Enclosing it all is an<br />
eye-catching case in white gold, which is<br />
likewise set with 90 orange and black<br />
baguette-cut sapphires and 239 round black<br />
sapphires. An orange sapphire also sets off<br />
the gold crown to perfection. The latest<br />
addition to the family, the Alacria Royal-<br />
Rose, radiates a majestic charm. Floral,<br />
relief-like elements twirl across the delicately<br />
finished dial. The blossoms, formed<br />
from 89 sapphires and 26 brilliant diamonds,<br />
harmonize perfectly with the motherof-pearl<br />
dial. Over 1300 sparkling white<br />
brilliant diamonds decorate the Alacria<br />
Swan. Uniquely brilliant and uniquely<br />
finished, it is the masterpiece of the Alacria<br />
collection. At the same time, it is a tribute<br />
to the <strong>Bucherer</strong> family and company, as<br />
well as the city of Lucerne, the city in which<br />
the <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> watch brand was<br />
founded.<br />
In the Alacria line, <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> combines<br />
contemporary elegance with sensuality,<br />
aiming it at women who are part of a multidimensional<br />
world and wish to underscore<br />
their personality with an exclusive jewelry<br />
watch. It is a line of enormous character,<br />
unifying style and elegance with freshness<br />
and joie de vivre. It is a source of pleasure<br />
now, but has the potential to be a muchloved<br />
classic.<br />
30 – INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8
VIEWPOINT<br />
Sustainable<br />
Luxury for<br />
tomorrow’s<br />
world<br />
Nader Freiha<br />
Managing Director at MPP<br />
Middle East Media LLC<br />
Walking the tightrope between old and new,<br />
between tradition and the modern world, the<br />
Arabian Gulf states no longer see themselves<br />
merely as suppliers of oil, but as one of the<br />
role models for economic development in<br />
the future. These countries are not only working<br />
assiduously to develop a new culture<br />
and a modern society but also creating<br />
impressive and visionary spaces that give<br />
expression to this process of change.<br />
An exemple of the new freedom is the state<br />
of Dubai, which, unlike ancient Arabia, does<br />
not look upon globalization as a danger so<br />
much as an opportunity. Its progressive<br />
philosophy no longer puts the state but the<br />
individual at the center of things. Its dogmatism<br />
has made way for a more pragmatic<br />
approach that gives people more room for<br />
self-realization. This change in perspective<br />
has garnered international approval and<br />
worldwide trust, and is manifested in<br />
numerous investment projects that are<br />
bringing boom times to the region’s expanding<br />
markets.<br />
From a business point of view, the Gulf<br />
states, whose investments and participating<br />
interests are turning them into a major<br />
economic force internationally, can look<br />
forward to a prolonged period of increasing<br />
prosperity. In recent years, for example, the<br />
United Arab Emirates (UAE) in general and<br />
the Gulf region in particular have benefited<br />
enormously from their position as a “safe<br />
haven”. Even today, economic growth continues<br />
at breakneck pace in the Gulf states,<br />
above all in the UAE, in the kingdom of<br />
Saudi Arabia and in the states of Kuwait and<br />
Qatar.<br />
These exciting developments have turned the<br />
Arab world into a magnet for tourists from<br />
all over the world, who come, certainly, to be<br />
amazed, but above all to shop. According<br />
to figures published by Visa Inc., Visa cardholders<br />
visiting the UAE in 2012 spent<br />
USD 4.7 billion – that’s 17 percent more than<br />
in the same period in 2011. And regional<br />
duty-free shopping, which generated<br />
“ITS POPULARITY IN THE ARABIAN GULF STATES<br />
CAN BE ASCRIBED TO THE VALUE<br />
OF SUSTAINABLE LUXURY”<br />
24 percent more revenues in 2012 in Abu<br />
Dhabi alone, is booming as never before.<br />
This trend is confirmed by the Visa study<br />
‘Tourism Outlook: UAE’, which in terms<br />
of purchases sees an average growth rate of<br />
20 percent.<br />
Apart from the increase in tourist figures,<br />
developments in the retail trade have also<br />
made the Gulf state markets an attractive<br />
destination for retail traders and international<br />
luxury brands. In the 13th edition of<br />
the Global Retail Development Index<br />
(GRDI), four GCC states make it into the<br />
Top 20, including the UAE in fifth place,<br />
followed by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman<br />
in places 9, 16 and 17, respectively.<br />
Among the luxury brands that have gained a<br />
foothold in our market is the fine watchmaking<br />
brand of <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>, whose unique<br />
development I have been following on the<br />
spot. In this cultural environment, too,<br />
<strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong> has managed to retain its<br />
exclusiveness and to maintain the successful<br />
process of internationalization it embarked<br />
upon over twelve years ago. Among other<br />
things, its popularity in the Arabian Gulf<br />
states can be ascribed to the value of<br />
sustainable luxury: this is something the<br />
brand has embodied for as long as anyone<br />
can remember and for which there is a<br />
strong demand in the new Arab world.<br />
Looking into the future, prospects remain<br />
promising for the development of the luxury<br />
goods industry in general and for <strong>Carl</strong> F.<br />
<strong>Bucherer</strong> in particular. Driven by economic<br />
power, an expanding trade presence, growing<br />
confidence and increasing demand from<br />
consumers, the industry’s sales in this region<br />
seem set to continue rising and to offer a<br />
genuine increase in value: particularly for<br />
brands like <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>, which build on<br />
values such as tradition and innovation. The<br />
unique watches from the Lucerne watch<br />
manufacturer fit in perfectly with this new<br />
age of individuality and have a finger on the<br />
pulse of a world in which people increasingly<br />
think of themselves – and of tomorow.<br />
INSIGHT BY CARL F. BUCHERER Nº8 – 31
T H R E E T I M E Z O N E S A T A G L A N C E<br />
PATRAVI TRAVELTEC FOURX<br />
Selected rose gold, precious<br />
titanium, extra-hard high-tech<br />
ceramic and tough natural rubber<br />
give time a new material form.<br />
Globetrotters will find that the<br />
Patravi TravelTec FourX brings<br />
them the perfect combination of<br />
luxury and high-tech. It displays<br />
three time zones at once and jumps<br />
across time zones at the touch<br />
of a button. With <strong>Carl</strong> F. <strong>Bucherer</strong>’s<br />
engineering on a miniature scale,<br />
your journey through time can begin.<br />
BOUND TO TRADITION – DRIVEN BY INNOVATION<br />
WWW.CARL-F-BUCHERER.COM