e often hear of partnerships between watch brands and car manufacturers. It’s rare, however, to find a timepiece based on the founding family’s own car! But that is the case for Carl F. Bucherer’s limited-edition Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne, which was inspired by a classic Lincoln Cosmopolitan Town Sedan with a remarkable history.

The car originally belonged to Carl Eduard Bucherer, the son of Carl Friedrich Bucherer, who founded the brand in 1888. It was sold in 1952 and changed hands several times over the years. In 2013, however, Jörg G. Bucherer, Carl Eduard’s son, was able to buy the family car and have it restored to its original glory. Today, it’s not uncommon to see it along the shores of Lake Lucerne, in the white and blue livery that matches the flag and colours of the canton.

We often hear of partnerships between watch brands and car manufacturers. It’s rare, however, to find a timepiece based on the founding family’s own car!

Roots and wings

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings,” wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The story of this car is one of resilience, but it’s also emblematic of the Bucherer family’s deep attachment to its local roots. Although now a global group, the company still has strong ties to its home town of Lucerne, something that distinguishes it from other Swiss luxury watchmakers. The Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne pays tribute to the Bucherer family and its home town, through the story of a remarkable automobile that is now back in the hands of its original owners.

Carl F. Bucherer CEO Sascha Moeri is extremely fond of the story. He says: “This is such an incredible narrative. All of us who have been privileged to work closely with Jörg G. Bucherer over the years know how much this car means to him. Our designers and watchmakers took inspiration from the automobile and created a great timepiece that pays homage to the Chairman of the Bucherer Group, to his passion for the family car that came back into his life after so many years, and, of course, to our beloved home town of Lucerne, the place where the car and the Bucherer family have shared such an extraordinary history.”

From car to timepiece

Given that the inspiration for the Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne is a vintage Lincoln Cosmopolitan, it seems only natural that the timepiece would enter Carl F. Bucherer’s vintage watch collection. Produced in a limited edition of 188 pieces, it has a 41mm stainless steel case presented on a multi-link Milanese stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and a quick release system. It is also delivered with a calfskin leather strap with a folding clasp, which also has a quick release system, so the look can be changed quickly and easily.

The silver-coloured dial on display through the double-domed sapphire crystal features light blue subdials with chronograph minutes and small seconds counters, which are complemented by a light blue ring with a tachymeter scale around the edge of the dial. The pale blue recalls the colour of Jörg G. Bucherer’s lovingly restored automobile. The watch’s dial also boasts a month aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock and a bold big date window just below 12 o’clock.

The light blue touches on the dial recall the colour of Jörg G. Bucherer’s lovingly restored automobile.

A mix of vintage and modern

Although the Heritage BiCompax Annual Lucerne recalls some of the finest timepieces from an earlier era, the mechanical movement at the heart of the watch is a very contemporary creation. The CFB Calibre 1972 automatic chronograph has a power reserve of 42 hours, and its annual calendar complication accounts for different month lengths – 30 and 31 days – so the date only has to be corrected once a year, on March 1.

Indeed, the engine of the watch should be as durable as the car from which it took its inspiration, and which has been passed from one generation to the next. And it’s perhaps in this key aspect of transmission to future generations that the spirit of the family-owned Lincoln Cosmopolitan Town Sedan finds its most relevant and moving meaning.

FACTS AND FIGURES: HERITAGE BICOMPAX ANNUAL LUCERNE

• Reference number: 00.10803.08.12.22
• Movement: Automatic, CFB 1972 calibre, diameter 30mm, height 7.3mm, 47 jewels, power reserve 42 hours
• Functions: Chronograph: minutes and seconds counters, annual calendar, big date, hour, minute, small seconds, tachymeter scale
• Case: Stainless steel, double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, water-resistant to 30 m (3 bar), diameter 41mm, height 14.15mm
• Dial: Silver coloured with light blue counters and tachymeter zone, 10 Arabic numerals (of which the 12 and 6 are chrome coloured)
• Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp and quick release system, additional calfskin leather strap with quick release system and stainless steel pin-lock folding clasp
• Limited edition: 188 pieces
• Retail price: CHF 7,300