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How is CFB celebrating its 125 anniversary?
I’m very excited about the festivities for Bucherer’s 125th anniversary, which we are celebrating at international level. We’ve organized a road show highlighting the history of Carl F. Bucherer and amassed a collection of over 220 timepieces from the 1920s through to the1950s and later. It’s amazing to see how many of them were already so far ahead of their time when they were produced all those years ago. We also plan to exhibit some of our early in-house movements, some of the first quartz watches and one of our first diving watches.
We’ll also be presenting many new additions to our four collections. We’re particularly looking forward to the limited editions being launched to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Carl Friedrich Bucherer’s opening of his first store in 1888 in the heart of Lucerne. To mark the event, among other things, we’ve created the ManeroMoonPhase, a lavish Alacria jeweled watch and the PatraviTravelTecFourX in red gold, all models in limited editions of just 125 watches. In the course of the year, we’re planning a number of additional surprise launches for selected journalists together with events for our best partners in various countries around the world, all in commemoration of our 125-year history of time.
Can you elaborate on the old collection of CFB timepieces that was bought by you recently and what is the purpose and destination of these vintage watches?
Over the past few years we’ve been buying back Bucherer watches all over the world. As a result we now have a collection of fabulous watches, which we presented at this year’s Baselworld and have plans to exhibit elsewhere in the future.
Carl Friedrich Bucherer was a visionary and created timepieces that literally go with the times. Take the revolutionary collection of Art Déco-inspired ladies’ watches launched in 1919, which came with wristbands that were new for the time, or the stylish men’s models produced mainly during the 1950s and 60s.Over the years Carl F. Bucherer watches have become increasingly complex. Our chronographs and moon phase watches have been joined by models with several time zones and complications such as the perpetual calendar.
To sum up: watches from Carl F. Bucherer, as history shows, seamlessly combine elegance and exclusiveness with practical functionality.
What makes CFB different from other legendary Swiss brands?
There are several factors, which are important individually but, taken together, add up to a unique package.
First, there’s our history. Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened his first watch and jewelry store in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1888 and the company has remained in the family to this day. It is now owned and run by the third-generation sole shareholder, Jörg G. Bucherer, the founder’s grandson. No other watch company in Switzerland has that kind of pedigree, and it has ensured the continuity and consistency that run through all we do.
Second, we fuse traditional watchmaking skills with practical, cutting-edge features, and the same philosophy applies to our current product range as to our earlier models. They even feature some of the same components! One thing is certain: in future, our watches will remain a compelling blend of advanced technology with exclusive design. Our tradition is central to all we do but does not impede innovation.
Third, we can draw on over a century of first-class jewelry-making expertise that enables us to produce fabulous gemstone-encrusted watches with a distinctly feminine appeal.
Finally, there’s the quality of our products themselves. Look at them, touch them, and it’s difficult not to be impressed. They’re beautifully designed and they just feel good in your hand and on your wrist. If our success has taught us one thing, it is this: set your standards and stick by them, no matter what. When it comes to quality, you can be sure of one thing: we’ve never compromised and we never will.
What are the keys to successin CFB today?
Carl F. Bucherer only creates watches with movements that have been thoroughly tested and proved their worth. Our timepieces offer buyers a perfect combination of aesthetic appeal, traditional watchmaking, craftsmanship and advanced technology. We are driven by a passion for traditional watch- and jewelry making. And we are uncompromising in our quest for beauty and technical perfection. On top of that, we have a 125-year history of quality and continuity. These are invaluable attributes and the main reason our customers trust us and value our watches.
Where do you see growth markets for CFB?
We are in a very lucky position because we have many markets left to explore. We are very strong in Europe because we have our own distribution network. We are always strong in Asia as we started out in China at a very early stage. I see a lot of potential for us in Russia, India, and, of course, South America. Brazil is booming but we still have not entered region so there’s still plenty left to do.
How would you describe Carl F. Bucherer’s position in the watch market? What about the Middle East markets?
We are a luxury, high-end, premium watch brand. Although our main segment is the $5,000 to $30,000 range, there is no upper limit. We are carving out an increasingly strong position in the U.S. market, where there’s a growing demand for big masculine watches like the Patravi TravelTec. Consumers in the Middle East are also fans of the Patravi TravelTec but they also tend to go for more traditional, classical models with sophisticated complications, like the Manero Tourbillon.
CFB acquired its own movement manufacturing company in 2007. What has changed since then and when will CFB be self-sufficient as regards movements?
Having our own workshops dedicated to the design and production of movements has significantly streamlined our operations and made us more independent. However, I should point out that we did not set out to be entirely autonomous. We see ourselves as more of an innovative think tank. We have 80 people in production and the workshops are equipped with all the very latest machinery. All in all, it has made an enormous improvement to our professional know-how and expertise.
What is your vision and long term plans on the in-house caliber development and manufacturing?
Continuity, innovation and technological leadership, together with a generous portion of creativity, are the attributes from which we take our strength. Our timepieces reflect those attributes. Since we launched the CFB A1000, we’ve combined and further developed it with several modules that have practical functions, such as the unmistakable big date on the CFBA1001. The big date function is part of our brand’s genetic code, because Bucherer was focusing on big date displays as long ago as the late 1940s. I’m proud to say that further developments at Carl F. Bucherer Technologies have ensured that it remains a one of a kind.
How were your new products received in Basel? When will they be available at your boutiques and agents in the Middle East?
I’m delighted to report that our new products got a very enthusiastic reception, both at Baselworld and after the show. This year promises to be an amazing one for Carl F. Bucherer. It’s our 125th anniversary and we are launching three completely new products that have never been sold before in the company’s history: the Manero Tourbillon; the first women’s concept watch, the Pathos; and the first Manero watch featuring our in-house movement with a power reserve and a beautiful day and date indication.
Generally speaking, though, the vast majority of the new products unveiled at Baselworld will be available in the Middle East by late summer.
The Patravi TravelTecFourX Limited Edition, which was presented at Baselworld 2013, was described as a watch for elite travelers. Can you tell us more about that?
Yes, that’s true. The effort we put into its development was to ensure that it was simple to operate as possible. You can use the multifunctional push piece at 10 o’clock, for instance, to preselect the direction you’re travelling, east or west, and simply jump over time zones by pressing the button. So, unlike other world time watches, the Patravi TravelTec is perfect not only for frequent flyers but also for anyone who communicates with the entire world.
CFB has added more models to its women’s watch collections, with the result that the sales of ladies watches now accounts for 30%. Could you comment on this development for us?
We’ve always tried to strike a balance between the models we produce for men and for women. As you correctly state, we are making more watches with a distinctly feminine appeal. These include the Alacria Royal Rose and the Alacria Two Tone, which we presented at this year’s Baselworld. Watches like these involve a lot of sophisticated high-quality jewelry making, which tends to set them apart. Nevertheless, there is a very marked tendency for women to wear large Carl F. Bucherer watches with a distinctive sporty appeal.
How much does CFB watch brand benefit from Bucherer jewelry?
It’s certainly an advantage to have not only the best retailer under the same roof, but also the most exclusive jewelry maker, so to speak.
Creating jewelry out of exquisite precious stones is one of the oldest crafts known to mankind. It goes without saying that the sophisticated jewelry making skills of Carl F. Bucherer are a company tradition, one we pursue with great consistency. Sensitivity, pleasure, brilliance, genuineness and imagination are values that have always been at the center of the art of jewelry as practiced at Carl F. Bucherer.
Our links with the parent company provide us with a clear channel to the sales front, which is ideal. Bucherer has just opened a prestigious new concept store on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, where we have our own Carl F. Bucherer boutique. We are very proud of this project, which was designed and built to make our customers feel at home. Projects like this one are mutually supportive and generally boost demand for Bucherer Group projects.
CFB developed unique caliber with a peripheral rotor (CFB A1000), are you planning any further developments in this direction?
Absolutely: it’s all part of our brand strategy. We plan to consolidate our position while maintaining our purist approach, so we’re hard at work developing new calibers. I’m especially proud of our new project, the in-house CFB A2000 caliber, which is already in the pipeline. It’s a movement designed and produced in our own workshops. The industrialized manufacturing methods we’re adopting will allow us to produce in greater numbers, and that will of course be reflected in the price. The first Carl F. Bucherer models featuring the CFB A2000 should be hitting the markets in two to three years.
Where would you like to see CFB in five years from now?
Being successful in this industry, you need tradition and heritage combined with passion and authenticity. Carl F. Bucherer is bound by tradition and driven by innovation. For this reason, we’ve opted for an assertive but measured approach to expanding our markets, which have steadily grown to 30 countries since the company first ventured out of Switzerland. Asian and European customers, in particular, have played a pivotal role in the company’s phenomenal growth over the past three years, during which the company has reported record-breaking sales and had long waiting lists for its products.
To address the growing demand from all the markets, the company plans to open additional boutiques and POS on a worldwide scale. Three years ago, when we sold 6’500 watches a year, it was a dream to achieve 20’000 now it is real! For an exclusive premium brand as Carl F. Bucherer 30’000 pieces a year would be very nice.