Bucherer: Image of luxury heritage

5th participation in European Heritage Days for the Maison Bucherer Paris, boulevard des Capucines.

The beginnings of the company

The history of the Bucherer house begins in 1888 with the opening of the first watch and jewelry store in Lucerne, Switzerland.

In 1919, Carl F. Bucherer and his wife Luise released the first collection of ladies’ watches in the Art Deco style. The following year, their 2 sons joined the growing company.

In 1924, Ernst Bucherer entered into a partnership with Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex. After the economic crisis and the Second World War, the company continues to prosper. It opens branches in other towns and tourist sites in Switzerland.

Since its inception, the company has manufactured nearly 15,000 certified high-precision chronometers. In 1969, it joined a Swiss consortium to manufacture the first quartz movement for a wristwatch, the Beta 21.

The 3rd generation expands the company abroad

In 1976, the 3rd generation took over the company with Jörg G. Bucherer. After 4 years, the house expands to Austria and then to Germany, 10 later. In 1989, the Kurz group joined Bucherer.

The independent company Carl F. Bucherer was founded in 2001, when Swiss Lion AG was acquired and the Patravi collection was put on sale.

A patent, filed in 2005, for the monopusher mechanism of the Patravi TravelTec watch, allows the simultaneous display of three time zones.

New technologies

In 2007, the company Techniques horlogères appliqués (THA), based in Sainte-Croix, joined the company. It takes the name of Carl F. Bucherer technologies. The following year, the manufacture caliber CFB A1000 appeared, equipped with a peripheral rotor.

To prevent counterfeiting, the Manero PowerReserve is the first Carl F. Bucherer model with a laser signature guaranteeing its authenticity. All the brand’s models have been equipped with this technology since 2014.

The era of large boutiques

Bucherer opened the largest watch and jewelry store in the world in Paris in 2013. In 2016, the one in Copenhagen was essential for Scandinavia. The following year, the acquisition of “The Watch Gallery allowed the opening of 4 London boutiques. In January 2018, Bucherer took over the American luxury watch distributor Tourneau and its 28 boutiques in the United States.

Bucherer became the first and largest watchmaker and jeweler in Europe. Since the partnership between Ernst Bucherer and Hans Wilsdorf, Bucherer has become the privileged distributor of Rolex. At the same time, the house offers famous luxury watches including Omega, Piaget, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Bréguet, etc.

Certified Pre-Owned watches

Since September 2019, Bucherer offers second-hand luxury watches with certificate and 2 years warranty. Certified Pre-Owned watches are available in stores or online, in Switzerland, Germany, France and soon in the United Kingdom.

The “Galerie” space located on the 4th floor of the Geneva building was the first boutique. Others then appeared in Zurich then Hamburg, London and Paris. Bucherer Gallery is a concept store where you can exchange, a glass in hand, and discover exceptional watches on display or in stock, with no obligation to purchase.

By entering the second hand market, Bucherer wants to put “vintage” watches in the spotlight. This niche attracts lovers of fine watchmaking and can represent 2 to 3 times that of new.

In addition, each boutique offers a workshop service in order to check its watch every 2 years by a certified specialist and have a complete overhaul every 5 years.

Bucherer Jewelery from pure tradition

Bucherer jewelry is part of collections designed and manufactured in the workshops of Lucerne by experienced craftsmen. There are unique creations with rare diamonds of natural color, unique colored stones or carefully selected pearls.

Design and silverware

The design begins with sketches where original ideas for the artisanal manufacture of jewelry take shape.

Goldsmithing is one of the oldest crafts. At Bucherer, the silversmiths fix the frame of each piece of jewelry by working with the sketches of the designers to create plastic shapes. They transform the precious metal into works of art of all finesse. They saw, cement and weld according to the natural properties of the different metals. Gold and platinum take shape in their hands.

Finishing of the jewel

Gemologists and gem-setters must work in complete harmony. First, the gemologist chooses the stones based on his experience, then buyers identify them, control their quality and origin and determine their value. Then, the setters make the adjustment using chisels, cutters and stalls in order to make the stone appear optimally. The pressure exerted is decisive and the stone must not be damaged. The setting is done only by hand and requires immense concentration, confident hands and a keen sense of form.

Polishing

Polishing is the last step in manufacturing, it is done entirely by hand and takes some time. The polisher brings out the beauty of the jewel thanks to polishing wheels which turn on their axis. In fact, increasingly fine tools make precious metals shine.

The stones

Several kinds of stones can be used in jewelry, mounted on gold or platinum.

Precious stones: Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald.
Fine stones: Aquamarine, Amethyst, Aventurine, Blue chalcedony. Citrine, Carnelian, Black diamond, Garnet. Iolite, Kyanite, Mother of Pearl, Onyx. Peridot, Pearl, Pyrite. Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, Spinel, Tanzanite.Turquoise.
Synthetic stones: corundum, zircon, moissanite … obtained by several manufacturing means including the Verneuil process (1902) by flame fusion.

Quality criteria

Authenticity: purity can be recognized by the transparency of the stone and its inclusions
Color: the lighter a stone, the rarer it is
The “Cut” (size and shape): the appearance and properties of the rough stone determine the final appearance of the gem.

Weight: the quality of a stone has been evaluated since Antiquity in carats (1 ct = 0.2 g).

Strong point of the Bucherer Fine Jewelery collection: the 18 Ladybird creations from the exclusive collection of precious stones set in rings or pendants.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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