BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
The Manero collection from Carl F. Bucherer comprises elegant watches that are a testimony to superior Swiss watchmaking craft. For 2021, the Marero lineup has been expanded with what can be considered as one of the most complicated and innovative offerings from the brand. Powered by Carl F. Bucherer’s peripheral technology the new Manero Minute Repeater Symphony features a flying Tourbillon and a minute repeater mechanism.
Minute Repeater is a complication in a mechanical watch that chimes the hours, quarter-hours, and minutes on the wearer’s request. As simple as this sounds a minute repeater is one of the most challenging complications to implement. Shouldering this responsibility on the Manero minute repeater is the in-house caliber MR300. The movement is COSC certified and features a peripheral winding system, a peripherally suspended floating Tourbillon, and a peripherally mounted regulator for the minute repeater. While the regulator and Tourbillon are visible, the element that stands true to the literal meaning of the word peripheral is the rotor that runs outside the movement, giving an unobtrusive view of the movement. Operating at 3 Hz, the MR300 offers a power reserve of around 65 hours. It is also worth noting that the 60-second Tourbillon comes with a centrally mounted hand to track the second’s and can also be hacked. The movement showcases nice decoration that includes Geneva stripes on the bridges, hand-polished bevels, and perlage.
The face of the Manero Minute Repeater is elegant and refined with a lot of visual excitement on offer. Presented with a Grande finish, the white gold dial is neatly laid out. Covering the periphery of the dial are sharp-looking applied red gold indices and a printed black minute track. Sitting at the 12 o’clock position is a large circular display that reveals the flying tourbillon. Located above the marker at 6 is the regulator for the Minute repeater. Also visible at the 5 o’clock and the 7 o’clock position are two angular sinks that house the hammers of the minute repeater assembly. At the 9 o’clock position is a discreet circular display that tells whether the minute repeater has been activated. If a music note is displayed, it means that the minute repeater has been triggered. Furthermore, when this note is being displayed, for the safety of the movement, the crown of the watch cannot be pulled out. And the converse also holds true. Finally, the dial is completed by beautiful dauphine-style hands.
Providing a nice contrast to the silver dial and adding warmth to the watch is the 18k Pink gold case. Measuring 43mm in diameter and having a thickness of 12.4mm, the case is not small but is well-sized for the complications on offer. While featuring a nice rounded shape, the sides of the case have been hollowed out adding depth and visual complexity. The right side of the case features a grippy crown whereas the left side is flanked by a trigger to activate the minute repeater. Finishing is top-notch with a nice interplay between brushed and polished surfaces seen throughout the case. Surprisingly the case is also water-resistant to 100 meters which is not something that you see on most dress watches.
The new Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Symphony comes attached to a brown alligator strap with an 18k red gold pin buckle. Production is limited to just 88 pieces and the retail price has been set at EUR 340,000.
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