Carl F. Bucherer: Haute Horlogerie in central Switzerland

Sascha Moeri, CEO, Carl F. Bucherer: We are proud to be part of Bucherer AG and therefore under the same roof as Europe’s largest and best-in-class retailer. This gives us many advantages and a direct connection to the sales front. But we are also very proud of having our own history as a watch manufacturer. Our origins lie in Lucerne, where our founder Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened his first boutique for fine jewellery and watches in 1888. We have gone a long way since then. We are still strongly connected to Lucerne and its “terroir”, and inspired and driven by this rich heritage of 130 years; at the same time, we are developing and producing ingenious in-house movements such as the T3000 at our own state-of-the-art manufacturing site. We have a very unique approach to design and technology and yes, people are recognizing Carl F. Bucherer as an independent brand with a strong history.

Carl F. Bucherer’s plan has always been to build completely in-house developed movements. In 2008, we were all set to bring this plan to fruition and start production of our first movement, the A1000, at our own manufacturing site. Having our own manufacture enables us to expand research and development, come up with innovative complications and really integrate the different processes involved in making such fantastic timepieces as our new Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral with a floating tourbillon.

Opening our manufacturing site was not a difficult process; it was the logical next step. Through our manufacture in Lengnau, we have built a center of excellence with a modern infrastructure, and are all set to not only continue the history of making our own movements but to establish a truly integrated production process which meets the highest standards in the field of Haute Horlogerie and puts us in a very competitive position within the industry. Customers reward those efforts and the spirit of innovation with their trust and esteem for our watches.

With our first in-house developed movement we set the course for the strong position we now have in the watch market. The A1000 was the world’s first serial-produced movement with a peripheral rotor. It set new standards within the industry and established our role as pioneers in the field of peripheral technology.

Let me just say that the DNA of Carl F. Bucherer is made of our long history and the character of innovation, hence customers can expect innovative technologies, highly functional complications and outstanding design paired with unique tradition in the future!

Being a family-run company allows us to think outside the box, to build and pursue a continuous long-term strategy, and act independently. This comes with certain dynamics: decisions are made quickly and executed fast, which enables us to work in a highly efficient way. It’s an enormous privilege and a big advantage compared with the rather static situation of many other brands.

The current market situation is really exciting, especially in terms of distribution. The partnership with Tourneau enables us to offer our excellent watches to a wider audience throughout the US and by doing so increase brand awareness, which is an important step in our long-term strategy within the American market.

The Asian market currently stands for 40% of our sales, right alongside Europe. But Asia, especially Greater China with Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, has become a very important factor for the growth of the brand globally. The rest is split between the US and other regions, where we have also been growing strongly in the past months.
E-commerce will become more and more important in the upcoming years. In the future, the most successful brands will be the ones that are able to orchestrate online and offline touchpoints all together in a well-balanced way. We recognized the trend towards online sales and purchases a while ago, which is why we are very proud to have recently opened our first digital boutique with JD.com in China.

The FHH brings together the best watch brands in the world. We are proud to have been listed among the top manufacturers recognized by the FHH for some time. With our official partnership, we are strengthening this commitment and look forward to making an important contribution to upholding the traditions of Haute Horlogerie and the exchange of information in the sector. This is a prestigious position to be in, all thanks to the excellent work of an outstanding team in Lucerne and Lengnau – our CFB-Family, which I am proud to be a part of.