Hands-on – The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback, now with Blue Dial and Steel Bracelet

Launched in 2016, the Manero Flyback has become a classic for Carl F. Bucherer and almost a collection within the collection. Indeed, the watch is available in multiple variants, from luxurious gold editions to racing-oriented models or a casual ice-blue version. The success of this watch is easy to understand… it is beautifully designed, slightly retro, well-powered and versatile. Just in time for summer and as a teaser for more novelties to come later this year, Carl F. Bucherer today releases new deep blue versions of the Manero Flyback, as well as a new stainless steel bracelet option. 

Carl F. Bucherer, the Lucerne-based watchmaker, operating since 1888, is among the oldest watch brands with continuous ownership by the founding family with the third generation currently in charge. Today, the brand is mostly known for its mastery of the peripheral technology, applied to both automatic winding – with the Calibre CFB A1000 and CFB A2000 – but also on the tourbillon, with the impressive Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral. Yet, there’s more to the brand, which knows how to craft beautiful and mechanically advanced watches in the chronograph category too. There’s the handsome Heritage BiCompax Annual for instance, and there’s the classic Manero Flyback, which since 2016 has become one of the brand’s cornerstone models.

Today, the brand introduces a new dial colour and the option of an elegantly-shaped steel bracelet to its Flyback watch. Other than that, we still find the same successful recipe as before. The case of the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback is a great combination of modernity and retro elements, of elegance and casualness, or robustness and refined details. It isn’t a proper sports watch, it isn’t a dress watch either. It sits right in the middle as a contemporary, urban model for daily use.

The case of the Manero Flyback is, in the present attire, made of stainless steel with an alternation of polished – casebands, bezel, pushers/crown – and brushed surfaces – top of the lugs. It measures a respectable 43mm diameter and is 14.45mm in height, so clearly a watch with a masculine presence. The case is beautifully detailed, with curved lugs enhanced by a bevel, old-school mushroom-type pushers, a smooth polished bezel and a box-shaped sapphire crystal on top. Overall, the design is very pleasant and the execution precise and solid.

The second evolution concerns the options for strap and bracelet. Until now, the Manero Flyback was exclusively available on leather, whether alligator or a vintage-inspired perforated one for the “racing” edition. First, this new blue dial model is available on a casual, summer-friendly textile strap closed by a folding clasp. Second, a new steel bracelet with 9-link architecture, mixing polished and brushed links, has been added to the options. Flexible, luxurious and comfortable, closed by a concealed buckle, it changes the personality of this chronograph, without becoming too sporty either. The execution is, like the rest of the watch, top-notch.

The second new feature on this 2020 version of the Manero Flyback concerns the dial, which gets a new, deep blue colour – which is different from the light grey-blue version we’ve already reviewed here. New colour aside, the dial retains its 1940s inspiration, with a two-tone pattern – opaline in the centre, with a brushed hour chapter ring – and its clearly defined sectors. The bi-compax layout with deeply recessed sub-counters for the seconds and the elapsed minutes is still present, as well as the rhodium-plated applied indexes and openworked hands. The dial is framed by a tachymeter scale and all the inscriptions are done in white, providing great contrast. A date is placed at 6 o’clock, retaining the symmetry of this bi-compax display.

Under the sapphire caseback is an interesting movement developed for CFB by La Joux-Perret. The calibre CFB 1970 is an extensively modified Valjoux base, which now incorporates a fly-back function – a complex mechanism that allows resetting a timing session by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock, without the usual stop-reset-start sequence. It also replaces the cam-lever architecture by a more desirable column wheel, which is easily visible through the caseback. This automatic movement, pleasantly decorated, runs at 4Hz and provides 42 hours of power reserve.

Pricing

These new deep blue version of the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback will soon be available from boutiques and retailers, in non-limited editions. The version on textile strap (ref. 00.10919.08.53.01) will be priced at EUR 5,500 and the version on steel bracelet (ref. 00.10919.08.53.21) will be priced at EUR 5,900.

These two new models are a teaser for the new 2020 collection that will be launched at the Geneva Watch Days from August 26 to 29. For more details, please visit www.carl-f-bucherer.com.