Borna Bosniak Carl F. Bucherer focuses on the latest heritage models of the 1950s, when the Derby movement was replaced by a modern model. To keep price and bulk down, the Heritage Worldtimer requires user input every time you want to check the time in a different city, essentially acting as an internal bezel. For the rose gold limited edition, prices start at $7,900 USD for the steel version.
Although the market is full of vintage-inspired watches, watch enthusiasts seem to have a special preference for newly minted old-school watches. This is exactly where Carl F. Bucherer’s new Heritage Worldtimer seeks to fit, with its versatile 39mm case and unique complication proposition at this price point.
And speaking of vintage, it’s the mid-century Bucherer pieces that inspired this latest release. Despite being powered by the hand-wound Derby 7510 movement, the reference 71.1960.00.003 sports a minimalist dial approach and the ear-like dual crowns found on newer models.
The new Heritage Worldtimer borrows almost every design cue from the original and scales it up to fit a 39mm diameter while maintaining a slim height of just 10.25mm. These are Goldilocks dimensions for everyday wearers, and the addition of some really useful complications is a bonus. Bucherer offers two materials to choose from: stainless steel and rose gold. The latter is a limited edition model of 88 pieces. Regardless of the material you choose, you get 30 meters of water resistance. This isn’t great, but it’s understandable considering the two crowns and thin construction.
Continuing the case trend, the dial largely follows the design of 1950s watches, including simple stick indexes that are actually engraved on the sunburst blank. The vintage-style sans-serif typeface hasn’t lost any of its charm, and the bar needles don’t make things too complicated. One thing I’m not satisfied with is the brand logo. I understand that Carl F. Bucherer wants to be as distinct as possible from its parent company, Bucherer, but the additional space and style changes required for a modern logo just don’t sit right with me. In fact, simply adopting the heritage logo and removing the dial at 6 o’clock would have made this one of the most attractive world time dials ever.
Flip the Heritage Worldtimer over to reveal the CFB A2020, which shows off Bucherer’s signature peripheral rotor. Not only does this allow properly decorated bridges to be seen better, but it also allows the brand to reduce the overall thickness of the movement. The need for more horizontal space can sometimes come at the cost of a larger case, but fortunately that’s not the case here. The A2020 is based on the A2000, one of Bucherer’s three-pronged movements, typically built on the basis of complications, with a 55-hour power reserve and COSC-certified precision.
But it’s not the world timer you’d expect, so let’s talk briefly about its intricacies. Rather than setting your home time once and forgetting it (all you have to do is adjust daylight savings time), the Heritage Worldtimer requires a little more input. Its simplified mechanism essentially functions as an internal bezel controlled by a crown at 9 o’clock, allowing the user to set the current time zone to the corresponding 24-hour time on the fixed inner ring, and adjust other clocks accordingly. Must be read all the time. This must be done each time a new measurement is required. I can see this being a potential pain point for some people. Even though this lack of complexity (or simplification) is reflected in the pricing, $7,900 is still a significant amount of money. However, to the Heritage Worldtimer’s credit, this watch has a well-designed case, a handsome dial, and a unique movement finished to a satisfactory standard.
Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Worldtimer price and availability
The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Worldtimer is now available in an 18K rose gold version limited to 88 pieces. Price: US$7,900 (steel, strap), US$8,400 (steel, bracelet), US$14,900 (rose gold)
Brand Carl F. Bucherer Model Heritage Worldtimer Reference 00.10805.08.13.01
00.10805.08.33.01
00.10805.08.13.21
00.10805.08.33.21
00.10805.03.13.01 Case dimensions 39mm (D) x 10.25mm (T) Case material Stainless steel
18K Rose Gold Water Resistant 30 Meters Crystal Double Domed Sapphire Front, Sapphire Back Dial Sunburst Silver or Black Strap Black Wool, Steel Pin Folding Clasp
Steel bracelet with folding clasp
Black wool, 18K rose gold pin buckle Movement CFB A2020, peripheral rotor automatic winding, COSC certified power reserve 55 hours Functions Hours, minutes, instant world time Availability Rose gold Limited to 88 pieces Price $7,900 (steel, strap)
US$8,400 (steel, bracelet)
US$14,900 (Rose Gold)
