With the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony, Carl F. Bucher is presenting an extraordinary minute repeater. The watch combines three elements – oscillating weight, tourbillon and regulator – with peripheral mounting. Last but not least, the watch in the 43.8 mm red gold case comes with a COSC chronometer certificate. As the most complex watch ever made by the brand, it appears as a limited edition of 88 pieces.
As early as the last century, watchmakers were experimenting with peripheral mounting of components such as the oscillating weight. However, it was not until 2008 that Carl F. Bucher succeeded in putting the technology into series production with the calibre A 1000. Following this, the manufacture presented the T3000 calibre in 2018, which is inside the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral. It combines the peripheral winding with a peripherally mounted tourbillon that appears to float due to the lack of bridges. With the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony, Carl F. Bucherer is now going one step further by integrating a minute repeater with a peripherally mounted regulator in addition to the two other innovations.
Carl F. Bucherer houses the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony in a case made of 18-carat rose gold. It measures 43.8 mm in diameter and a slender 12.47 mm in height. It also has open lugs designed to improve the sound of the minute repeater. The bezel is polished to contrast with the brushed sides of the case. Finally, the sapphire crystal case back allows a view of the mechanics inside. However, with a water resistance of 10 metres, the watch should not come into contact with water.
The dial is made of 18-carat white gold and has a galvanised, finely grained surface. It also has hands and indices in 18-carat rose gold that echo the tone of the case. The brand name makes way for the tourbillon and moves to 3 o’clock. Opposite, at 9 o’clock, the small round window displays the status of the watch. A blue dot indicates that the crown is pulled out. A blue note, on the other hand, appears when the minute repeater is activated. In fact, the crown locks as soon as the slide is operated, thus protecting the mechanism from misuse. Conversely, the minute repeater cannot be activated when the crown is pulled out.
A highlight is the peripherally mounted regulator of the minute repeater, which can be spotted at 6 o’clock. Due to the missing bridges, its spin can be observed when the repeater is activated. The two gongs and the corresponding hammers of the minute repeater can also be found at the lower part of the dial through the cut-out. There is also a gold plate here that bears the limitation number.
The MR3000 manufacture movement inside the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Symphony combines three peripheral technologies for the first time. Not only the oscillating weight, but also the tourbillon and the regulator of the minute repeater are peripherally mounted. To realise these functions, the movement requires 600 individual parts. Nonetheless, the calibre measures only 8.59 mm in height and offers a power reserve of 65 hours. In addition, it is COSC-certified and bears various finishes such as Geneva stripes, perlage and diamond-bevelled bridges.
The peripheral winding is a hallmark feature of the Manufacture. Here, the oscillating weight rotates around the movement instead of being centrally mounted. In this way, the automatic winding can be combined with an unobstructed view of the mechanism. In the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Symphony, the oscillating weight is made of 22-carat rose gold. Four black ceramic bearings support the rail and thereby enable bidirectional winding.
The tourbillon at 12 o’clock is held by three invisible ball bearings and can therefore do without the usual bridges. For this reason, it seems almost to float when looking at the dial. The manufacture also integrates a stop-seconds mechanism to enable the precise setting of the time. In fact, the tourbillon also functions as a small second hand.
With the minute repeater, Carl F. Bucherer has equipped its flagship model with a high complication. The mechanism here strikes the time with two different gongs. The regulator, which sets the beat for the striking mechanism, is peripherally mounted by three low-friction ceramic ball bearings. This means that this element can also be viewed without a bridge obstructing the view. The wearer triggers the function via the slider, thereby winding a spring that supplies the mechanism with the necessary energy. In addition, the watchmakers integrate an “all or nothing” mechanism, meaning that the repetition only starts when the slider has been fully actuated.
The watch box of the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony contains an exclusive resonator. It is made of Swiss spruce wood, which comes from the mountain forests of the Jura. In fact, this wood is also used in the construction of guitars and violins. The resonator effectively doubles the volume of the minute repeater so that other people in the vicinity can also listen to its chimes.
The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Symphony comes on a dark brown strap made of Louisiana alligator leather. The hand-sewn strap secures with a pin folding clasp made of 18-carat rose gold. On request, the house also offers further options for customising the timepiece. The watch is limited to 88 pieces and costs 340,000 euros.
