Carl F. Bucherer

Who are Carl F. Bucherer?

Carl F. Bucherer is a Swiss watch brand from Lucerne, named after Carl Friedrich Bucherer, who opened a jewellery and watch shop there in 1888 (Carl F. Bucherer). It became a separate watch brand in 2001 and is known for movements with a peripheral rotor. Rolex has owned it since buying the Bucherer group, and in February 2025 the Swiss press reported that Rolex was closing the brand (Wikipedia; JCK). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Carl F. Bucherer watch second-hand in the UK.

The watch brand is not the same as Bucherer, the multi-brand jewellery and watch retailer from the same family (Wikipedia, Bucherer). Reports of the brand’s closure said the retail chain was not affected (JCK).

The history of Carl F. Bucherer

Carl F. Bucherer grew from a family retailer’s own-label watches into a brand with its own movements. The key dates are the Lucerne shop (1888), the separate brand (2001), the first in-house calibre (2008), Rolex’s purchase of the Bucherer group (2023 to 2024) and the reported closure (2025).

The family business. Carl Friedrich Bucherer and his wife, Louise, opened the first shop in Lucerne in 1888 (Wikipedia, Bucherer). Wikipedia’s infobox for the watch brand gives 1867, but its text and the company give 1888. The company made its first collection of ladies’ watches in 1919, in the Art Deco style (Wikipedia), and in 1949 to 1959 developed a line of chronographs with one, two or three subdials (Carl F. Bucherer).

Chronometers and quartz. Carl F. Bucherer says that in the 1960s and 1970s the company became one of the top three Swiss makers of chronometers. Wikipedia says it produced about 15,000 certified chronometers in 1968, and in 1969 joined the Swiss consortium that developed the Beta 21 quartz movement. Jörg G. Bucherer, the third generation, took over in 1976 (Wikipedia).

A brand of its own. In 2001 the watches became a separate brand named after the founder, launched with the Patravi collection (Carl F. Bucherer; aBlogtoWatch). Production moved to Lengnau in 2002, and in 2007 the company bought Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA), a movement developer in Sainte-Croix (Wikipedia). THA had been co-founded in 1989 by Denis Flageollet, later of De Bethune, and François-Paul Journe (Wikipedia, Denis Flageollet). From 2010, under chief executive Sascha Moeri, the watch brand was managed separately from the rest of Bucherer (aBlogtoWatch).

Its own movements. The CFB A1000 of 2008 was the brand’s first in-house calibre, with a peripheral rotor and a 55-hour power reserve (Carl F. Bucherer). The CFB A2000 family followed in 2016 in the Manero Peripheral, the CFB T3000 tourbillon in 2018, and the MR3000 minute repeater in 2021 (Carl F. Bucherer; aBlogtoWatch; Wikipedia).

Rolex. In August 2023 Rolex announced that it was buying Bucherer, one of its largest retailers; the deal completed in 2024 after regulatory approval (Wikipedia, Bucherer). The watch brand came with it.

The reported closure. In February 2025 the Swiss business paper Bilanz reported that Rolex was shutting the brand down. JCK, reporting Bilanz, said employees had been told, that the remaining boutiques would close, and that about 100 staff were affected; Bilanz wrote that the brand “has never managed to make a profit”. Revolution Watch reported that Rolex hoped to place many of the staff elsewhere in the group. Rolex referred questions to Bucherer, which declined to comment (JCK). When we checked in October 2026, the brand’s website was still online, with its service pages and service-centre list (Carl F. Bucherer).

What is Carl F. Bucherer known for?

Carl F. Bucherer is known for the peripheral rotor, for the Manero and Patravi collections, and for being the watch brand of the Bucherer retail family.

The peripheral rotor. In most automatic watches the winding weight, or rotor, swings over the back of the movement. A peripheral rotor runs around its edge instead, leaving more of the movement on view through the caseback. Carl F. Bucherer says the CFB A1000 of 2008 was the “world’s first movement with a peripheral rotor produced in series”, a claim it makes itself (aBlogtoWatch). The CFB T3000 of 2018 added a tourbillon mounted at its edge, which Wikipedia says is supported by three ceramic ball bearings so that it appears to float.

Movements made in-house and bought in. Not every Carl F. Bucherer has an in-house calibre. The Patravi ScubaTec, for example, uses what WorldTempus calls “a chronometer-certified calibre, albeit a generic one”. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the difference matters when you buy.

Anti-counterfeiting. Wikipedia says the brand introduced laser-based anti-counterfeiting in 2014.

Which Carl F. Bucherer watch collections are there?

The brand’s website lists three collections: Manero, Patravi and Heritage (Carl F. Bucherer). The collections table on this page gives the year each began, where known, and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Patravi. The Patravi launched with the brand in 2001 and includes the TravelTec, with three time zones, and the ScubaTec dive watches (aBlogtoWatch). WorldTempus says the ScubaTec of 2014 is rated to 500 metres and has a helium valve. On a second-hand diver, ask when the water resistance was last tested; our guide to water resistance explains why.
• Heritage. aBlogtoWatch reports that the Heritage collection launched in October 2018 in New York, while the brand’s own history dates the line to 2019 (Carl F. Bucherer).
• Older names. Wikipedia lists the Adamavi, Pathos and Alacria among the brand’s collections. They turn up second-hand; aBlogtoWatch describes the Pathos Diva as a women’s watch.

Who owns Carl F. Bucherer?

Carl F. Bucherer is owned by Rolex. The Bucherer family owned the business until 2023 (Wikipedia). Rolex announced the purchase of Bucherer AG in August 2023 and completed it in 2024 (Wikipedia, Bucherer). Rolex itself is owned by the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, a private foundation in Geneva; our Rolex page explains how that works.

According to JCK, Bilanz wrote that the brand had survived as a project of chairman Jörg G. Bucherer, who died months after the sale. Wikipedia records that in February 2025 Rolex chief executive Jean-Frédéric Dufour decided to discontinue the brand because it had not made a profit. The Bucherer retail chain, including Tourneau in the United States, stays with Rolex (JCK; Wikipedia, Bucherer).

Buying a Carl F. Bucherer watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Because the brand has been reported as closing, check first who will service the watch and supply parts. Then check the calibre, match the serial number to the warranty card, ask for the service history and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Servicing and parts. Ask the seller, and a Carl F. Bucherer service centre, whether the watch can still be serviced and whether parts are available. The brand lists service centres in London and Hockley, Essex (Carl F. Bucherer), but neither Rolex nor Bucherer had said publicly how long service and parts will continue. This matters most for in-house peripheral-rotor calibres such as the A1000, A2000 and T3000. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

2. Warranty. Carl F. Bucherer gives a two-year warranty from the date of purchase. A full service carries a two-year international service warranty and a partial service one year, and the brand asks for the completed warranty card when a watch is brought in (Carl F. Bucherer). Whether the warranty passes to a second owner is not stated. See watch warranties explained.

3. Papers and the full set. Ask for the warranty card, check that its serial number matches the case, and ask which other items come with the watch. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

4. Movement. Ask which calibre the watch has. The peripheral-rotor calibres begin with CFB, such as the CFB A1000 (Carl F. Bucherer); some models, such as the Patravi ScubaTec, use a supplier movement (WorldTempus).

5. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Carl F. Bucherer?

Rolex, which bought the Bucherer group, including the watch brand, in a deal announced in August 2023 and completed in 2024 (Wikipedia, Bucherer).

Has Carl F. Bucherer closed?

The Swiss paper Bilanz reported in February 2025 that Rolex was shutting the brand down, and JCK reported that staff had been told (JCK). We found no official statement from Rolex or Bucherer. The brand’s website was still online in October 2026 (Carl F. Bucherer).

Is Carl F. Bucherer the same as Bucherer?

They share a founder and an owner, but Bucherer is a multi-brand retailer and Carl F. Bucherer is the watch brand (Wikipedia, Bucherer). The reported closure covered only the watch brand (JCK).

When was Carl F. Bucherer founded?

The business dates from 1888, when Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened a shop in Lucerne. The watches became a separate brand in 2001 (Carl F. Bucherer).

What is a peripheral rotor?

A winding weight that runs around the edge of an automatic movement instead of over its back. Carl F. Bucherer’s first, the CFB A1000, launched in 2008 (Carl F. Bucherer).

Can I still get a Carl F. Bucherer serviced?

The brand still listed service centres in London and Hockley, Essex, in October 2026 (Carl F. Bucherer). Ask a service centre directly before you buy, because no long-term arrangement has been announced.

Where are Carl F. Bucherer watches made?

In Lengnau, near Biel, where production moved in 2002 (Wikipedia; Revolution Watch).

What was Carl F. Bucherer’s first in-house movement?

The CFB A1000, launched in 2008 with a peripheral rotor and a 55-hour power reserve (Carl F. Bucherer).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Carl F. Bucherer.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.