Press Release
Manero Tribute to MaBu. An exceptional chronograph with
the original hand-winding calibre Valjoux 92 in honour
of Max Bucherer (1883–1974), the Bohemian of the family
and brother of Carl Friedrich Bucherer.
The Manero Tribute to MaBu distinguishes itself through its completely restored original movement,
a Valjoux 92 out of the early fifties. With this watch, Carl F. Bucherer has created a timekeeper that will
make every collector’s heart miss a beat. A limited edition of 100 pieces.
The description “Valjoux”, as shortened version of the Vallée
de Joux region, first appeared in 1929. In this isolated valley
situated at an altitude of around 1000 m, the finest watch movements
have been developed and produced since 1895. In 1950
the first hand-winding calibres with chronograph function left
the valley. As a top notch product, the Valjoux 92 naturally
has a column wheel, a horizontal clutch wheel and a thirty minutes
counter. It has a 13’’’ or 29.5mm diameter and a height
of just about six millimetres.
Basically, chronographs, and the Valjoux 92 calibre is no exception,
embody a unit in the form of a layered construction of
movement and chronograph wheels. The former delivers the
impulse for the time indication. The latter connects with this
movement when pushing the chronograph-starter.
With the Valjoux 92, next the classical column wheel with altogether
seven columns comes into view. Each activation of the
two push-pieces moves it further on through a precisely defined
angle in terms of the hour hand. If the end of an interlocking
yolk comes to rest on a column, it is lifted by it. However, if it
stops between two columns, the slight spring pressure lowers
it. This intelligent exchange between “zero” and “one” is rather
like that of modern computer electronics. It either activates or
stops the chronograph hand, or makes it jump back to its starting
position again.
Just as important is the horizontally positioned and so best
observable clutch wheel of the Valjoux calibre 92. Pressing on
the push-piece connects it with the chronograph movement.
A second press on the same push-piece disconnects them both
again. This procedure can be repeated as often as you like
fulfilling the so-called totalizator function. First the zeroing pushpiece
ends a chronographic measurement. Because the large
glucydur screw balance completes precisely 18,000 vibrations
each hour or – in other words – has a frequency of 2.5 Hertz,
this fine movement stops exactly each fifth of a second.
Carl F. Bucherer was able to get hold of 100 examples from the
small remaining stock, went through a time-consuming process
of reworking to produce red gold treatment of the base plate,
bridges and bar surfaces, with manual circular-graining and
‘côtes de Genève’ finishing, with a carefully hand-applied chamfering,
polishing and satin-finishing of many of the steel parts.
The movement can be seen through the transparent sapphire
crystal back cover of an elegant red gold case. In order to maintain
the tradition, the Carl F. Bucherer designers have selected
a high double domed sapphire crystal and the five hands rotate
over an equally true-to-style, curved and complicated-to-produce
dial made of solid sterling silver. A Vintage Watch in Honour of Max Bucherer (1883–1974)
Max Bucherer was the youngest brother of Carl Friedrich
Bucherer, who in 1888 laid the foundations of the Bucherer-
Group. As the youngest of nine brothers and sisters, he was
to follow an artistic career, which also brought him into contact
with Hermann Hesse. His life’s work achieved acclaim between
1963 and 1966. Admirers and critics began to appreciate him
above all in 1960.
Mabu, as his friends called him, completed a course in graphics
in Munich before moving to Paris. Paris around 1900 exuded
an atmosphere of departure and lured freethinkers from all over
the world to the noisy tables of its bistros. Max was unable
to resist this energy and roamed the streets of Paris as a nineteen-
year-old and was equally as fascinated as irritated by
the motley hothouse of artistic diversity. More and more, Mabu
yearned for the calm and isolation of the Alps, and in 1905
he turned his back on all this and settled in the Bodensee area
on the artistic peninsular of Höri, which at the time had
developed into a small artist community, where he also pursued
close contacts with Hermann Hesse.
Best known are certainly his wood carvings, tender pictures of
lyrical landscapes full of quiet poetry. These wood carvings
are tiny – so long as one holds them in one’s hand. But as soon
as one closes one’s eyes, they become large, and the curious
thing: the edges of woods and also individual tree motifs transcend
in an almost milky light into something important;
another world behind things. One understands how the artist
was so attracted to the Japanese colour wood carvings.
Over 60 years later, Mabu, in his artist’s hermitage in the Ticino
border town of Porto Ronco looks out over Lake Maggiore and
back over his life. He has explored many more horizons, whether
as war illustrator working for Austria, as teacher in Munich
and Zurich or as traveller in search of inspiration, which he
found in particular in North Africa. Wood carving remained
his passion and he was no less important for his finely chiselled
jewellery pieces than his elder brother, Carl, the jeweller and
watch manufacturer.
In memory of the artistic creation and multi-faceted way of
life of the artist Mabu, Carl F. Bucherer is creating a collector’s
watch: the series limited to 100 pieces, called the Manero
Tribute to MaBu. The masterpiece is part of the strongly profiled
Manero collection, marrying beauty and elegance with functionality
and refinement.
For further information, please contact:
Bucherer Montres S.A
Catherine Mesot
Head PR & Events
Langensandstrasse 27
CH-6002 Lucerne
Tel: +41 41 369 70 70
Fax: +41 41 369 70 72
E-mail: catherine.mesot@carlf-f-bucherer.com
www.carl-f-bucherer.com |
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