Showing at WatchTime New York 2016: Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II


America’s largest luxury watch show returns to the Big Apple this fall! The second edition of WatchTime New York will be held at Gotham Hall on October 14-15 (click here for event details and to purchase tickets). Among the array of luxury watch brands exhibiting at the show is Carl F. Bucherer, whose horological highlights will include its über-masculine, sporty travelers’ watch, the Patravi TravelTec II.

Two main aspects distinguish the Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II from its predecessors, the original TravelTec and the skeleton-dialed TravelTec FourX. One is the case size: CFB has made the case larger (47.7 mm in diameter compared to the original’s 46.6 mm) and slightly thicker (15.9 mm, up from 15.5 mm). The other major change is on the bezel, which now serves as the hour indicator for a third time zone; previous TravelTec models kept the bezel clean and instead used a third hour disk surrounding the dial to convey this information. The aesthetic result is to open up the dial a bit for a less busy and more easy-to-read look.

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II front-angle

The Patravi TravelTec II also features a side-mounted sapphire window, positioned directly under the monopusher that controls the time-zone settings, which offers a glimpse into the heart of the watch. The movement is Carl F. Bucherer’s automatic Caliber 1901.1 (a heavily modified version of the ETA 2894 chronograph movement and also used in the original TravelTec and TravelTec FourX), which carries a power reserve of 42 hours, and has been certified as a chronometer by COSC. In addition to enabling the watch to simultaneously display three separate time zones at once (one indicated on the dial by the hour and minute hand and applied indices, the second on the 24-hour scale printed on the inner ring and the third on the 24-hour engraved bezel), the movement’s sophisticated complication uses the monopusher at 10 o’clock to quickly move the hour indications from East and West (depending on which direction one is traveling) with the push of a button and even move the date both forward and backward along with the hour.

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II - side

The side-view window is the only peek you’ll get at the movement, however, because the solid caseback of the Patravi TravelTec is devoted to another traveler-friendly function. It is adorned with a time-zone “sun,” which displays the hour differences of 24 cities, representing the 24 major time zones, from the prime meridian (Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT). Lucerne, Switzerland, headquarters of Carl F. Bucherer, is accented in black and represents the GMT +1 time zone.

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II - back

The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec’s tricompax dial features the small seconds subdial at 3 o’clock and the chronograph counter subdials (12 hours and 30 minutes) at 6 and 9 o’clock, respectively, along with the date window at 4:30. The chronograph pushers are at 2 and 4 o’clock, flanking the screw-down winding crown. The stainless steel case is water-resistant to 100 meters. The rubber strap with stitched leather inserts (and steel folding clasp) marries sportiness to luxury. The watch is priced at $12,900 on a leather strap and $13,400 on a bracelet. For a detailed review of the Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II, click here.

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II - front

If you’re interested in finding out how the Patravi TravelTec II looks and feel on your own wrist, click here to reserve your spot at WatchTime New York 2016.

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