Carl F. Bucherer Goes Blue with The Patravi Line

Luxury Watches: Lucerne, Switzerland-based luxury watch manufacturer Carl F. Bucherer recently introduced four new, beautiful, blue-dialed variations in its signature Patravi line of watches. The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi "Blue Wave" watches offer a nice balance of form and functionality in two case shapes (round and tonneau) that can be paired with a stainless steel bracelet or a distinctive blue calfskin strap.

The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi ChronoGrade Blue Wave is the slightly more complicated watch of new Blue Wave models, delivering in its round, stainless-steel case an impressive array of functions including a chronograph with flyback function, retrograde hours indicator, big date, annual calendar, and a bi-directional power reserve indicator. The 44.6mm case is generous but not egregiously sized, and with a modest 50 meter water resistance it will suit most daily activities but would perhaps be more appropriately used for enjoying the views of Mount Otemanu while lounging above the turquoise waters of Bora Bora from your Over-Water Bungalow at the St. Regis Bora Bora.

The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi T-Graph Blue Wave differs from the ChronoGrade most notably in its tonneau shape (the manufacturer refers to it also as a "barrel" shaped case) but it also has fewer functions by half (the CFB 1960 caliber offers a chronograph, big date, and bi-directional power reserve display). On this watch Bucherer is particularly proud of its the special arrangement of the chronograph function's minutes circle - the timer scale has been positioned deliberately along the inner edge of the markers, meaning that the stop-seconds can be read quickly and completely, and is accurate to a quarter of a second.

As for price, well, these particular pieces are far from entry-level in the watch world - if you hadn't guessed by now, Carl F. Bucherer watches command a premium. Although the Patravi T-Graph Blue Wave is listed at roughly half the cost of the Patravi ChronoGrade Blue Wave, you can still expect to plunk down approximately $6,600 and $12,000, respectively. The price difference is not surprising as it appropriately reflects the differences between the functionality and strap choice for the two watches. Either way, you can't really go wrong with one of the new Blue Wave watches from the family-owned Carl. F. Bucherer brand.

By Kyle Stults
JustLuxe Contributor
Executive Editor, First In Watches.com