Right in the middle of 2023, Carl F. Bucherer dug deep into its archives and pulled out a banger in the form of the Heritage Chronometer Celebration. While the release preceded the public announcement of Rolex’ acquisition of the brand’s parent Bucherer company, it perhaps shed a bit of light on why that move made sense for Rolex. While there’s every indication that Rolex’s purchase was a strict asset move (and maybe motivated by its long relationship with Bucherer), it doesn’t hurt that it included a luxury brand like Carl F. Bucherer. For its part, with the release of four new Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Chronometer Celebration watches, all limited to 188 pieces, Carl F. Bucherer seemed to be reminding everyone of a few things: It has a rich history, it knows how to do reissues right, and it can make a killer bracelet.

While the original that inspired these watches was smaller with a similar but different bracelet, the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Chronometer Celebration watches remain faithful while still modernizing the watch for contemporary tastes. The case, available in 18k rose gold or steel, measures a perhaps perfect 39mm and just 8.45mm thick. The domed sapphire crystal and nicely proportioned pull-out crown finish a case that sits easily on the wrist. While the vintage inspiration is clear even without being told, this watch wears like a perfect modern dress piece. The case itself is unfussy and, in a way, only worth remarking upon for its dimensions. What truly stands out is the polished mesh bracelet. Ending in a curved gold bar, the bracelet is fitted perfectly with the case; the smooth transition from the case to the bracelet furthers the wearability, and while the bracelet has quick-release bars, I can’t imagine ever wanting to take it off the bracelet. What’s more, the bracelet has a number of removable links, both full- and half-sized, making it easy to get a perfect fit. There are some watches that you can’t imagine looking any better than they do in their stock configuration, and this is one of those.

The dial on the rose gold models is available in silver or the lacquered gradient brown seen here. I had the chance to see all the models, but this was the one that caught my eye, the double-up warmth of the case and dial pulling me in immediately. There’s a bit of tone-on-tone here that is both retro and on-trend today, and the red arrow of the seconds hand gives a subtle pop of color. The applied markers and stick hands are all plated in matching rose gold, and I’m a big fan of the contrasting black bar that runs through them (Black and brown? Egads!) Yes, there is Super-LumiNova on the hands and pips at each hour, but it underwhelmed, and I think the model would’ve been as good if not better without it. This is undeniably a dress watch, if not when it was originally made, certainly by today’s standards, and lume isn’t strictly necessary. Except in some awkward low-light angles and the darkest of rooms, the polished hands and angular indices managed to catch enough light to make the watch readable in most conditions. I’ll let you judge the date window for yourself, but my thought is that if it has to be there, it’s done pretty well.

The caseback is also in 18k rose gold and is emblazoned with the Bucherer family crest and the year of its founding. Secured by screws, it protects the automatic COSC-certified CFB1956 caliber that powers the watch. The brand isn’t clear what the base movement is, but based on specs and some Internet sleuthing, it has all the appearances of using a Sellita SW300 as its base (CFB also has a history of using Sellita for movements). This movement operates at 28,800 vph and while CFB quotes its power reserve at 42 hours, for several years, the movement has been equipped with an upgraded barrel providing 56 hours of power reserve. As ever, I’ll defer to the brand, but you may be in for the surprise of an extra half-day of power.

This is a heritage reissue done well. The care taken with the bracelet and introduction of a few extra dial colors, including this very retro sunburst brown, shows that Carl F. Bucherer is able to tap into its past, despite its very overtly stated forward-looking mindset these days. This particular model may not be the most immediately appealing to most — I’d wager that would be the steel with black dial — but I think it has the most vintage charm and the most personality. As CFB continues its push toward more modern timepiece designs, it’s nice to know that it isn’t entirely discarding its history. The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Chronometer Celebration in rose gold is priced at $19,900 USD, while the steel models are priced at $5,900; all are limited to 188 pieces. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.