Serviced Vintage 1970s Bucherer Chronograph Panda 9653 Diving Soccer Timer Watch

HISTORY

BUCHERER: A name know throughout the world. Especially now that they are entering the USA marking by buying Tourneau watch company and being known as Tiffany of Europe.  In 1888, a businessman and entrepreneur by the name of Carl-Friedrich Bucherer and his wife Luise opened Lucerne's first watch and jewellery store and laid the cornerstone for a successful family company.

FOUNDATION AND PARTNERSHIP

His sons, Ernst and Carl Eduard Bucherer, joined the family-owned company in the 1920s and, thanks to their wide-ranging experience, took it even greater success. In 1924, Ernst Bucherer entered into a particularly fruitful partnership with Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex. He decided to include the then little-known watch brand in its range. Today, Rolex is one of the world's most celebrated watch brands and remains the House of Bucherer's most important partner.

EXPANSION INTO LUXURY

Despite the crises of the 1930s and the Second World War, the company continued to grow and opened branches in other Swiss cities and tourist destinations. In 1977 the third generation of this family of entrepreneurs joined the flourishing company. Under the direction of Jörg G. Bucherer, the company expanded to Austria in the 1980s and, ten years later, to Germany.  In Switzerland, Bucherer also took over the Kurz Group in 1989 and, in 2001, Swiss Lion AG, whose main target group was tourists. That same year, the independent Carl F. Bucherer company was founded to maintain the Bucherer family's watchmaking tradition established in 1919. In 2013, Bucherer celebrated its 125th jubilee and opened the world's largest watch and jewellery store in Paris. The northernmost Bucherer store to date opened in Copenhagen in 2016.

BUCHERER TODAY

Today Bucherer is one of Europe's biggest watch and jewellery retail chains. Looking back on a long tradition, Bucherer today offers an international clientele probably the largest choice of Rolex watches anywhere and a wide choice of luxury watches from well-known brands. At the heart of the jewellery range are the jewellery lines designed and produced in the company's own workshops together with individual pieces made using very rare natural-coloured diamonds, unusual coloured gemstones or much-sought-after pearls.

Having a love for complications and complicated watches, makes me love Chronograph watches. At first two register chronograph for simplicity of the dial and providing chronograph functionality for the most. Then the three-register chronograph for the complication of movement and the history of the movements, like of the iconic Omega Ref. 321, Ref. 861 (used in famous moon landing), Zenith El Primero, Venus mostly used in Breitlings, Landeron, and one of the most well-known movement makers Valjoux. With their famous Valjoux 72 put in the vintage Rolex Pre Daytona’s and of course the big dog Patek Philippe reference 2499 using Valjoux 88 my favorite which sold in auction for $3.30 Million in 2018.  I also love the Heuer Caliber 11 first micro automatic chronograph movement with date.

A Chronograph is simply a watch that combines the function of a stopwatch with a timekeeping display watch, by utilizing an independent sweep second hand. Chronographs often have complications on the face of the watch which can be used to record different time measurements, moon cycles, heart rate and more. Chronographs have usually have a separate buttons to stop, start, and reset (unless it is an monopusher) the stopwatch complication, with the start button typically at the two and four o’clock position.

The name Chronograph is derived from the Greek words ‘Chronos’ – the personification of time – and ‘graph’, meaning to write. The first modern Chronograph was created in 1816 by French watchmaker, Louis Moinet. Invented solely for use in union with astrological equipment, Moinet’s Chronograph could measure time accurate to 1/60th of a second – an unrivaled degree of precision at the time of its creation.

"poor man's" Heu-ers represent an interesting facet of Heu-er's history and also provide a sensible way for individuals to collect these chronographs on a more reasonable budget. The term "Poor Man's Heu-er" only to refer to chronographs manufactured by Heu-er for other brands one of which is Zodiac & Clebar, which is one of my favorite brands. Please note on ebay there are few brands that are not made by Heu-er and still refer to as Poor man which is not true.

This is a beauty, we all know Omega & Lemania made a lot of watches for Bucherer, just like Patek Philippe making watches for Tiffany. This one is not different. The watches were always variant of there own watch, this one is variant of the famous "Omega Seamaster 145.019 would have trouble hiding its 1970s roots, offering the funky vibe you could only expect from that period. This reference is the most coveted “Soccer Timer” because of its uncommon 60-Minutes or Seconds inner rotating bezel".  The Omega version which this was based on has a different case, and smaller size, and dial (we have one for sale). Clearly this is much bigger version.  Makes this watch even rarer than the Omega, given the lower products numbers. This is probably one of my favor it, sleeper vintage brand at least in the USA. Bucherer is one of Europe largest jewelers, like Tiffany.  They bought Tourneau, and they co-made alots of watches back in the days, with Omega and other brands. This is one of them. It is very rare to find a watch this old in this condition. Defiantly a collector watch. Please look at all the pictures, as they are part of the description. The watch is working and keeping great time. This is a highly collectible watch. Very few left with this rare movement. Sure, to increase in value overtime, and a great addition to your collection. The condition of the watch is the same as it appears in the photos.    The watch is working and is part of our new Certified Pre-Owned CPO.  Contact me if you have any questions first.