Vintage BUCHERER Chronograph Anakin Skywalker PANDA CAL.1873 861 TUGSTEN 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.

Little history about Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader 

Once again, we’re bringing you the latest edition of our Omega chronograph series. This time we dive into a couple of rare Seamasters from the early 70’s — two variants of the reference 145.023. These peculiar timepieces, like many other Omegas, got the Chuck Maddox treatment, and are commonly known as the Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. Each variant has a large angular case — almost helmet-like — with the classic manual winding Caliber 861 movement also used in Speedmasters of the same period.

The case is a unique octagonally-shaped, two-piece construction; the main portion houses the movement, which is stainless steel and then covered in either a polished silver or gloss black tungsten metal shell. The gloss black shell is actually thick enough to add an extra half-millimeter to the diameter, and a millimeter to the thickness of the case.

Despite the endless number of chronographs released during this time period, Omega wasn’t simply going through the motions. Adding tungsten to the mix greatly increased the durability of stainless steel, further pushing the 145.023 into tool watch territory. What’s more, the venerable caliber 861 was held in place by O-rings on either side, increasing shock resistance.

Anakin Skywalker Seamaster - courtesy chronomaddox

Not for the timid, Anakin and Vader clock in at 44-millimeters and 44.5-millimeters in diameter, and 14-millimeters and 15-millimeters in thickness, respectively. It also features integral pushers and screw-down crown — without the latter, the Seamaster badge would make considerably less sense. Omega chose to go with hidden lugs, not unlike a number of their other references at the time. Although the strangely shaped case is par for the course for an Omega chronograph from the 70’s, and the movement is the tried and true 861, there’s just something about these examples that intrigue us and have created a cult following. The rarity of each is likely an influence, and nicknames certainly don’t hurt the cool factor either.

This is a beauty, the above is for Omega version which this was based on, and per my understanding this was much rarer than the Omega. 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.  Please look at all the pictures, as they are part of the description. The watch is working and Serviced by last owner. This is a highly collectible watch. 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 Program. Contact me if you have any questions first.