Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II Watch Hands-On

Posted on by

Here’s a fun fact: Carl F. Bucherer cheap is one of Switzerland’s oldest luxury watchmakers and is still wholly owned by its founding family – a feat as the number of original independent watchmakers in the industry continues to dwindle It’s getting more and more impressive every year. The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II watch is the product of the third generation of the family’s management – an ultra-modern traveler’s watch with stunning detailing and multi-time zone functionality in a 47mm thick case that should Appeal to any frequent flyer looking to throw aside discretion in the name of owning a jumping-hour GMT chronograph. It’s not cheap, but you won’t find one on other wrists, and quality, personality, and style all matter.

Latin for “done” (or the act of accomplishing something), “Patravi” is the naming convention for Carl F. Bucherer’s most dynamic series. The bold and innovative style of classic sports watch styles reigns here – epitomized by the TravelTec II, which makes no apology for its size and overwhelming busyness – like the Daytona-Explorer II love child bred for weightlifters. Even so, there are some nice details and features here, like the impressive depth of the dial, and the ability to read three time zones at once, which should be equally appreciated by those with discernment and wrist confidence.

As a family-run watchmaker dedicated to innovation, it’s no surprise that Carl F. Bucherer has developed his own stable of movements – but unfortunately, the TravelTec II doesn’t use one of them. In its place is the CFB Calibre 1901.1 chronometer – a significantly improved ETA 2894 GMT with a chronograph and a pusher that rotates the inner 24-hour bezel – while also beating the date back and forth accordingly as needed, Very neat.

As mentioned, the TravelTec II’s stainless steel case is quiver-free and measures 47mm x 16mm thick. Its cousin also has a black DLC variant, as is the case with many black cheap watches, it manages to wear these sizes a bit more, so if you’re in any doubt about which version might be more “wearable”, the TravelTec II in SS might be the way to go.

The case architecture itself is nearly identical, with key features such as the GMT selector at 10:00, the moving window at 9:00, and the circular bezel design, now with a fixed engraved 24-hour ring – a nice touch Updated to more efficiently disperse the watch’s visual data and read a third time zone via the red 24-hour GMT hand. On the original TravelTec, the transition was jarring — going from the crazy busy dial to the sleek, round bezel looked cool, but it wasn’t the most impartial use of the space available on the case either.

Another notable change between the TravelTec versions is the caseback. On the one hand, I prefer the upcoming version, which features a retro-futuristic large globe patterned by a TravelTec bezel and capped by a flanged crown—perhaps a nod to the watch’s planet-sized footprint on the wrist A sly nod? Either way, it’s downsized considerably, with just a full rundown of global time zones and each of the usual respective cities, with the exception of Lucerne, where Carl F. Bucherer’s city of origin gets a nod instead of the usual Geneva. In its new design, though, the caseback itself is more functional than before, serving as a useful reference chart when setting the GMT hand.

From the snailed subdials and beveled mirror-polished luminous indexes to the modern skeletonized phone and sporty color applications, the TravelTec II has enough details to keep the everyday wearer from getting bored. Even the perfect spherical date magnifier (love it or hate it) adds texture and depth to the dial from every angle. That said, the TravelTec II hardly makes it a watch for every wrist or every person. While the amount of detail on the dial can be a bit divisive (I personally like it), the size of the watch greatly reduces the size of its potential audience.

There’s definitely still an audience for these otherworldly travel best men watches, which means it’s a crowded field with watches like the Breitling Chronomat GMT or Girard Perregaux Time Traveller, and I bet those who fly a lot – might prefer discretion The Right Man Although the TravelTec II has a truly useful 24-hour jumping complication, viewers who may not get the most pleasure out of this watch when away from home.