Many people know Bucherer as a Swiss retailer with luxurious stores and wall-to-wall displays of the finest in Swiss watchmaking.

Fewer people however realize that Bucherer also makes watches under the brand name Carl F. Bucherer and has done so for longer than some of the reputable brands the retail chain stocks.

The brand name honors the name of this company’s founder, Carl F. Bucherer, and the watches are a bit of an insider brand, but it really shouldn’t be that way.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral in stainless steel

In fact, as the company proved once again at Baselworld 2016, it certainly knows how to pack a punch. One of those punches was delivered by the Manero Peripheral, which looks like the manifestation of a classic dress watch, but has a nice dose of Michael Caine in it: well dressed, well versed, but with a strong character all its own.

A diameter of 40.6 mm gives the Manero Peripheral a Goldilocks presence on the wrist: not too large, not too small, but just right. The rest is all classic goodness with arrow-shaped hour indicators on a black or silver-colored dial, matched in style by the sword hands.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral in pink gold

Small seconds makes it a true classic, but a date window at 3 o’clock counters that with a touch of the contemporary. It’s balanced, well executed, and it looks great on many types of wrist, whether you are Michael Caine or not.

The power of the punch is really inside the Manero, though, which becomes visible when you turn over the watch and admire the movement through the sapphire crystal case back. For a moment you might think that you are handling a manual-wind watch, but then you see the outer ring around the movement turn.

The peripheral rotor is visible in dark gray around the movement of the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral

Indeed, the automatic-winding Manero has a peripheral rotor. In fact, this feature, as well as Caliber CFB A2050 powering the Manero, are developed in Carl F. Bucherer’s own manufacture. This chronometer-certified movement winds in both directions, too, so even if you haven’t worn it in a few days it will quickly get itself up to speed.

You’re better off using the time you would normally spend winding to admire the movement. Its layout looks like the inside of an Art Deco-designed safe, combining an angular design with chamfered sides and traditional Geneva striping. Although it is in essence a very basic movement displaying time and the date, Carl F. Bucherer has been able to make something quite special out of it by repositioning the rotor.

In many ways, the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral is one of those watches that has it all.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral in pink gold

In fact, it is one of those watches that makes me contemplate if one watch in my life is not enough thanks to its exquisite, exclusive manufacture movement gift-wrapped in a classic case that is neither too large, nor too small, with an understated dial that offers all the functions you need on a watch 99.9 percent of the time.

Before I get ahead of myself, nobody can of course live on one watch alone, so I think that in fact this is one of those watches everybody should at least have one of! And there is lots of choice as the timepiece introduced at Baselworld 2016 is being introduced in six references.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral in stainless steel (left) and pink gold

For more information, please visit www.carl-f-bucherer.com/en/watches/manero-peripheral.

Quick Facts Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral
Case: 40.6 x 11.2 mm, stainless steel or pink gold
Movement: automatic manufacture movement CFB A2050 with peripheral rotor, chronometer-certified
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: $18,600 for pink gold with alligator skin strap; $7,200 for stainless steel with alligator skin strap; $7,600 for stainless steel on stainless steel bracelet