Since its launch in 2019, I have wanted to review this Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph for the simple reason that there are few others out there like it. Let us dive right in and see how it fares under greater scrutiny.

First, the feature set. As its name aptly describes it, this Heritage Bicompax Annual — Universal Genève anoraks will take issue with the “bicompax” bit, but we will leave that to them in the comments — offers the date with an annual calendar and big-date display complication. On a personal note, the annual calendar is my favorite calendar variation, because it can offer a good balance between mechanical and indication complexity and cost. The difference between this and a full-fledged perpetual calendar is that the former requires manual adjustment at the end of every February, while the latter does not.

That’s the con, but the pro is that you do get a month display — it is essential, otherwise, when setting up your watch, how else could you tell which month the watch is accounting for — and you get to enjoy the mechanism automagically adjusting itself at the end of April, June, September, and November. So a perpetual calendar is more exciting on exactly one midnight in a year — if that is what you are after, more power to you, just be aware that it can often be a lot more expensive than regular or even annual calendar watches.

Then there is the chronograph, apparently built into the same ingenious module from Dubois-Dépraz. When we say module, what you will want to imagine is an added layer of cams, wheels, and plates fitted onto the dial side of the ETA 2894 base movement. The “dial side” is the important bit there, because if you flip the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph around, its caseback will only reveal a familiar sight: that of a base ETA caliber. There are no wheels, heart-shaped cams, or arms that you would normally associate with a chronograph’s caseback view, simply because these all are installed on the dial side.

Power reserve is brief at 42 hours, operating frequency is solid at 4Hz, and the self-winding is reasonably quiet — a small detail of the 2894 that will be greatly appreciated by those like me who are driven up the wall by whirring, noisy self-winding systems. The movement, dubbed CFB1972, is a high-grade ETA, which entails an elaborate finish with extensive use of perlage, gold letters, and an open-worked rotor. On a personal note, I much prefer this to the “industrial” look of many of today’s manufacture movements, including those from Kenissi.

On the upside, this means that every indication, including the big date and the month, are tucked right up close against the dial. There is no need to use unsightly cyclops magnifiers and/or to go hunting for a date display somewhere several layers below the plane of the dial; instead, everything is up close to the wearer just as it would be on a non-chronograph watch. A fun quirk (and nothing more) is that I reckon there is at least some connection between this Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual and the famous Richard Mille RM011 range (and later 11-02, etc.). If you look at the dial layout and feature set, they are exactly the same: Running seconds at 3, chronograph minutes counter at 9, big date display at 12, month display for the annual calendar at 04:30. You tell me if this is a coincidence.

The end result is an unusual dial with an asymmetrical layout that somehow still looks natural and calculated. The proportions are almost perfect across every element — nothing is too brash, too large, or the opposite at too petite or too insignificant. The subdial texts and even the month display won’t be an easy read for those with troubled near-sight vision, although this is true for most all complicated-looking watches with numerous features of this size.

At the right angle, in direct sunlight, the dial is blindingly reflective (see the photo directly above), revealing its metallic sunburst finish that is otherwise overpowered by a saturated color palette that ranges from red gold through bronze to salmon. It is one expensive-looking dial, with numerous surface treatments — all beautifully executed. Turn the watch away from the sun and the sunburst finish completely disappears and a grained, almost frosted-like treatment takes its place, darkening the color and increasing the contrast between the base and the various texts and indications. In a world of cheap and simple lacquered dials — at this price point and well beyond — this impressively technical dial is like a breath of fresh air that is fun to appreciate.

Little on the dial is lumed, including the syringe-style main hands that come with glossy black surrounds, another nice touch that improves contrast and, therefore, legibility under just about every lighting condition. The thin strips of lume are not exactly a light show, but little pips of lume next to the hour markers are also present to elegantly assist with low-light legibility. A close — very close — inspection reveals tiny white blocks with white luminous material inside. Their size is so diminutive that they cannot provide much of a reference point on the dial. Nevertheless, they are there, and they must have been an absolute pain to get right. In truth, I doubt too many owners of these watches would ever notice that they were there. On a personal note, I do very much appreciate such examples of dial makers going the extra mile.

The case is nicely made, with a chunky, two-tier bezel driving the two-tone effect home. The bezel extends up high from the case profile, leaving the latter a bit thinner, a common trick watch designers use to decrease the perceived thickness of a watch. The trick was in fact necessary, as the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph measures 41mm wide and 14.05mm thick — not unwearable or ungainly by any stretch of the imagination, but a couple millimeters thicker than your average time-only watch. A double-AR-coated and boxed sapphire crystal raises slightly above the bezel to complete the look.

The lugs are quite long, but they are arched downward considerably to reduce that effect. They are brushed lengthwise, as is the case profile, with a wide, beveled, polished edge adding a touch of refinement. A neat detail present on many watches, just rarely as pronounced as it is here, is the scalloped profile that reveals a large portion of the bezel’s edge. It is not that difficult to do, and yet it adds a great deal to the perceived intricacy of the case. Water resistance is rated at 3 bar (30m equivalent), which really isn’t too much — a 50m, or preferably 100m, would have been appreciated for peace of mind, even if a half-gold, leather-strapped equipped watch is destined to spend no time submerged.

Speaking of the strap, it is a calfskin piece in cognac-brown finish, with an unsealed profile and cream contrast stitching. The temporary travel box the watch came in smelled like quality leather — actually, like a box of a quality pair of brand-new leather shoes — and, more importantly, the strap is smooth to the touch and reasonably supple. I despise stiff straps that pinch the wrist. A rubber lining would have been a nice touch, especially in black, to go with the overall package. The folding buckle is nicely finished, with small, white ceramic bearings for a nice click.

On the wrist, the 41mm wide Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph watch appears to combine a vintage style with a modern size and proportions. It will likely be neither here nor there for some, and just the right balance for others. The color scheme is very elegant and classy — a lot more refined and subtle than the old-school, yellow-gold-based two-tone. 18k rose gold looks great against anything but pale skin, but thankfully, it is the summer, so it wore great on my wrist which tends to turn quite pale in the winter. The weight and height are both controlled well by the supple strap and solid buckle, although a millimeter or two would certainly have helped further enhance wearability. It’s a small trade-off to be made for the annual calendar and chronograph.

The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph watch is a quirky, borderline unique proposition, and that is true not just in this two-tone but also its all-steel configurations, as well. The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Chronograph watch is priced at $11,600 USD. For more information, please visit the Carl F. Bucherer website.