Are Cartier, Bulgari & Bucherer watches any good?

Today we discuss whether watches made by Cartier, Bulgari and other jewelry brands are really worth it.
It's not uncommon in the watch world for people to look down on watches made by jewelry brands and retailers as being inferior - largely due to the practice of some jewelry brands of just sticking a quartz movement into a poorly made watch, slapping their brand name on it and selling it for the same as a proper watch. However, these three watches from Cartier, Bulgari & Carl F Bucherer prove that watches made by jewelry brands are more than capable of keeping up with their dedicated competitors.
Today we look at:
0:00 Intro
2:05 Cartier Santos
4:18 Carl F Bucherer Manero Peripheral
6:41 Bulgari Octofinissimo Chronograph GMT
#cartierwatches #bulgariwatches #buchererwatches
These three luxury watches are just the tip of the iceberg in what's possible from the watches of Cartier, Bulgari & Bucherer.
What are your thoughts on Cartier watches? Are watches made by Bulgari worth it? Can buying a Carl F. Bucherer watch give you the same satisfaction as a Rolex or Omega for the same money? Let me know what you think in the comments section.
Do you have a nice watch for me to review? Send me an email: [e-mail]
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[@ShahLusso]

What are your thoughts on Cartier watches? Are watches made by Bulgari worth it? Can buying a Carl F. Bucherer watch give you the same satisfaction as a Rolex or Omega for the same money? Let me know what you think in the comments section. **Correction:** 6:51 The Bulgari Bulgari designed by Gerald Genta was actually introduced in 1977, and the first Bulgari Bulgari was actually a quartz wit ha digital display released in 1975

[@ocjoe2023]

Just picked up the CFB Manero autodate, aka John wick watch, with steel bracelet. So far I like it. Very simple. Was wondering if you knew anything about the movement in this particular watch, the cfb 1965. How does it compare to the A1000 and A2000?

[@dialanddram]

​@@ocjoe2023I just went in for one of these, myself, and only a day before the announcement that Rolex is buying Bucherer, at that.

[@trowabarton2020]

There is no doubt that Cartier contributed a great design with the Santos. but they have remained stagnant, bvlgari is already on another level, I barely acquired a bvlgari bvlgari, personally I think it is a much more fun watch than Cartier

[@lostinseale]

A Carl F Bucherer is at the top of my list. And second and third on my list. Love them.

[@Jamnonit]

I have an 18k Buxherer and I love it. Had it for 17 years It's great.

[@silveriver9]

John Wick.

[@tattoofthesun]

Ever look into the vintage ones? I just scored one on eBay for 170

[@mrlume9475]

Really enjoyed this content. I was totally unaware of the some of these models. The Bvlgari 6.9mm chrono is exceptional. Thanks for posting.

[@ShahLusso]

Glad you liked it, for me the biggest discovery while researching this piece was the Bucherer, I would have never known that they were the pioneers of the modern peripheral rotor, I always thought AP were the ones that developed it but they were two years late to the party! As for the Bulgari..it's disturbingly thin, especially with the titanium it just feels like your eyes are playing tricks on you when you try one on, I wish Omega would take some inspiration from Bulgari's thinness and apply that to bring the planet ocean to a managable thickness hehe

[@dialanddram]

All three of these brands deserve way more respect than they get. Great vid!

[@ShahLusso]

Thanks! Glad you liked it, and I totally agree! All of them deserve way more respect :)

[@Essexman0023]

Great video, thank you. That Bulgari Octo is a thing of beauty. As for CFB, the Petravi Evotec is an amazing watch.

[@SoCalWatchReviews]

Great video man! I think the octo finissimo is amazing. I don’t have a problem with jewelry companies making watches, but I do have a problem with fashion brands making watches (guess, Gucci, Armani, etc). Keep it up!

[@ShahLusso]

Yeah its crazy, I tried one on a few weeks ago and its creepily thin. As for fashion brands, I'm undecided now, i feel fashion brands now are doing what jewelry brands were doing 30 years ago, just getting in, starting with cheap quartz movements but some of them are really stepping their game up - Chanel's using a movement made by Audemars Piguet in their J12, & Hermes has some great movements made by Vaucher Fleurier in their watches, so there's some hope. I wouldn't be surprised if over the next few years more fashion brands start making more serious watches as they start to realize that there's a big market for it.

[@clarea-s6779]

Great video. You have strengthened my conviction that some jewellery brands make good watches. Another I have considered is Chopard.

[@ShahLusso]

Chopard is another brand that definitely deserves more attention - especially their LUC range. I think they often get overlooked for the Mille Miglia because it usually uses an outsourced movement & isn't as special (though i love their tire tread rubber straps) but they've also got some real masterpieces in their collection, same with Harry Winston. I'm curious to see what LVMH is going to do with Tiffany & Co's watch department since they acquired them last year - considering how well managed Bulgari is, there might be another success story coming :)

[@jcplee]

Really appreciate you making this video. I own a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton limited edition with the blue dial and it is truly a mechanical marvel that you could not help but stare at all its intricate parts working together in such elegance. It is one of my favorites in my collection and one that helps enlighten a lot of my friends who did NOT realize such an amazing timepiece actually comes from a luxury jewelry brand. On the subject, you should not forget and also review Piaget's Altiplano, which is another incredible timepiece with many commending achievements to its credit.

[@ShahLusso]

The Skeleton's a beauty, do you have it in the titanium or the ceramic? Great suggestion with the Altiplano, i was also thinking of mentioning the Chopard Quattro with its 4 barrels, but in the end i picked these three to keep it short and sweet, but i could well do a followup video. Also if i can find one, I'd love to do an in depth review of the Altiplano, i've got one coming of the JLC Ultrathin and it was crazy handlnig a watch that's so ridiculously thin..i can imagine it'll be on another level handling something as thin as the altiplano. Thanks for your comment & look forward to seeing you in the comments of future videos too :)

[@jcplee]

I have the one in titanium, so the watch is ultra thin as well as super light.

[@ShahLusso]

@@jcplee very nice, I've tried on the standard octofinissimo in titanium..its like wearing paper on your wrist, i can imagine with the skeleton its even lighter

[@giovannilazzarotto5032]

Outstanding presentation! Thank you for the lesson.

[@ShahLusso]

Thanks! Glad you liked it, any favorite out of the brands/watches shown?

[@giovannilazzarotto5032]

@@ShahLusso Bucherer Manero Flyback is the watch Im saving for now.

[@ShahLusso]

Fantastic choice!

[@litesaber54yi3]

Excellent job. very informative

[@ShahLusso]

Thanks :) any favorite out of the watches I mentioned?

[@tods.9947]

An excellent video, very impressive. I just found you after purchasing a CFB Heritage Bi-compax Annual calendar chronograph. Keep up the great content.

[@ShahLusso]

Great purchase! I really like the look of the BiCompax Annual calendar, did you opt for the full steel or the two tone version? Glad you liked the video & welcome to the channel! :)

[@tods.9947]

@@ShahLusso - hello Shah, thank you. I got the full stainless version. It’s a joy to wear.

[@victortrevisani]

Me too, same thing. I bought the Limited Edition of 188 pieces, and I fortunetly got the number 1.

[@EspacioDelTiempo]

Te felicito, excelente video, la informacion concreta , saludos y suscrito!

[@ShahLusso]

Gracias! Tambien puedes seguir mi canal en español - Shah Lusso ES: kzbin.info

[@Iraborn]

Still have Butcherers from about 1955.

[@tattoofthesun]

I just bought a 1970s piece!

[@markgtrheyes]

Just purchased a bulgari octo solotempo 38mm on a leather strap. Just like the fact it is so different and added bonus it is a gerald genta design

[@adsertheblade]

Great video. It's funny, I want to get a Bvlgari Bvlgari, just because I really like the look of it. For my taste, at the price range it was bore desirable than the equivalent priced Cartier, Breitling, IWC, Omega, and who knows what else I looked at. But the stigma was there: a friend who would never be able to own such a thing actually laughed that they are not a dedicated watch manufacturer. However more respected other brands might be, I liked this one more...but people really seem to hate on them. I can imagine someone with a watch at a quarter of the value telling me how much better it is because it's made by a dedicated watchmaker. What a crazy world we live in.

[@ShahLusso]

It is a crazy world we live in, but at the end of the day that's why I think it's always important to ignore other people's opinions on the watches you buy for yourself. At the end of the day its you that spends the money and gets to look at it every day so you should enjoy every single watch you own first & foremost. But yeah the irony is that people make those opinions without even knowing what Bulgari, for example, is capable of - they have 6 world records with the Octofinissimo, several of the Diagono collection used Frederic Piguet (now Blancpain's in-house movement maker) movements for their complications, even the new Aluminium collection's relaunch uses the same ETA/Sellita movements that can still be found in a lot of the IWC or Breitling Catalogues only Bulgari properly scales down their pricing for it whereas other "dedicated" watchmakers are charging in-house level prices. Similar goes for Cartier, Bucherer, Harry Winston, Hermes, Chanel & tons of other brands that while not known primarily for their watches doesn't mean that they don't take their watches seriously. The upside is though that because not that many people know & appreciate how much watchmaking power is behind some of these brands, they don't re-sell well and that means those that know can get great deals on them pre-owned :D

[@randybridges6330]

I own watches from Seiko to VC, so I have a wide range of experience and taste. I own a Cartier Santos 100XL, and several CFB's, and they're awesome value propositions. Unfortunately, CFB, will be growing in recognition, so the secondary market has been getting more expensive.

[@ShahLusso]

Thanks for sharing your experience, which of your CFB's is your favorite? They really are very interesting watches and some amazing designs especially with the Manero & Heritage lines.

[@randybridges6330]

@@ShahLusso well, I have 2 Scubatec's two tone on bracelet and Manta Trust on strap, Evotec Big Date on alligator, T-graph Blue dial on bracelet and 18k T-graph silver dial on alligator...but I wear the Manta Trust the most (1 of 188 made).

[@SARUJAN5]

Bucherer was my kind of Watch. It also comes from hometown.

[@ShahLusso]

They really are beautiful watches, hopefully once lockdown lifts I can get my hands on some to do full reviews on some of their models :)

[@p-squared1662]

Big fan of Carl F. Bucherer. A bit more marketing needed

[@ShahLusso]

Yeah they're really not doing themsleves any favors with their marketing so far, but hopefully word of mouth can spread & up their profile a bit. Their Patravi scuba lines also offer great value in the entry level diver segment, especially for those looking for something other than a Sub or Seamaster.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Their marketing is perfect, you don't want to be like Burberry.

[@randolph1917]

I don't know much about Bucherer, but Cartier and Bvlgari watches are totally underrated in the re-sale market, and one can get a lot of bang for ones buck. Where as with Rolex, unless one is buying directly from the store, one will always pay a ridiculous mark up, (unless it's a bad/worn/damaged watch), for the privilege of owning one. For a collector where money is no object, that's great. But otherwise, one has to play the "Rolex Game". And the same goes for other top tier watch makers. I have a Cartier Santos, and Bvlgari Assioma/ Octofinissimo pre-owned, and absolutely LOVE them. Very few people actually have them, and they're relatively obscure enough to where it's hardly worth it to replica, so it's not something one can get accused of by random people taking a glance of having a "fake". It's a personal enjoyment, rather than a flex, and not kept to be a "reseller", altho they do retain a fair amount of their value anyway even if it isn't a profit like Rolex. To each their own.

[@janelavie4115]

Great video. Just one small detail: Bulgari BB was launched already 1977.

[@ShahLusso]

You're right! I've added a correction at the top of the comments now, thanks for pointing that out :)

[@shivazmanchanda4911]

Hey. Very informative.Which brand would you prefer omega or carl f. Bucherer ?

[@ShahLusso]

Ufff..tough question (bear in mind i'm a bit biased because i already own an Omega Seamaster 300M), as a brand overall i'd probably still go with Omega, but on a model to model basis there are still some Bucherer's I'd pick over omegas - for example I'd take a Manero Flyback over a Speedmaster Moonwatch because of the added complication and in my opinion it looks much nicer, or maybe even a Patravi over a Planet Ocean. Bucherer offers a lot of great value as well as some different designs, but because my Omega is what got me into this hobby to begin with it'll always have a special advantage hehe.

[@shivazmanchanda4911]

@@ShahLusso heehe. Thank you so much for your honest review . One more question which brand would you prefer between breitling , Carl f bucherer , omega or corum.?

[@ShahLusso]

Corum I don't have a lot of experience with or know too much about (Admiral's cup does look interesting though) so I can't really speak too much on them. As for Omega v Breitling v Bucherer, as a brand I'd probably still put Omega on top (quality, history & innovation it does beat out the other two) but I'd say Bucherer & Breitling are around on par in terms of quality, design, mix of in-house & outsourced movements - though Breitling does have more history behind it. Breitling does have some amazing chronographs, not as innovative and a bit on the pricy side, but very reliable and with a lot of history behind them - the Navitimer of course is an icon & the Premier is in my opinion one of the best looking chronographs on sale today. If ther's a specific model/models you're looking at I can probably give you a clearer idea since those are all pretty broad strokes ^ Hope that all helps :)

[@shivazmanchanda4911]

@@ShahLusso thank you so much sir for your reply

[@pranavpan]

Hi. I am buying a new watch and had finalized CFB peripheral bigdate as it's physically available where I'm located with a decent discount. But when i asked people i know in watche business and also by searching online, CFB is not considered as valuable a brand as IWC, for example. I have to choose from CFB peripheral (blue) and IWC pilot's watch topgun (black) and I'm super confused. I know they are different categories but these are 2 I liked.

[@ShahLusso]

It's a tough call to really define which brand is more "valueable" - if you're considering ease of resale, then definitely you're better off with IWC because it's just more recognized and actively marketed so it'll be easier to find a buyer faster. The same applies as well if the priority is thinking of how other people value you watch (i.e how impressive it is) *BUT* if you're talking about the value you get when you buy the watch, then CFB are much more competetive - especially something like a CFB peripheral, you'd be paying 2x the price of the CFB to get something as innovative as a peripheral rotor in an IWC. Also, even if you're thinking of resale value - if you get a good discount on on the CFB when purchasing it new, and if you're patient enough to find a buyer, then you may not actually lose too much money on it - while IWC will sell faster but the higher buy price means you might risk losing more on the sale. So in the end it all comes down to really what value means and matters to you. As always, my advice first and foremost is buy what you like and what appeals to you the most - the rest is all secondary :)

[@pranavpan]

@@ShahLusso That is such an awesome advice. Consider me a fan. I agree completely with you. CFB peripheral bigdate appeals to me. It's an amazing movement. I'm getting great discount on it as it is. To Hell with resale value. I'm buying the CFB. And those idiots should consider paying you or at least thank you. Coz they don't market their stuff well.. 😀😀 Thanks again.

[@ShahLusso]

Glad i could help :) and yeah luckily for us watch nerds their watches are way better than their marketing so plenty of great deals to be had on cool watches like the peripheral :D

[@pranavpan]

@@ShahLusso absolutely... 😀

[@jtome84-91]

Love my rose gold manero big power !

[@pranavpan]

Thanks!

[@ShahLusso]

Happy to help :)

[@TheMackyG]

I believe CFB is trying to be one of the top dogs 21st century. They're doing well with Influencer advertising. If they innovate in their styling I think they can do it.

[@ronniep9272]

Bulgari have numerous world records with the Octo Finissimo, even the Aluminium won the iconic watch award in 2020.

[@Artmen56]

You did a good Job ...i like CarlFBucherer

[@ShahLusso]

Thanks 🙏🏽

[@markmaier2503]

I enjoy my Cartier Tank Louis every bit as much as my H Moser Endeavor or Rolex Explorer ll.

[@ShahLusso]

As you should, the Tank is a phenomenal watch with plenty of history behind it! And that Moser though..that's a special piece, which dial color/case combination do you have?

[@markmaier2503]

Shah Lusso I have the grey fume dial.

[@stanlob1223]

Niiice

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Well Bucherer are great, get a 1970s one while you still can. Cartier and Bulgari... you can keep them.

[@ShahLusso]

Any specific 70s Bucherer you’d recommend?

[@larrybritton4051]

I have a Bucherer Sub second 7001-505. The watch is beautiful and keeps good time, the band shows wear. I believe it’s from the 60’s Or 70’s . Would like to know the value.

[@CharlieLovesAveri]

I found a bucherer in a thrift store

[@ShahLusso]

Nice, do you know which model or what year it’s from?

[@CharlieLovesAveri]

Shah Lusso no but it’s like a necklace watch hybrid and it’s also 17 jewels

[@joelopic]

The watches in this video although synonymous with jewellery making are actually quite serious watch makers unlike the cheap and nasties ie, guess, Daniel wellington , Tommy H. Etc. Gucci. Absolute garbage.

[@trowabarton2020]

bvlgari is definitely already on another level 😎

[@ShahLusso]

💯

[@fredriksvard2603]

Bucherer yes.

[@ShahLusso]

Fredrik Svärd any model in particular you’d want to highlight?

[@fredriksvard2603]

Shah Lusso Patravi scubatec manta, Patravi t-graph, manero flyback for me. Traveltec in black or blue maybe but would have to see them irl. We have a distrubutor with a few bucherers here, beautiful watches.

[@Spectraevil]

Why is Cartier in that list 🤦🏻‍♂️ Cartier is in a different league.

[@ShahLusso]

True Cartier has way more history and precedent than the other two, however they still get the same lack of appreciation a lot of the time despite having so many iconic watches and significant contributions to the watch world

[@Spectraevil]

@@ShahLusso True. Santos and Tank are such classic watches.