ReviewThe Carl F. Bucherer Scubatec Black Manta: A Ray Of Hope

The spirit of preserving the ocean and its precious creatures has been in the air lately in the world of fine watchmaking. Immersed in their endeavour to do right by the planet, several brands have unveiled special edition watches that are pillars of sustainability or represent a true dedication to a cause. Among this sea of new products is the Carl F. Bucherer ScubaTec Black Manta Ray Special Edition.

Created to support the Manta Trust, a UK-based charitable organisation that is dedicated to conserving the oceans and the habitat of the rare manta rays, this is the second watch by Carl F. Bucherer for this very cause, and proceeds from sales will be donated to the Manta Trust.

The Many Sides Of The Ray

An upgrade from its predecessor, the Black Manta Ray timepiece is a vision in dual-toned perfection. It certainly made a stronger impression on me than any previous ScubaTec watch has till date. Not only is it striking as the Lucerne-based watch manufacturer’s first DLC-treated titanium watch, but it also speaks to the diver’s watch essence of the ScubaTec collection.

The Scubatec Black Manta is Carl F. Bucherer's first watch in DLC (diamond-like carbon)-treated titanium

The caseback features a motif of the beautiful black manta ray, embossed in the centre, with other details—such as its 500m water resistance—etched around it

The bronze accents, including the silhouettes of the peaceful, gorgeous manta rays on the dial, provide brilliant contrast against the black canvas of the watch—a nod to the alloy used in traditional diving equipment. Further complementing this is the bronze-coloured stitching on the rubber strap and its overlay, which is made from recycled plastic bottles—representing true sustainability.

The strap of this watch is in rubber with an overlay in nylon that has been made from recycled plastic bottles retrieved from the ocean

Inside the 44.6mm case of this beautiful black watch is a COSC-certified chronometer movement—the CFB 1950.1, which offers a 38-hour power reserve

The detailing, including the silhouette of the black manta ray, has been done in shades of bronze, which is a nod to the use of the alloy in traditional diving equipment

01

For The Black Manta Ray

Inside the 44.6mm case of this beautiful black watch is a COSC-certified chronometer movement—the CFB 1950.1, which offers a 38-hour power reserve. The case itself is adequately water resistant to 500m—etched on the caseback, along with an embossed depiction of the manta ray.

The dial features a date window at three o'clock, with applied indexes and wide hands—all with an adequate amount of Super-LumiNova

The bronze-coloured detailing includes the stitching on the rubber strap and its nylon overlay

“Thanks to the kind support of Carl F. Bucherer, this year the Manta Trust will be able to launch an exciting, explorative research project to gain new insight into the movement patterns and behaviour of manta rays in the Yucatán Peninsula,” Guy Stevens, CEO of the Manta Ray Trust has stated, speaking to the impact that this environmentally significant watch will have. “Increasing our understanding of this little-studied species will enable us to introduce more effective regional protection.”

A beautiful watch for a beautiful creature and cause indeed!