February 23, 2010

Carl F. Bucherer On Board the “UC?” from Rinspeed

Lucerne, Switzerland – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine

Following on from the versatile “iChange,” Rinspeed’s big news at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is the railroad-compatible “UC?” Carl F. Bucherer is not only backing Frank M. Rinderknecht’s latest project and the values central to his work—innovation, sustainability and passion—but has also supplied a Manufacture movement for the concept car.

Over 30 years ago, Frank M. Rinderknecht decided to satisfy his search for the ultimate vehicle by creating cars of his own that would achieve cult status. He started out tuning and customizing luxury cars for a high-end clientele and soon established a unique reputation. At the same time, Rinspeed carved out a niche for itself with the production of concept cars and limited series. He realized at an early stage that the way forward in the automobile sector was closely bound up with sustainability and new approaches to mobility.

Cars that can drive under water; cars with transparent bodywork; cars that metamorphose from one- to three-seaters: the concept cars developed by Frank M. Rinderknecht are a new, exciting interpretation of mobility. They are the work of an individual who follows his own path—much like
Carl F. Bucherer, the founder of the Lucerne-based watchmaking company of the same name. For company CEO Thomas Morf, this was one of the reasons for supporting Frank M. Rinderknecht and his latest project. “Once again, the “UC?” stands for change, forward-looking technology and passion on a grand scale. It’s this wealth of new, innovative ideas and concepts that makes Rinspeed so
fascinating,” says Thomas Morf. Perhaps even more important, though, is the philosophy shared by Carl F. Bucherer and Rinspeed: that of taking sophisticated technology, first class materials and unconventional design, and distilling them into conceptually compelling products that exude innovation and progress.

At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Frank M. Rinderknecht is revealing an electrically powered vehicle known as “UC?,” which stands for Urban Commuter. Thanks to its length of just over eight feet, it will help reduce jams in urban traffic. Apart from being a car, the UC? is also a versatile mobility concept. For long distance journeys, it is equipped with a sophisticated system that allows the car and its passengers to transfer to the railroad, which could mean that stress-free travel and unnecessary energy consumption are the reality of the future. The railroad-compatible UC? could well be the first concept car from Rinspeed to go into series production and be manufactured by leading carmakers.

The fact that Rinspeed and Carl F. Bucherer share a common philosophy and work actively together is evidenced by the UC?’s interior. The dashboard is transparent and integrates a skeletonized Carl F. Bucherer-manufactured movement. To show off the components in this mechanism to their best advantage, the movement is housed in a Plexiglas case without a dial. The time—in hours and minutes—is indicated by the hands characteristic of the Patravi collection.