Jörg G. Bucherer: portrait of the former head of the watch retailer, who passed away this year

Representing the third generation of the Bucherer family, Jörg G. Bucherer passed away on Monday 6 November 2023. The former head of the watch and jewellery retailer sold the company to Rolex a few months ago. After taking the helm in 1977, he played a major role in the company’s expansion.

On Monday 6 November, the world of watchmaking and jewellery learned of the death of Jörg G. Bucherer, one of the world’s most famous watchmakers. Bucherer, one of the industry’s leading figures. Discreet and visionary, he was a third-generation descendant of founder Carl-Friedrich Bucherer.

Carl-Friedrich Bucherer founded the company in 1888 with his wife Luise, opening its first boutique in Lucerne. In 1919, Carl-Friedrich Bucherer presented his first collection of watches. Five years later, his son Ernst Bucherer signed a highly strategic partnership with Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex. Bucherer now distributes this young but fast-growing company, now known as the most highly-regarded brand in the watch industry.

Jörg G. Bucherer, the commercial impact of a businessman

In 1977, Jörg G. Bucherer took over the management of the firm. From then on, he put in place a plan for expansion around the world. From Austria to Germany, via Paris, where he opened the world’s largest watch and jewellery shop in 2013, Jörg G. Bucherer developed the family business that had become a household name. Bucherer is developing the family business, which is making a name for itself with an increasingly diverse clientele. The adventure continues in Great Britain, the United States and Denmark.

Under his leadership, Bucherer acquired retailers Kurz in 1989 and Swiss Lion SA in 2001. That same year, the organisation founded the independent company Carl F. Bucherer, which perpetuates the style of the watch and jewellery brand created at the beginning of the last century. In 2018, Bucherer took control of Tourneau, the luxury watch distributor with 32 boutiques in the United States.

At the same time, Bucherer is capitalising on the trend towards second-hand watches, a rapidly expanding market. Watches are quickly guaranteed Certified Pre-Owned, an authentication service provided by experts that offers real added value in the age of counterfeits.

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In August 2023, a few months before his death, Jörg G. Bucherer, with no direct descendants, decided to sell Bucherer AG to Rolex, with whom he had a strong relationship. The retailer will continue to operate independently and will keep its name. The financial details of the transaction have not been made public.

Businessman Jörg G. Bucherer leaves behind a fortune estimated at several billion Swiss francs.

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