Bucherer Moves from London Acquisition to America

Luxury Swiss Retailer Bucherer Moves from London Acquisition to America

18:03 27 April 2018

The luxury Swiss brand Bucherer has an extensive and illustrious 130-year history of quality, service, and offering the best and most exquisite watches on the market. Founded in 1888 by Carl-Friedrich Bucherer and his wife Luise in Lucerne, Switzerland, the retailer has now international interests and reputation, and for a very good reason. For a country that is already internationally known for its watch-making prowess, to become the global face of the luxury timekeeping world is a feat unto itself. 

 

It is this very company that has recently acquired the renown The Watch Gallery brand and its various locations in London. This timely move is set to expand Bucherer’s global aspirations, as not only does London have a long, exciting history, it is also an international hub of innovation, business, and creativity. Thus making London the perfect destination in the UK to introduce more Swiss luxury watch brands, including the Bucherer’s own Carl F. Bucherer watch brand. 

 

More recent efforts into expansion include the purchase of American luxury watch retailer Tourneau. This retailer had over 100 years of history and is the largest luxury watch retailer in North American. With over 28 stores in 10 states, acquiring this company is sure to expand the brand’s name and influence in one of the most key luxury watch markets. The move has been applauded by Guido Zumbühl, the CEO of Bucherer, who has claimed that the purchase of Tourneau “…provides an exciting opportunity for the Bucherer Group to establish a footprint and extend our offering of fine watches and jewelry into the United States.” 

 

Bucherer has a long history of partnering with the best watch brands in the business. Back in the 1920s, Ernst Bucherer, son of Carl-Friedrich Bucherer, partnered with Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf. At the time Wilsdorf’s wristwatch was making headlines but was not yet the household name that we know it to be today. Shortly before the partnership, Wilsdorf’s Rolex received the first Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision award given to a wristwatch. Four years later the Kew Observatory classed his watch “A,” a moniker previously only given to marine chronometers. The partnership began shortly after when Wilsdorf moved his brand to Geneva in 1919 and has been flying high ever since. 

 

Another notable brand that the Bucherer brand stocks is the opulent and alluring Cartier. Like Rolex, Cartier is an international name and synonymous with the very best quality, eye-catching luxury, and precision. Cartier is jewellery as much as it is function, and it is due to its daring design and its watch-making savoir-faire. This French brand is as old as Bucherer, beginning in 1888, and quickly became a favourite brand for timepieces worn by the world’s elite at the time. Like with Hans Wilsdorf, Louis Cartier believed the future of watches would appear on the wrist. 

 

What the acquisition of these two top watch retailers by the Bucherer Group means for the world is increased luxury options for both jewellery and watches, as well as an increased devotion to providing customers with the best customer service possible. Whether you are a Rolex fanatic or a Cartier lover, these new branches will ensure you have the best experience in either Europe or North America.