A brand that was managed by Rolex has reportedly gone under, according to Swiss newspaper Bilanz. Two years after purchasing one of the most well-known watch brands of all time, Carl F. Bucherer, everyone who worked for the brand was notified that it would shutter.
Carl F. Bucherer first launched 137 years ago, making it a storied watch brand (and one that’s older than Rolex itself — Rolex was founded in 1905). CFB was birthed in 1888 and was run by the same family for almost one hundred years. Think of it as one of the few Swiss family-owned watch brands that made it to the 21st century. Apart from offering high-quality watches, it will go down in the history books as a pioneering Swiss watch brand.
However, according to the report, the decision was financial in nature — Carl F. Bucherer was never really profitable for Rolex, despite an estimated investment of 250 million Swiss francs. It had been the passion project of Jörg Bucherer, the third-generation leader of Bucherer. He passed away shortly after the 2023 sale.
It’s notable that while Rolex acquired CFB in 2023, it was part of a larger deal to acquire Bucherer, which was the largest retailer of Rolex watches at the time. This acquisition gave Rolex greater control of its direct-to-consumer sales.
Carl F. Bucherer is currently present in approximately 250 stores, 50 operated by Bucherer or its US subsidiary Tourneau. These will reportedly be phased out or be used for other brands going forward. Carl F. Bucherer has not made an official statement on this report yet.
