Bucherer-Patron Jörg Gerold Bucherer passes away at 87

Jörg Bucherer, the esteemed third-generation leader of the Bucherer watch retail business, has passed away at 87 on the evening of November 6th, 2023. Initiated by his grandfather, Bucherer has been dealing in luxurious timepieces and sparkling jewels for over a hundred years, catering to the wealthy and renowned worldwide. His death follows three months after the unexpected sale of Bucherer to Rolex.

Historical legacy

Jörg, who took over the family business in 1977, was pivotal in transforming Bucherer, founded in 1888 by Carl F. Bucherer, into one of the world's largest watch and jewelry retailers. This transformation occurred despite the challenges of the quartz crisis in the Swiss watch industry.

At Bucherer, third-generation Jörg took over management in 1977 and drove its expansion, pushing into Austria in the 1980s and then Germany a decade later. Bucherer opened a flagship store in Paris in 2013 and also moved into London and Copenhagen. A notable expansion occurred in 2018 with the acquisition of Tourneau in the United States, leading to the rebranding of some Tourneau locations to Bucherer. Jörg was known for his private and discreet approach, rarely making public appearances. His tenure at Bucherer was marked by significant growth, including establishing over 100 global locations, with 53 of them retailing Rolex.