Rolex Discontinues Carl F. Bucherer: A Costly Legacy Comes to an End

The luxury watch brand Carl F. Bucherer, once a personal passion project of the late Bucherer patriarch Jörg Bucherer, has come to an end. This expensive endeavour is now being shut down by Rolex.

A Strategic Decision by Rolex

This morning, employees were officially informed of the brand's closure. In the coming weeks, remaining boutiques will shut their doors, and retail spaces within Bucherer stores will be repurposed for other watch brands.

Neither Rolex nor Bucherer have provided official statements regarding the decision. Rolex referred inquiries to Bucherer, while the latter dismissed reports from BILANZ Watches as mere "rumours."

A Financial Sinkhole

According to BILANZ Watches, despite generating respectable revenues, Carl F. Bucherer never achieved profitability. Over the years, it is estimated that Bucherer invested approximately 250 million Swiss francs into the brand. At its peak, annual revenues ranged between 80 and 100 million francs. In certain years, Carl F. Bucherer was reportedly the second-best-selling brand within Bucherer stores, behind only Rolex. However, even during those strong sales periods, the brand remained unprofitable, never managing to operate in the black.

Given these persistent losses, it comes as no surprise that Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour decided to pull the plug. While Rolex is owned by a charitable foundation, it operates as a highly successful business rather than a philanthropic entity. Maintaining an underperforming brand like Carl F. Bucherer was not in its best interests—particularly when Rolex acquired the company as part of the broader Bucherer takeover, rather than as a targeted investment. With Tudor already positioned as its secondary brand, Rolex had no need for an additional sister company, especially one that failed to generate profit.

Jörg Bucherer: The Brand’s Protector

The question remains: why did Bucherer not make this decision sooner? The answer lies in the personal involvement of Jörg Bucherer. As long as he remained at the helm of the company, no one dared to question his passion project. Insiders describe him as both the financial backbone and the personal advocate of the brand. Only after his passing, following the acquisition by Rolex, was an objective evaluation conducted—ultimately leading to the brand’s termination. Rolex's financial analysts took a close look at the losses, and the decision was inevitable.

Job Relocations and Industry Reactions

Reports indicate that Rolex will attempt to find alternative positions for affected employees within the group. Around 100 staff members are impacted, with approximately 70 production workers in Lengnau near Biel expected to be offered roles at the new Rolex facility in Bulle.

Industry experts have expressed surprise at Carl F. Bucherer's failure, given its privileged position within the Bucherer retail network across Europe and the United States, as well as its access to online sales channels. One unnamed expert stated, "I had expected much more from this brand."

Moreover, the brand's struggles are particularly striking considering that Bucherer often bundled its watches with Rolex models. In some cases, customers could only purchase highly sought-after Rolex timepieces, such as the Daytona, if they also bought a Carl F. Bucherer watch. Despite this strategy, demand for Carl F. Bucherer remained weak. Today, used models can be found on online marketplaces at discounts of up to 90%.

At its peak, Carl F. Bucherer was available in around 250 retail outlets worldwide, 50 of which were operated by Bucherer or its US subsidiary, Tourneau. Now, with its closure, Rolex is streamlining its business and eliminating an underperforming asset, ensuring that its focus remains solely on its core brands.