Bucherer

The city of Lucerne first became a tourist destination as part of the Grand Tour in the late 19th century, which saw tourists from England and Germany flock to the fresh air of Switzerland’s mountains and lakes for recuperation. Carl F. Bucherer capitalized on this tourist influx by opening a watch and jewellery shop at the heart of the city centre in 1888. For the next 130 years, Bucherer would welcome successive waves of tourists in Lucerne from America (1950s), Japan (1990s) and today China. 

From its humble beginnings, Bucherer has grown into a global retail empire that includes both the world’s most profitable multi-brand watch store, in Lucerne, and the world’s biggest multi-brand watch store, in Paris. More recently, the Bucherer Group embarked on an ambitious overseas expansion programme, acquiring UK retail chain The Watch Gallery in 2017 and US retailer Tourneau, with 28 stores, in early 2018. 

Bucherer combines the best traits of the Swiss watch and tourism industries, having honed its experience in offering warm hospitality and excellent service over the past 130 years. Today, Bucherer is a leading European watch and jewellery retailer with 72 stores in Europe. Its philosophy is one of modern traditions, coupling its rich history as an independent, family-owned company with a modern outlook.

Thanks to its own watch brand, Carl F. Bucherer, named after the company founder, Bucherer has also achieved the elevated status of a watchmaking “manufacture”, having launched its own movement, the CFB A1000, in 2018. But the company also works closely with its other partners to develop exclusive editions. The Bucherer Blue Editions, for example, are special editions developed exclusively for Bucherer on the theme of blue, which are available exclusively from Bucherer stores.

Bucherer is also a leading purveyor of fine jewellery, whether from established luxury jewellery brands or from its own in-house collections. Customers can choose from a range of contemporary designs to suit all budgets, from several hundred Swiss francs to upwards of one million for bespoke creations.