Rolex Reportedly Discontinues Carl F. Bucherer Brand

Big news in the watch world: Rolex is reportedly pulling the plug on Carl F. Bucherer, according to Swiss business magazine Bilanz. This comes about 18 months after Rolex acquired Bucherer AG in August 2023, which included the Carl F. Bucherer brand.

Image Source: Watch Pro 

Bilanz reports that Carl F. Bucherer has been running at a loss, allegedly costing around 250 million Swiss francs (about $272 million USD). They even dubbed it “an expensive hobby” of the late Jörg Bucherer, the third-generation family head who passed away in November 2023.

With this move, it seems Rolex is shifting focus to the more profitable side of Bucherer AG—its extensive retail network. As Marcel Speiser of Bilanz put it, “Rolex is owned by a charity, but is not a charity,” highlighting the brand’s business mindset.

Image Source: Hodinkee

Employees of Carl F. Bucherer were reportedly informed of the decision recently, with plans to phase out the brand’s presence in about 250 stores, including 50 operated by Bucherer or its U.S. subsidiary, Tourneau. As of now, neither Rolex nor Bucherer have responded to requests for comment, so we’re still waiting on official word.

While this news is based on Bilanz‘s report and hasn’t been officially confirmed, it points to a significant strategy shift for Rolex’s recent acquisition. For more details, check out the original Bilanz article.

Image Source: Hodinkee

On a personal note, I’ve always admired Carl F. Bucherer’s creations. A few months back at a RedBar meetup, I got to see the dual-crown Heritage Worldtimer, specifically the blue-dialed edition they did with Hodinkee. It’s a stunning piece and really showcased (to me) CFB’s standards for quality and finishing.