Key Stakeholders Involved In The Traditional Watch Brands

Rolex

The most famous watch brand in the world is Rolex. The listed Rolex SA is controlled by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In 1905, at the age of 24, Wilsdorf founded a company in London, specialising in watch sales from the outset. The winner was the Rolex Oyster, which was introduced to the market in 1926. The precision was then ensured by the clockworks of a Swiss manufacturer in Biel, Switzerland.

Recently, the company bought the Swiss watch dealer and jeweller Bucherer. Rolex and its controlling foundation are based in Geneva.

Cartier

Cartier began its history in 1847 with the acquisition of a jewellery studio by Louis-François Cartier. A few years later, the first watches came into the range. In 1917, the watch model Tank became a pioneer, which differs from the chronometer pieces competition. Since 1997, Cartier has been owned by Richemont. 

Cartier watches occupy a special place in the luxury sector. It is a question of combining craftsmanship with technical achievements. Many luxury brands still thrive on this prestige. However, only some buyers are able to test the extreme resistance of their clock in the deep sea or at supersonic speed.

Patek Philippe

The image of a luxury symbol contributes to the record sums that Patek Philippe watches regularly earn at auctions. The traditional company founded in 1839 is considered to be the inventor of the winding crown. The Geneva-based company is named after its founder, Antoine de Patek, and its business partner, Jean Adrien Philippe. The watch brand also appeals to a new generation of customers. Surely Jay-Z, who rapped over his Patek Philippe, helped. Since 1932, the Stern family has been the sole owner of Patek Philippe SA.

Breitling

The history of Breitling SA began in the 1880s, during an economic crisis. Despite economic difficulties and uncertain prospects, 24-year-old Léon Breitling dared to start his company in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. To this day, the company is regarded as “the inventor of the modern chronograph and brought the first functional watch for navigation to the market.” In 1979, pilot Ernest Schneider took over the brand. In 2017, his family sold 80% of the shares to the British financial investor CVC. He was later replaced by the Swiss private equity company Partners Group as a majority shareholder. 

Swatch Group

Actually, the Swatch watch is a newcomer. The first watch of the brand came on the market in 1983. The father of Swatch is Nicolas G. Hayek, who originally worked in his father-in-law’s engineering company and later founded his own company, Hayek Engineering. From a technological point of view, the history of the Swatch began in 1978 with the development of the world’s flattest watch, the Delirium. It was only the fully integrated production technology developed for this watch that made it possible to produce the Swatch. In 2000, the Swatch Group acquired the German manufacturer Glashütte Original. The Swatch Group also owns Omega, Longines, and Tissot.

A. Lange & Söhne

A. Lange & Söhne is one of the great names in the German market for expensive watches. The company is headquartered at the traditional site of Glashütte near Dresden. In 1845, the watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his factory there. After the reunification, Lange Uhren GmbH continued the history of the company. In 2011, the Swiss luxury company Richemont acquired Lange Watches. A. Lange & Söhne became the sister brand of competitors such as IWC and Jaeger-Le Coultre.