Beyer Watches & Jewellery

47°22′15″N 8°32′19″E / 47.3708862°N 8.5386424°E / 47.3708862; 8.5386424

Beyer Watches & Jewellery
Company typeFamily-owned business
Founded1760 (1760)
HeadquartersBahnhofstrasse, Zürich, Switzerland
Key people
Muriel Zahn Beyer (CEO)[1]
Number of employees
62
Websitehttps://www.beyer-ch.com/en

Beyer Watches & Jewellery (German: Beyer Uhren & Juwelen) is a watch and jewellery maker and retailer in Zürich, Switzerland. Located on Bahnhofstrasse, at its junction with Bärengasse, the business was established in 1760, making it the oldest watch retailer in the world. It is owned by Muriel Zahn-Beyer, member of the eighth generation of the Beyer family.[2]

History

Matthäus Beyer founded the company in 1760 in the German town of Donaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg. His grandson, Stephan, moved the business to Feuerthalen, Switzerland, in 1822. It was a watchmaker's and spice shop at that time. Stephan's son, Theodor Beyer-Danioth, opened a shop in Niederdorf, Zurich, in 1860. It moved to Paradeplatz (in the building today occupied by Credit Suisse) in 1877. Shortly thereafter, Adelrich Beyer took over the management of the company. It relocated again, in 1927, to its current location in the Orell Füssli building at Bahnhofstrasse 31.[3][4]

In 1948, the business converted into a company, Beyer Chronometrie AG, limited by shares. The shares are owned by the family.[3] Theodor R. Beyer became the owner in 1955, taking over from his father, also named Theodor. Theodor R. Beyer stepped back from running family business after a heart attack in 1986. His son, René, essentially led the family business and had formally taken over as a managing director a decade later. René Beyer died in 2025, aged 61.[3][5][6][7] The business is now headed by Muriel Zahn Beyer, René's sister.[1]

Beyer's own watches are manufactured by Aerowatch in Saignelégier, Switzerland.[8] In 2003, the company opened a goldsmith's atelier.[3]

Brands

The company represented Patek Philippe since 1842, IWC since 1893, Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre since 1932, as well as Breguet, Breitling, Tudor, Hublot, and many others.[9] In the 1960s, the company pioneered the second-hand market of luxury watches.[5][10] In 2023, it began selling certified pre-owned Rolex watches.[11]

Museum

The business opened a museum, the Uhrenmuseum Beyer,[12] in the same building in 1971. It was originally called the Museum of Timekeeping.[3] The museum houses one of the most notable private collection of up to 300 timepieces from 1,400 BC to the present day.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/switzerland/rene-beyer-dies-at-the-age-of-2654361.html
  2. ^ "Switzerland's oldest watch retailer | Beyer Watches & Jewellery Zurich". www.beyer-ch.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Tradition has a name | Beyer Watches & Jewellery Zurich". www.beyer-ch.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  4. ^ "Beyer Chronometrie in Bahnhofstrasse 31 8001 Zürich Switzerland". www.rolex.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  5. ^ a b "Talking to René Beyer of Beyer Chronometrie located at Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich – WatchAdvisor – Your Time. Our Passion". www.watchadvisor.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  6. ^ Minder, Raphael (2011-04-22). "At Swatch, an Enviable Problem: An Excess of Eager Customers for Its Products". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  7. ^ Brandon Moore (April 16, 2025). "Obituary: René Beyer, Owner of the World's Oldest Watch Store". SJX. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  8. ^ "Premium private label | Beyer Watches & Jewellery Zurich". www.beyer-ch.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  9. ^ Serge Maillard (August 2016). "Beyer Chronometrie Zurich - "The brands are returning to their roots"". Europa Star Time Business. An agent for Patek Philippe without interruption since 1842, IWC since 1893, Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre since 1932 and another twenty or more other prestigious brands...
  10. ^ "Beyer Chronometrie – Zurich: a pioneer in the watch trade". Europa Star. March 2023.
  11. ^ Corder, Rob (2023-07-21). "Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme Expands". Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  12. ^ "Beyer Clock and Watch Museum". www.zuerich.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  13. ^ "Travel through time". Loupiosity. June 22, 2023. It houses one of the world's leading private collections of watches and clocks – close to 300 pieces from 1,400 BC to the present day.

Publications

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