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In Memoriam: Renowned Watchmaker Raymond Weil January 29, 2014 (0 comments)
Geneva, Switzerland—Raymond Weil, founder of the eponymous watch brand and considered one of the Swiss watch industry’s great innovators, died peacefully on January 26. He was 87.
Weil, who built his fortune on an affordable luxury watch, retired from his company’s board only last fall, and remained its honorary president. Son-in-law Olivier Bernheim and two grandsons, Elie and Pierre Bernheim, remain in charge.
Weil’s vision became reality in 1976, a time when the Swiss watch industry was in crisis. Digital and quartz watches were rapidly overtaking traditional mechanical timepieces, and Japanese watchmakers like Citizen and Seiko were rocketing to market domination. Fine mechanical timepieces were fast becoming relegated to rare collectors and millionaires, but Weil felt that high quality and superior design did not have to come at a fortune, and he introduced the concept of an affordable luxury watch.
Today, the company has 200 employees and its watches, which retail from about $900 to $4,500, are sold in 95 countries.
Top image: Reporters365.com