Raymond Weil Genève (French pronunciation: ​[ʁemɔ̃ vɛːj]) is a Swiss luxury watchmaker, founded in 1976 in Geneva. It is a family company founded by Raymond Weil (1926-2014), and now managed by Olivier Bernheim (Weil's son in law) and his two sons, Elie and Pierre Bernheim. It is one of the last independent brands in the Swiss watch industry.

History

• 1976: Raymond Weil creates the company at a time when the Swiss watch industry is in turmoil due to the Quartz crisis.
• 1982: Olivier Bernheim, Raymond Weil's son-in-law, joins the company, underlying the family commitment.
• 1983: The Amadeus collection is launched in conjunction with Milos Forman's world acclaimed film of the same name.
• 1986: Launch of the Othello collection. This ultra-thin timepiece (1.2mm) plays a great part in the worldwide success of RAYMOND WEIL.
• 1988 : Launch of the Traviata collection
• 1991 : Launch of the Parsifal collection.
• 1994: The award-winning Precision Movements advertising campaign consolidates RAYMOND WEIL's image as Brand committed to the arts.
• 1995: Launch RAYMOND WEIL's still actual collections, Tango (one of the most famous collections).
• 1998: The Don Giovanni line is added to the collection. Launch of the Saxo collection.
• 1999: The "Celebrate the moment" advertising campaign is presented, emphasizing RAYMOND WEIL's attachment to music, art and culture worldwide. The Research & Development department is created to have full control of the watch-design process. Among other innovations, the company's R&D group created the complication for the GMT function of the famous Don Giovanni Così Grande two time zones watch and the interchangeable bracelet system for the Shine collection.
• 2001: RAYMOND WEIL celebrates its quarter of century of existence and unveils the new Othello collection.
• 2003: The new Parsifal collection is launched around the world.
• 2006: Elie and Pierre Bernheim, Mr Raymond Weil’s grandsons, join the company. This same year, the Ladies' Shine collection is launched and RAYMOND WEIL is the first luxury watch brand to propose The RW Club for their fans and watch owners
• 2007: Launch of the Nabucco and Freelancer collections. The new brand identity, logo and “Independence is a state of mind” concept was introduced.
• 2009: Launch of the Ladies' Noemia collection. Creation of the Nabucco Rivoluzione limited edition.
• 2010: Launch of the Maestro collection. Creation of the Nabucco Va, Pensiero and Freelancer Summertime limited editions.
• 2011: Launch of the Jasmine collection and Maestro 35th anniversary limited edition. Creation of the brand’s first moon phase complication movement. New advertising campaign and slogan: “Precision is my inspiration”.
• 2012: Launch of a new advertising campaign depicting musical scores taking off around the brand’s latest watches. Launch of the Maestro Phase de Lune Semainer, RAYMOND WEIL’s first automatic watch with date, day, month, week number and moon phase complications.

Creation

Raymond Weil created the brand that bears his name in 1976 – a period of crisis for the watch industry. He then sets up his distribution network first in Europe and then worldwide.

Weil’s son in law Olivier Bernheim enters the company in 1982 after several years working in the marketing field for Heineken and Unilever. He is appointed President and CEO in 1996 and has been working on the development of the brand’s worldwide presence since then.

Elie and Pierre Bernheim, Olivier Bernheim’s sons, joined the company in 2006. Elie Bernheim (co-founder of 88 RUE DU RHONE) works as a marketing director and works on the strategic development of the brand while preserving its family identity. Pierre is a sales director and travels to develop new markets.

Parsifal 9460-sg5-00658 – Two-tone – Silver dial Development

Raymond Weil Genève first developed in Europe in the UK, before developing its distribution network worldwide, first starting with the United Arab Emirates and then the United States and India in the early 1980s. Olivier Bernheim created the Research and Development department in 1999 with the full control of the watch-design process as an objective. The R&D department is responsible for: the complication for the GMT function of the Don Giovanni Così Grande two time zones, the patented interchangeable bracelet system for the Shine collection, the moon phase complication on automatic movement of the Maestro collection.

The brand opened in 2009 its own subsidiary in the United States – RW USA Corp., thus ending its collaboration with its historic distributor. It also created RW India Pvt. Ltd. in 2010 (100% subsidiary company in Bangalore) and opened several exclusive boutiques in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai that same year. Raymond Weil Genève watches are now sold worldwide.

In 2013, the brand converted its distribution contract in the United Kingdom into a management agreement and created a subsidiary - R. WEIL DISTRIBUTION UK LTD - in April.

The company also develops its presence online. It is the first luxury watch brand to have opened a club reserved to watch-owners. The brand was also the first in the luxury watchmaking industry on location-based social media Foursquare and the first to use Fcommerce (Facebook commerce). In September 2007 RAYMOND WEIL also became the first luxury watchmaker to create its island on Second Life. The Brand's presence on Second Life and other social media channels is part of a strategic choice to adopt new channels of communication so as to be closer to clients and convey the Brand's values.

Key people Parsifal 7260-sc5-00208 – Automatic chronograph -Two tone on leather strap

Raymond Weil (Founder and Honorary President) was born in Geneva in 1926. After he got a diploma in commerce, he entered Camy Watch S.A. – a Swiss watchmaker, in 1949 where he was to become manager and spend 26 years of his life. In 1976, during a crisis that affected the watch industry, he decided to create his own company.

Raymond Weil occupied several high positions in various professional organisations: he was President of the Geneva Watchmaker Union, Vice-President of the Watchmaking Industry Training Centre (CFH), and member of the Watchmaking Federation (FH) and other employers’ associations. Until 1995, he was also President of the Exhibitors Committee of the Basel International Watch and Jewellery Fair.

Raymond Weil is married, has 2 daughters and 6 grandchildren. He is passionate about classical and lyrical music but also about contemporary art. He loves flying his plane and got his flying certificate at the age of 56.

Olivier Bernheim (President and CEO): He was born in 1954 in Strasbourg (France) and has a law degree from the management school of Strasbourg (France). He started his career at Kronenbourg, before he became Marketing Development Manager at Unilever in Paris.

He joined Raymond Weil Genève S.A. in 1982  and became President and CEO in 1996. His mission was to restructure, develop and consolidate the image and international presence of the brand, without it losing its family identity. Olivier Berhneim shares Mr Weil's interest in music and art and has oriented the brand universe in that direction. He founded the research and development department in 1999.

Olivier Bernheim is both Swiss and French and is married to Mr Weil’s elder daughter Diana, a professional pianist. They have three children together: Elie, Pierre and Noémi.

Elie Bernheim (maketing Director) is Olivier Bernheim’s elder son. After graduating from the prestigious Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and creating his own import-export textile company, Elie joined the family company in 2006. His mission is to plan the brand’s strategic development. Just like his father and grandfather, he enjoys music and owns a professional diploma in cello. Among his various projects and developments, one can count the renewal of the collections, change of Raymond Weil Genève’s corporate identity, creation of new male and female advertising campaigns with famous Swiss photographer Joël von Allmen and the Nabucco advertising.

 

Pierre Bernheim (sales Director) is Mr Weil’s grandson and the second son of Olivier Bernheim and joined the company in 2006. Already graduated in accounts, Pierre graduated in International Business and Administration from La Haute Ecole de Gestion in Geneva. Interested in finance, he worked in Institutional Asset Management for Mirabaud Bank, one of the most famous Swiss private banks. He is passionate about aviation and owns several flying certificates: a flying licence, a high aerobatic flying licence and a seaplane licence.