The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.
Tourneau Acquired by European Watch Retailer
Bucherer, a Swiss company, bought Tourneau from the investor group that’s owned it since 2006.

New York--Swiss watch and jewelry retailer Bucherer has purchased Tourneau for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced this week.
Bucherer is buying Tourneau from Green Equity Investors IV LP, an investor group that is an affiliate of private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners and includes members of the Wexler family. Bucherer confirmed to National Jeweler via email that the purchase marks the exit of the Wexler family from the business.
Based in Lucerne, Switzerland, Bucherer is a retailer—the company has 33 watch and jewelry stores across Europe—and is the manufacturer of Carl F. Bucherer watches.
The purchase of 28-store chain Tourneau will effectively double its retail footprint, and also give it a presence in the United States.
In a news release issued Wednesday announcing the transaction, Bucherer CEO Guido Zumbühl said buying Tourneau gives the company an “exciting opportunity” to enter the U.S. market, “firmly establish” the Carl F. Bucherer brand here and introduce its jewelry line, Bucherer Fine Jewellery, to the market as well.
Tourneau already sells some Carl F. Bucherer watches but will expand its selection with the acquisition.

Bucherer said that Tourneau’s management team will remain in place and that it “looks forward to welcoming Tourneau’s employees into the Bucherer family in the coming months.” The company has a total of 600 workers.
As for changing the name of the Tourneau stores to Bucherer, which a Bucherer executive said was a “possibility” in an interview with JCKOnline.com, Bucherer said Thursday: “We will review the best way forward together with Tourneau’s management in the coming months.”
Tourneau has a total of 28 stores in 10 states, landing it at No. 28 on National Jeweler’s Top 50 Specialty Jewelers in North Americalist in the 2017 State of the Majors report.
Though the company will not comment publicly on sales figures, researcher Edahn Golan had Tourneau’s 2016 sales at $442 million in the $100 Million Supersellers list.
Tourneau traces its history back to 1900 when the Wexler family opened their first jewelry store in Eastern Europe.
Between 1924 and 1925, M. Wexler Watchmakers & Jewelers opened in Manhattan, and the Tourneau family emigrated from Paris to New York and opened a watch counter in the Berkshire Palace Hotel.
Tourneau
Bucherer dates back to 1888, when Carl-Friedrich Bucherer and wife Luise opened a jewelry store on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Today, the company is helmed by third-generation owner Jörg G. Bucherer, who is also president, and Zumbühl.
Bucherer is the second European company to make a purchase in the U.S. market in recent months.
U.K.-based Aurum Holdings Ltd. acquired Mayors jewelry stores from Birks Group in October.
The Latest

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.


“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

Interior designer Athena Calderone looked to decor from the 1920s and 1930s when crafting her first fine jewelry collection.

During a call about its full-year results, CEO Efraim Grinberg discussed how the company is approaching the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

The free program provides educational content for jewelry salespeople and enthusiasts to learn or refresh their diamond knowledge.

The feedback will be used to prepare other jewelers for the challenges ahead, the organization said.

The online sessions are designed to teach jewelers to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to grow their business.

The opening marks the jewelry retailer’s first location in the Midwest.

The “United in Love” collection offers tangible mementos of hearts entwined with traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Robert Goodman Jewelers will hold a “Black Jewelry Designers and Makers” event on April 27.

The announcements follow a tumultuous start to 2025 for WJA, which saw a wave of resignations following controversial statements about DEI.

Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff answers questions about how the new taxes levied on countries like India and China will impact the industry.

Kenewendo, Botswana’s minster of minerals and energy, discusses closing the deal with De Beers and the work that was missed along the way.

The historic fancy vivid blue diamond set to headline Christie’s Geneva sale next month could sell for up to $50 million.

LVMH CFO Cécile Cabanis also discussed the effects of tariffs so far.

The “Mad Men” and “The Morning Show” star steals jewelry, art, and handbags from his wealthy neighbors in “Your Friends & Neighbors.”