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Press Release: It is with great sorrow and regret that we announce the passing of Raymond Weil, the founder and honorary president of RAYMOND WEIL Geneve, maker of Swiss luxury timepieces. He passed away peacefully at age 87 on January 26, 2014. Raymond Weil was a pioneer and entrepreneur in the watchmaking industry. In 1976, in the middle of the most severe watch industry crisis, Weil was courageous enough to found his own company and turned his idea of what Swiss watchmaking should be into actual timepieces that would bring a new dimension to the industry. He was the first person to look at watches as a luxurious accessory. His vision was to create high-quality watches with superior design at affordable prices.  Weil’s creations were immediately praised by watch enthusiasts, amateurs and connoisseurs alike and he gradually put together an international network based on very strong and personal human connections and friendly relationships. Weil was an extraordinary man who was kind, affable and above all sincerely generous. He was a precursor in the international development of the Swiss watchmaking industry during a key period when this industry needed to be renewed. He traveled the world and became an exceptional ambassador for the city of Geneva and for Switzerland. He knew how to create a personal, professional and, most importantly, a friendly connection that even today following generations continue to immortalize and to pursue his approach to the business. RAYMOND WEIL Genève is known to be one of the few watch brands to bear the name of the founder and still operate as a family business. His son-in-law Olivier Bernheim is at the helm and two grandsons Elie and Pierre Bernheim are the chief officers of the company today. “Raymond Weil was a self-made man. He was my mentor and I learned so much from him,” said Olivier Bernheim, the president and CEO of RAYMOND WEIL. “His legacy and enthusiasm will live on through our family, his brand, its team over the world and all of those who wear the watch that bears his name.” Weil occupied several high positions in various professional organizations throughout his career; 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 the president of the exhibitors committee of the Basel International Watch and Jewellery Fair. Other than watchmaking, Weil’s great loves of life were his family, painting, aviation and music. He was passionate about classical and lyrical music as well as about contemporary art. RAYMOND WEIL Founded in Geneva in 1976, RAYMOND WEIL is one of the last remaining Swiss independent family-owned watchmaking companies. Based in Geneva, home of Switzerland’s most prestigious watchmakers and of the industry’s topmost expertise in component and material supply, the Brand enjoys a unique position in the exclusive world of luxury with a collection of refined timepieces that embody an elegant and contemporary blend of elements inspiring emotions with both customers and partners. Music has always been at the center of the RAYMOND WEIL universe. This is borne out by the names of the brand’s collections — taken from famous operas such as nabucco and parsifal, or with musical connotations, such as maestro or jasmine — and the various musical partnerships RAYMOND WEIL has signed with iconic musical venues, exclusive musical awards ceremonies, live music platforms and music related charities. Emotions, precision, performance: these are the values common to music and watchmaking that RAYMOND WEIL wishes to share with its clients.
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