Swiss-made watch brand 88 Rue du Rhone is celebrating its three year anniversary.
The brand founded by Pierre and Elie Bernheim, grandsons of Raymond Weil, is now available in 40 countries on five continents with watches ranging in price from £295 to £895.
88 Rue du Rhone launched exclusively through DM London and The Wonder Room at Selfridges in July 2012 and has since doubled its turnover year-on-year with its retail partners.
Pierre Bernheim, chief executive officer, said: “My brother and I first launched our brand as we saw a niche in the global watch market for Swiss-made timepieces at a price point between £300 and £895 – there are very few brands that can product Swiss-made timepieces at these prices.
“Our vision was to design contemporary yet classic watches that are suited to all occasions, using the vast experience that we have through three generations at the helm of Raymond Weil. We set out to follow a similar journey as my grandfather did back in 1976, however we have adapted our approach to mirror the needs of the modern-day market place. The result is a truly global reaching brand that, although in its infancy, has established itself within a highly competitive retail environment. We continue to evolve both in terms of product design and marketing visibility with the brand growing by 50% globally year-on-year.”
The brand, which remains an independent, family-owned business, has secured a series of high profile sponsorships including the Miami Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to cement its association with the world of cinema.
The latest update to the offer was revealed at Baselworld this year in the shape of the Rive collection, which will begin arriving in stores next month.
88 Rue du Rhone also continues to flourish in China, thanks, at least in part, to its name and local partnership with the Harmony Group. The brand is now present in 60 stores in China, all in shop-in-shop and boutique locations.
