Swiss jeweller and watchmaker Philippe Charriol has died doing what he loved, driving his racing car at a high speed circuit in his native France.
Mr Charriol is survived by his wife Marie-Olga and children, Coralie, Alexandre and Laetitia who all work within the Charriol business.
A statement from the company says Mr Charriol, who was born in 1942, died on February 26 at the wheel of his racing car on the Circuit Paul Ricard, home of the 2018 French Grand Prix Formula 1.
“A man of many passions – both professional and personal – Philippe Charriol cultivated “l’Art de vivre la Différence” at all times, pursuing his business and his passions at full speed, to the end,” the statement describes.
Charriol jewellery and watches was created in 1983 and based in Geneva. It was an early trail blazer into the Far East, ahead of rivals that were focusing on traditional markets of North America and Europe. The brands has hundreds of points of sale across Western Europe, but is not currently active in the UK.
Prior to founding his own brand, Mr Charriol worked at Cartier for 15 years, ultimately as brand president for the Asian market based in Hong Kong.
At Charriol, he continued to innovate with emerging business models and launched his own ecommerce platform in 2008.
“Thirty years since he founded the marque, Philippe Charriol leaves behind a legacy of a Swiss watch manufacturer headquartered in Geneva, with a flourishing jewelry, accessories and multi-product brand which is now present on every continent, and where Charriol’s image and reputation continue to grow,” the company says.
