René Beyer. (Credit: PD)
René Beyer, owner of Beyer Chronometrie on Zurich’s prestigious Bahnhofstrasse, has unexpectedly died on Sunday. He led the historic watch and jewelry store for nearly three decades, representing the eighth generation of a family business that dates back to 1760. Like all his predecessors, Beyer was also a trained watchmaker.
According to the Zurich financial website Inside Paradeplatz, which was first to report the news, Beyer is survived by his wife, a native of China. As the couple had no children, she is expected to inherit the business.
The company, considered the oldest authorized watch and jewelry retailer in the world, has maintained a close relationship with Rolex since 1932. In the 1950s, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf gifted a yellow-gold Day-Date to René’s grandfather in appreciation of his longstanding support.
To mark Beyer Chronometrie’s 250th anniversary, Rolex produced in 2010 a special edition of its platinum Day-Date, offered exclusively through the retailer.
Beyer’s sister, Muriel Zahn-Beyer, who has served as managing director for the past year, will continue to lead the company. The store announced that business operations will proceed as usual.