Jörg Bucherer. (Photo credit: Corriere del Ticino)
The Swiss government cleared the Bucherer Foundation to be officially registered in the public records in January 2025 after ruling Jörg Bucherer had no legal heir to his estate. The foundation will begin operation in 2026.
It was a year ago, on Nov. 6, 2023, that Bucherer, the owner of the largest watch and jewelry retailer in the world, passed away, weeks after selling his company to Rolex.
Because he had no descendants, the inheritance estimated at more than 6 billion francs will be poured into a new foundation, as reported by Coronet, following in Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf's footsteps.
Rolex’s takeover was finalized in July after antitrust authorities signed off on the deal. The Swiss government approved the establishment of the foundation, ruling out the possibility of legal heirs after local newspapers publicized a search into Bucherer’s grandparental line.
The foundation will support music, literature, scientific research, the care of disabled children, as well as improving availability in nursing homes, according to the executor of Bucherer’s will, Urs Mühlebach.