Montres Charmex’s history began in 1926 when Max Bürgin, the grandfather of the current director Frank M. Bürgin, started his apprenticeship as a watchmaker in the Swiss village of Bubendorf. At that time, the watch sector was still untouched by mass production and everything depended on quality. A watch was not an accessory, but an object of a lifetime, and manufacturers proudly displayed their skills and craftsmanship.
Montres Charmex strives to create watches that preserve and enhance the quality, design and functional criteria of models from the past, thereby setting itself apart from the large scale manufacturing that is a feature of our times.
The history of Montres Charmex SA goes as far back as 1926. This was the year when Max Bürgin, started his apprenticeship in one of the leading watch factories near Basel, Switzerland. His exceptional talents soon caught the attention of the management – he was promoted and eventually made head of the technical department. What he really wanted though was to have his own watch business, pursuing the traditional art of manufacturing state-of-the-art timepieces.
His dream finally came true and in 1989 his son Manfred Bürgin together with his wife Kathleen joined the by then prospering company. 1999 their son Frank M. Bürgin followed and thus continued the family’s tradition. Manufacturing bespoke timepieces using but choice materials of the highest quality remains the credo of Montres Charmex SA to this very day. Today, Montres Charmex SA is still owned and run by the Bürgin family.
Montres Charmex SA focuses on three Strategic Business Units:
- Production of mechanical and quartz SWISS MADE® wrist watches under the brand name CHARMEX OF SWITZERLAND™. High quality men’s and ladies’ classic/elegant watches of distinctive design with target retail prices varying between CHF 500 and CHF 1’500 (some high end models up to CHF 5’000).
- Production of mechanical and quartz SWISS MADE® wrist watches under the brand name CX SWISS MILITARY WATCH™. High quality men’s military & sports watches with a cutting-edge functionality. Target retail prices varying between CHF 500 and CHF 1’500 (some high end models up to CHF 10’000).
- Production of mechanical and quartz SWISS MADE® wrist watches under private label brand names.
Contact details
Montres Charmex SA
PO Box
CH-4416 Bubendorf/Switzerland
Official website: http://www.charmex.ch