Richemont

Compagnie Financière Richemont SA is a Swiss luxury goods company that was founded in 1988 by the South African billionaire businessman, Anton Rupert. It has four main business areas: jewellery, watches, writing instruments and clothing. The company is listed on the Swiss exchange (ticker: CFR). It is the eighth biggest company in the SMI (Swiss Market Index). As of 2004, it is the second-largest luxury goods company in the world by turnover; behind LVMH and just ahead of the Gucci Group.

Principal companies in the group are:

• Cartier - jewellery, watches, etc.
• Van Cleef & Arpels - jewellery, watches, etc.
• Piaget - jewellery, watches
• Vacheron Constantin - watches
• A. Lange & Söhne - watches
• Jaeger-LeCoultre - watches
• Officine Panerai - watches
• International Watch Co - watches
• Beaume et Mercier - watches
• Montblanc - pen manufacturer
• Alfred Dunhill
• Lancel
• Chloé
• Hackett
• Old England
• James Purdey & Sons
• Montegrappa - Italian pen manufacturer

All companies, except Old England SA, are fully owned subsidiaries. In addition to the above companies, Richemont has an 18.6% (as at December 31, 2003) investment in British American Tobacco; about 40% of the Richemont balance sheet is BAT preference shares.

External links

• http://www.richemont.com