Obituary: René Beyer, Owner of the World’s Oldest Watch Store
The man behind Beyer Chronometrie on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse.
René Beyer, the eighth-generation owner of Beyer Chronometrie in Zurich, died suddenly on April 13, 2025, at the age of 61. Beyer was a towering figure in Swiss watchmaking circles, known not only for helming his family’s 260-year-old business, but also for his passionate stewardship of its famed clock and watch museum, his warm ties with independent watchmakers, and his family’s close relationship with Patek Philippe. He is survived by his wife. Beyer’s passing was first reported by Zurich newspaper Inside Paradeplatz.
Born in 1963 into the Beyer dynasty that began in Germany in 1760, Beyer grew up surrounded by clocks and watches. Like his father, Theodor “Teddy” René Beyer, he qualified as a watchmaker himself, learning the business from the ground up.
Beyer’s role in the family business started in 1986 when his father suffered a heart attack and was forced to step back. A decade later, Beyer had formally taken over as managing director and proprietor of Beyer Chronometrie, becoming the eighth generation to run the venerable retailer, which first opened in Zurich in 1822. Unlike many of its peers that expanded nationally and internationally, the business remained a local operation in Zurich. Like many watch retailers of the old-school, Beyer was synonymous with his store.
The store on Bahnhofstrasse, the main shopping street of Zurich
A retailer and curator
During his nearly three decades at the helm, Beyer carried on his father’s legacy and bolstered the business’s reputation as a mecca for watch enthusiasts. In 2011, Beyer opened a mono-brand Patek Philippe boutique (the brand’s first retailer-managed boutique in Switzerland) underscoring the close relationship he enjoyed with the Stern family.
The evidence of this close relationship, which goes back decades, can be found in the many ‘double-signed’ Patek Philippe watches that also carry the Beyer name.
Beyer was equally a champion of independent horology and historical clocks and marine chronometers. His father Teddy had forged a personal friendship with George Daniels, and acquired three pieces that are now on display in the Beyer Museum, alongside work from the likes of Breguet and Ferdinand Berthoud.
The Uhrenmuseum Beyer in the basement of the store
In 2022, Beyer began planning for the company’s future without him in charge of daily operations. He brought in Hanspeter Pieth, a seasoned luxury retail executive from Lucerne-based rival Gübelin, to assume the role of CEO in early 2023. About a year later, René’s younger sister, Muriel Zahn-Beyer, rejoined the firm’s leadership and was named co-managing director.
René Beyer (left), with Theodore Beyer (centre) and Muriel Zahn-Beyer
Beyer was a lifelong ambassador for fine watchmaking, and his death has come as a shock to the industry. Given his life’s work, he would no doubt wish to see the family business live on. Ownership of Beyer Chronometrie evidently passed to his widow, and Ms Zahn-Beyer is managing operations.
The situation is not unlike that of Jörg Bucherer, one of Beyer’s contemporaries who ran his own family’s eponymous retail empire. Bucherer passed away in 2023 with no heirs to carry on the family business. Knowing what was at stake, Bucherer sold the family firm to Rolex shortly before his death. Some in the Swiss media have wondered whether a deep-pocketed luxury group will step in similarly to take over Beyer Chronometrie.
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