christ juweliere und uhrmacher seit 1863

What christ juweliere und uhrmacher seit 1863 does

CHRIST Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 GmbH is a privately held German specialty jeweler and watch retailer founded in 1863 and headquartered in Hagen, with a logistics center in Bochum and more than 200 points of sale across Germany and Austria. The company operates three retail brands serving distinct price points and consumer segments: CHRIST (mainstream multi-brand jewelry and watches), VALMANO (online-only, fashion-forward, expanded internationally), and BRINCKMANN & LANGE (premium boutique segment with origins dating to 1874). Product categories span genuine jewelry in diamond, gold, pearl, and recycled silver; wedding and bridal rings; luxury watches from Swiss and international labels; and licensed brands including ESPRIT, PANDORA, JETTE, Live Diamond, UNSAME, Sector, Maserati, and Guido Maria Kretschmer. The underlying retail platform integrates physical stores (which double as service hubs for e-commerce returns, adjustments, and battery replacements) with three dedicated e-commerce properties and marketplace listings, supported by approximately 70 in-house craftspeople (around 50 watchmakers and 20 goldsmiths) and a dedicated logistics operation.

The business model is anchored in retail store sales with e-commerce as a complementary channel; a European wholesale distribution business for licensed brands was launched in January 2023. Customer segments include life-milestone shoppers (engagements, weddings, communions), fashion and lifestyle consumers, premium and luxury buyers, and a sustainability-conscious segment served by recycled silver and lab-grown diamond lines. Pricing is not publicly tiered; revenue per piece varies materially across fashion, mid-market, and luxury SKUs. The company was owned by private equity firm 3i from 2014 until February 2023, when it was acquired by Italy's Morellato Group (founded 1930), creating a combined entity operating more than 620 stores across Italy, France, Germany, and Austria with consolidated revenue of approximately €780 million. Leadership transitioned in January 2024 to Dr. Gunnar Binder as CEO and Speaker of the Management Board.

Name

christ juweliere und uhrmacher seit 1863

Legal name

CHRIST Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 GmbH

Website

https://christ-corporate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CHRIST Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 is a German specialty jeweler and watch retailer operating 200+ stores in Germany and Austria plus e-commerce platforms, serving mass-market to premium customers with a broad multi-brand portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewelry and Watch Retail

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (458310), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Jewelry Retail (Precious Metals & Gemstones) (CRAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-category Luxury Maisons (Jewelry/Watches/Leather/RTW) (CRAKAFAA), Luxury Fashion Jewelry & Designer Accessories (Non-fine) (CRAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Jewelry retail stores
• Watch retail brands
• Wedding ring collections
• Luxury jewelry boutiques
• Engagement ring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hagen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Store Sales: CHRIST generates the majority of revenue through physical retail store sales across 200+ locations in Germany and Austria, offering high-value jewelry, watches, and related services including repairs, adjustments, and personalized engravings.
2. E-commerce Sales: Revenue from online sales through christ.de, valmano.de, and brinckmann-lange.de, including multichannel services such as click-and-collect, online returns to stores, and digital gift options.
3. Wholesale / B2B Distribution: Starting January 2023, CHRIST distributes licensed brands (ESPRIT, JETTE, GMK/Guido Maria Kretschmer) through wholesale to third-party retail partners across Europe, expanding revenue beyond its own store footprint.
4. License Brand Revenue: Revenue from licensed brands including ESPRIT watches and jewelry, JETTE, Live Diamond, and other owned or licensed brands sold through CHRIST stores, online, and to wholesale partners.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CHRIST Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 is a German jewelry and watch retailer operating over 200 physical stores across Germany and Austria, complemented by three e-commerce platforms (christ.de, valmano.de, brinckmann-lange.de). The company sells genuine jewelry in diamond, gold, and pearl categories, wedding and engagement rings, and watches from multiple international brands, with in-house master workshops for repairs, engravings, and bespoke design. It operates three retail brands targeting different customer segments: CHRIST (mid-to-upper market), VALMANO (fashion-forward youth), and BRINCKMANN & LANGE (premium luxury).

Product overview

CHRIST Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 operates a multi-brand omnichannel retail platform across three retail brands. The core brand CHRIST seit 1863 is the market-leading German-speaking jeweler with 200+ stores and an online shop, offering Echtschmuck collections in diamond, gold, and pearl, wedding rings, and luxury watches. VALMANO serves the online/trend segment targeting young, fashion-forward customers across multiple European markets. BRINCKMANN & LANGE occupies the premium luxury segment with boutiques. The company also distributes numerous licensed brands including JETTE (sustainable), Guido Maria Kretschmer (designer), ESPRIT (fashion), Live Diamond (sustainable luxury with lab-grown stones), UNSAME (men's), and branded watches including Sector, Maserati, FAVS, GUIA, and YAMOKO. Product portfolio spans Echtschmuck, silver jewelry, watches, and bridal jewelry, with sustainability initiatives including recycled silver and gold lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VALMANO: Online jewellery and watch retailer targeting young, fashion-savvy consumers, founded in 2013 by ProSiebenSat.1 and acquired by CHRIST in 2019.
• BRINCKMANN & LANGE

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7.3 million pieces of jewelry and watches sold annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• wellcome (Sozialunternehmen)minorOthers · 1 November 2023CHRIST partnered with wellcome, a social enterprise supporting families in need after childbirth. Through the annual 'CHRIST-Kind' campaign (launched 2018), CHRIST donates €10 per limited-edition jewelry piece sold, with CHRIST topping up the total. The 2023 campaign raised €20,000 for wellcome's family support programs across 220 locations in Germany.
• YeaHR!minorOthers · 1 January 2023CHRIST GROUP collaborated with HR branding agency YeaHR! to develop its new employer brand with the tagline 'Take a closer look.' The campaign positioning included 'Moderner als man meint,' 'Digitaler als Du denkst,' and 'Vielfältiger als vermutet,' developed through employee surveys, focus groups, and management interviews.
• Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V.minorOthers · 1 March 2022Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, CHRIST donated €25,000 to Aktion Deutschland Hilft's Ukraine emergency aid program as part of a €50,000 total relief commitment.
• Gesellschaft Bochum-Donezk e.V.minorOthers · 1 March 2022CHRIST donated €25,000 to Gesellschaft Bochum-Donezk e.V. as part of a €50,000 Ukraine emergency aid commitment. Bochum is both CHRIST's logistics location and sister city of Donetsk, Ukraine.
• DKMS LIFEminorOthers · 1 April 2021In March 2021, for every Guido Maria Kretschmer jewelry piece sold, CHRIST donated €10 to DKMS LIFE's 'look good feel better' program supporting cancer patients dealing with appearance changes during therapy. CHRIST and Guido Maria Kretschmer topped up total donations to €15,000.
• Herzenswünsche e.V.minorOthers · 1 March 2021CHRIST donated €50,000 to Herzenswünsche e.V., a charity fulfilling wishes for seriously ill children and teenagers. The donation came from proceeds of the 2020 Christmas 'CHRIST-Kind' campaign featuring a guardian angel pendant sold in stores and online.
• PANDORAflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2021PANDORA partnered with CHRIST to make its full jewelry collection available online at christ.de and in approximately 50 CHRIST stores by April 2021. This made PANDORA available at 595 POS across Germany. The partnership leveraged CHRIST's omnichannel capabilities, extensive store network, and trusted brand positioning.
• Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V.minorOthers · 1 July 2020As part of a VAT donation campaign (July-December 2020), CHRIST and customers donated to the Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk to support digital education packages for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and refugee shelters. CHRIST matched customer donations, contributing to a total of €1 million shared with Tafel Deutschland.
• Tafel Deutschland e.V.minorOthers · 1 July 2020As part of a VAT donation campaign (July-December 2020), CHRIST and customers donated to Tafel Deutschland to support food bank operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHRIST matched customer donations, contributing to a total of €1 million shared with Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk.
• VALMANO GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 2019VALMANO (founded 2013 by ProSiebenSat.1, acquired by CHRIST in spring 2019) operates as a separate online retail brand targeting young, fashion-forward consumers with designer watches and jewelry. VALMANO is expanding internationally to France, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wempe: Family-owned German jeweler and watchmaker founded 1878, operating ~30 stores across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and internationally with strong luxury watch and bridal jewelry brands. Closely comparable to CHRIST in heritage, DACH footprint, and the combination of fine jewelry with branded watch retail.
• Bucherer: Switzerland-based luxury jeweler and watch retailer with flagship stores across Europe and the US, now majority-owned by Rolex. Comparable as a multi-brand fine jewelry and luxury watch retailer with deep European heritage and a strong bridal and branded watch assortment.
• Juwelier Rüschenbeck: German family-owned multi-brand jeweler with stores primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia, offering branded watches (Rolex, Breitling, IWC, Chopard) and fine jewelry. Comparable to CHRIST's multi-brand premium assortment and DACH regional store model.
• Juwelier Kraemer: One of Germany's oldest family-run jewelers (since 1883), operating multiple stores and an extensive e-commerce operation focused on fine jewelry, wedding rings, and branded watches. Comparable to CHRIST in heritage-led positioning, bridal jewelry focus, and omnichannel distribution within Germany.

Emerging players

• Thomas Sabo: German-based jewelry and watch brand founded 1984, distributed globally through wholesale and brand-owned stores plus e-commerce. Comparable to CHRIST's fashion/lifestyle segments (VALMANO, FAVS, JETTE) and competes for the same mid-market German-speaking consumer seeking branded silver and fashion jewelry.

Broad incumbents

• Pandora: Global Danish jewelry brand sold through wholesale and concept stores, partnered with CHRIST at christ.de and ~50 CHRIST stores. Comparable as a fashion-priced jewelry brand that is both a supplier and a competitive reference point for CHRIST's fashion jewelry assortment.
• Swarovski: Austrian crystal and jewelry maison operating brand stores worldwide and through a global wholesale network. CHRIST operates the 'world's first Swarovski Wonderlab shop-in-shop' at its Frankfurt flagship and carries Swarovski products, making it a peer in branded fashion jewelry retail and shop-in-shop strategies.
• Fossil Group: US-based watch and accessories company owning licensed and proprietary watch brands (Fossil, Michael Kors, Armani, Diesel). Comparable as a multi-brand watch distributor that supplies department stores and specialty jewelers competing with CHRIST's branded watch assortment.

Regional players

• Viviani GmbH (Juwelier Viviani): German multi-brand jeweler and watch retailer with multi-store presence focused on branded watches and bridal jewelry in southern Germany. Comparable as a regional competitor for high-value jewelry and Swiss watch sales in CHRIST's southern German store catchment.

Others

• Breuninger (E. Breuninger GmbH & Co.): German luxury department store chain with significant fine jewelry and watch departments, plus a flagship online shop. Comparable as a DACH luxury retail channel where CHRIST-brand suppliers (Rolex, Cartier, etc.) also distribute, and as a broader omnichannel luxury retail benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/juwelierchrist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christ-juweliere-und-uhrmacher-seit-1863-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/christ_juweliere

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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