Richemont
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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.