Watch Maker Bedat & Co. Allegedly Closing Shop

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed)
Jan 25th 2009 at 4:02PM

As a sign of the times, another watch company is buckling under the economic difficulties especially present in the luxury industry. Bedat & Co. which started in 1996 will close its doors and cease operations soon, according to multiple industry sources. The luxury watch maker had a number of interesting watches for both men and women, such as favorites like the No.3, No. 7, and No. 8.

Bedat & Co. was founded by Simone Bedat who branched off after being a business partner of Raymond Weil. The brand enjoyed healthy distribution in high-end watch retailers and department stores alike. While it isn't clear exactly why certain watch brands are suffering more than others, I speculate it has to do with the annual sales volume a brand needs to survive. Interestingly, Bedat & Co. was purchased by Gucci in 2000, which means that its closure might be a preemptive financial security measure taken by Gucci in anticipation of harder times ahead for the luxury group of brands.

At this time there is no specific date for Bedat & Co. to close up shop, or indication of whether it has filed for bankruptcy. Though, several sources indicate that we will be seeing the end of Bedat & Co. soon. It is a shame, and the worst part is that we never know what brand will kick the bucket next.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bankruptcy, bedat, bedat co, BedatCo, closing, no. 3, No.3, timepeice, watch