| Type | Watch Maker |
|---|---|
| Industry | Watch manufacturing |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Headquarters | Milan, Italy |
| Key people | Gianni Pieraccioni, Managing Director Marcello Binda, Binda co-CEO Simone Binda, Binda co-CEO Jeff Gregg, Geneva CEO |
| Products | Wristwatches, jewelry and leather accessories |
| Revenue | €297 Million Euros (2007) |
| Employees | 2200[1] |
| Website | www.bindagroup.com |
The Binda Group is an Italian watch and jewelry company founded in 1906, headquartered in Milan and headed by brothers Marcello and Simone Binda, grandsons of the founder Innocente Binda. The company owns subsidiaries in eight countries (Italy, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Portugal and China) and has 50 distributors, serving more than 12,000 retailers worldwide.
Binda’s three main business units are watches, jewelry and leather. It produces and distributes its own brands, including Breil Milano, Breil Tribe, Wyler Genève and Details. The company also licenses watch and jewelry brands from Dolce & Gabbana (D&G Time and Jewels), Moschino CheapAndChic, Ducati and Nike. In 1997, Binda acquired the distribution rights to Seiko and Lorus for the Italian market. It also distributes Paris Hilton watches in Italy and upscale Glam Rock watches in the United States, Canada and Italy.
Binda operates in more than 70 markets with approximately 400 employees worldwide, and ended 2007 with consolidated revenues of €297 million euros and sales of approximately 5 million pieces. Its watches include those made in the Far East, retailing under $100 (75 euros), Swiss-made ones, averaging about $1,400 (1,000 euros), and complicated tourbillon watches, retailing above $184,000 (130,000 euros).[2]
Breil Milano’s two brand ambassadors are Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron and movie star Edward Norton.[2]
On September 4, 2008, the Binda Group entered an agreement with private equity firm Heritage Partners to acquire 100 percent of Advance Watch Group Ltd., the U.S. watch and clock manufacturer doing business as Geneva Watch.[3][4] Geneva Watch Group began producing timepieces in 1974 and is headquartered in New York. The company has around 1800 employees worldwide, split between locations in the US (300 in New York and Michigan) and the Far East (1500 in Hong Kong and China). The company makes and distributes its own surfer brand (Freestyle) and also licenses brands from Kenneth Cole, Tommy Bahama, Betsey Johnson, BCBG, Ted Baker, Mexx, Speedo, Elgin, Thomas Kinkade and Mudd Jeans.
During the year ending March 2008, Geneva recorded net revenues of US$192 million dollars, and sold around 25 million watches. With the acquisition, Binda expects 2008’s total sale revenues to reach €450 million euros ($665 million dollars).[4] The company will be headed by Jeff Gregg, who will report to Gianni Pieraccioni, Binda Group managing director.[5]