Lumondi distributes the Luminox and Mondaine brands.
(Press Release) NEW YORK – Swiss watch company Lumondi Inc. has named Marc Bernhardt to the role of CEO North America. Bernhardt, an experienced industry leader, will oversee the Luminox and Mondaine brands while working to increase the operational synergies between them.
“Uniting Mondaine and Luminox under Lumondi Inc. will be a natural way to capitalize on the strengths of each brand, using both their commonalities and their differences to our advantage,” Bernhardt said. “We will be speaking with many different groups of customers from Navy SEALS to architects. What they all have in common is a need for reliability and functionality that fits their lifestyle and I truly can’t wait to hear and dive into what makes each one tick.”
The operation of Lumondi is now headquartered in New York.
Prior to this role, Bernhardt cut his teeth in the watch industry at IWC in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, working his way up to managing director for North America and then executive distribution director worldwide during his decade at the company.
From there, Bernhardt turned his expertise toward relaunching and rebranding smaller, yet prestigious, Swiss watch companies, a different and exciting challenge. And most recently, he served as CEO of Guangzhou, China-based Vasto Retail Group, selling high-end men’s clothing, accessories and leather goods through owned and franchised shops in China.
On Bernhardt’s appointment, Andre Bernheim, CEO and co-owner of the Mondaine Group, said: “Marc is an experienced watch person who thinks beyond the wrist. I liked his world open view from the first moment we met, as he has successfully conducted businesses in the Americas, Europe and Asia. His sales-and-marketing-oriented mind will help both Luminox and Mondaine expand substantially as we share the view they each have great potential in the USA, our top priority market.”
Mondaine was started in 1951 by Erwin Bernheim and is now run by his sons Ronnie and Andre Bernheim. In November 2016, the Bernheim brothers purchased the remaining 50 percent of Luminox watch companies and brands from founding partner Barry Cohen and now own them in their entirety.