ELIE BERNHEIM IS CARING FOR A FAMILY LEGACY. AS THE GRANDSON OF THE LATE RAYMOND WEIL, FOUNDER
OF THE SWISS WATCH COMPANY THAT BEARS HIS NAME, BERNHEIM TOOK OVER THE COMPANY AS CEO FROM
HIS FATHER OLIVIER BERNHEIM IN 2014 AND QUICKLY GOT TO WORK. ONE OF HIS FIRST MARKS AS CEO WAS
TO ENSURE THAT RAYMOND WEIL’S HISTORICAL LINKS TO MUSIC REMAIN PROMINENT AS A DESIGN THEME
FOR NEW RAYMOND WEIL WATCHES. IN ADDITION, BERNHEIM USHERED INTO PRODUCTION THE FIRST RAY-
MOND WEIL AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT. TODAY, THAT MOVEMENT (A JOINT PROJECT WITH SELLITA) IS PROMI-
NENTLY DISPLAYED FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE OPEN-DIALED RAYMOND WEIL FREELANCER CALIBER 1212.
Bernheim joined the company in 2006 after graduating from Hospitality
Management School of Lausanne. With expertise in watchmaking, mar-
keting and company management, he’s been steering the company his
grandfather founded forty-one years ago toward autonomy in its chief
markets while also expanding the firm’s deployment of limited-edition
designs, most with direct links to the music world. iW recently spoke with
Bernheim about Raymond Weil, watchmaking and music.
ELIE BERNHEIM
Keeps Raymond
Weil in Tune
BY MICHAEL THOMPSON
90 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2018