Compagnie Financière Richemont SA is a Swiss luxury goods company that was founded in 1988 by the late South African billionaire businessman, Anton Rupert. It has four main business areas: jewellery, watches, writing instruments and clothing.

The company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and on the JSE Securities Exchange. It is the eighth biggest company in the Swiss Market Index. As of 2007, it is the third-largest luxury goods company in the world by turnover, behind LVMH and PPR, its two main competitors in the luxury goods market. In March 2007, Richemont and Polo Ralph Lauren announced the formation of a joint venture, the Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewellery Company, S.A.R.L., of which each company will own 50 percent.

Principal subsidiaries: Cartier - jewellery, watches, etc. French company, watches Swiss-made;
Van Cleef & Arpels - jewellery, watches, etc; Piaget - jewellery, watches; Vacheron Constantin - Swiss watches; A. Lange & Söhne - German watches; Jaeger-LeCoultre - Swiss watches; Officine Panerai - Italian watches; International Watch Co - Swiss watches; Baume et Mercier - watches, Swiss-assembled, some outsourcing of components; Montblanc - German writing instrument manufacturer; Alfred Dunhill; Lancel; Chloé; Roger Dubuis - Swiss watches; James Purdey and Sons; Montegrappa - Italian writing instrument manufacturer; Shanghai Tang - Modern Chinese fashion store chain (Richemont is a major shareholder).
All companies are fully owned subsidiaries. In addition to the above companies, Richemont has an 29.5%  investment in British American Tobacco; about 40% of the Richemont balance sheet is BAT ordinary shares.

Company’s Brief History

1988 - Formation of Richemont. Richemont owns minority holding in Cartier Monde SA and Rothmans International which also holds investments in Cartier monde, Alfred Dunhill and, through Alfred Dunhill, Montblanc and Chloé.
1989 - Richemont acquires Philip Morris' 30 per cent interest in Rothmans International.

1993 - Separation of Richemont's tobacco and luxury goods operations into Rothmans International BV/PLC and Vendôme Luxury Group SA/PLC respectively.

1995 - Buyout of Rothmans International minority shareholders Formation of NetHold pay television group, in which Richemont holds 50 per cent interest.

1996 - Merger of Richemont's tobacco interests with those in South Africa held by Rembrant Group Limited, Richemont owns 67 per cent of enlarged tobacco group. Acquisition of watchmakers Vacheron Constantin by Vendôme Luxury Group.

1997 - Merger of NetHold with Canal+ of France, Richemont acquires 15 per cent of Canal+ Acquisition of watchmaker Officine Panerai and leather goods brand Lancel by Vendôme Luxury Group.

1998 - Buyout of Vendôme Luxury Group minority shareholders, Richemont owns 100 per cent of luxury goods interests.

1999 - Merger of Rothmans International with British American Tobacco. Richemont holds 23.3 per cent effective interest in the enlarged British American Tobacco Acquisition of a controlling 60 per cent interest in Van Cleef & Arpels, one of the world's most renowned jewellery Maisons Richemont disposes of its 15 per cent interest in Canal + in exchange for a 2.9 per cent interest in Vivendi.

2000 - Reduction in the Group's effective interest in British American Tobacco to 21 per cent through partial disposal of holding of preference shares Disposal of Vivendi interest, represents exit from pay-television and electronic media investments Acquisition of Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC and A. Lange & Söhne.

2001 - Richemont acquires a further 20 per cent interest in Van Cleef & Arpels. In November 2001, Richemont units were split in the ratio of 100 to 1.

2003 - Richemont acquires the remaining 20 per cent interest in Van Cleef & Arpels that it did not previously own, bringing that company into full ownership by the Group. Richemont acquires the final 10 per cent of A. Lange & Söhne that was previously held by members of the Lange family.

2004 - In June 2004, holders of warrants over British American Tobacco (BAT) preference shares exercise their rights and have preference shares converted into new ordinary shares in BAT. Richemont's effective interest in BAT reduced to 18.6 per cent in June 2004.

2005 - Richemont announces in March 2005 that it has marginally reduced its interest in British American Tobacco p.l.c. ('BAT') to 18.2 percent through the indirect sale of 12,854,457 BAT shares to its joint venture partner, Remgro Limited.
Richemont announces sale of Hackett Limited.

2006 - Richemont announces in March that it has entered into an agreement with Tercade SA, a holding company controlled by Mr Olivier Goldberg, for the sale of its interest in its subsidiary, Old England SA.

2007 - Richemont and Remgro reach agreement with British American Tobacco plc whereby their combined equity interest in BAT may increase through the 30% limit without any obligation to make a full bid for the shares that they do not already own. Richemont and Remgro's effective interests have increased as BAT's share buyback programme reduces the overall number of shares in issue; Richemont and Remgro do not participate in the buyback.
Richemont and Polo Ralph Lauren announce the formation of The Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewellery Company.
Richemont acquired an interest in Azzedine Alaia, a niche fashion house brand in Paris.

2008 - Richemont acquires 60 per cent interest in Manufacture Roger Dubuis SA.
Richemont announced its planned restructuring. This involves the separation of Richemont's luxury goods business from its other interests.
Formation of Reinet Investments S.C.A. as a separately traded vehicle for holding the non-luxury goods businesses formerly held by Richemont.

2009 - January - Launch of the first watch collection from Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company, a joint venture between Richemont and Ralph Lauren, at the SIHH Geneva.

Official website: www.richemont.com