Explore the history of how Christ became Germany’s leading brand specialising in luxury jewellery and exquisite timepieces
1863
On 25 October 1863, Wilhelm Alexander Christ opened his first shop in Frankfurt. It specialised in jewellery and luxury timepieces.
1874
Trade grew over the years and in 1874 Christ moved to a half-timbered building on the corner of Weissadlergasse and Kleiner Hirschgraben in Frankfurt. This later became company’s first flagship store.
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1944-1945
In 1944 Christ’s flagship store was completely destroyed and despite the tough times Wilhelm Alexander Christ’s grandson, Friedrich Wilhelm, rebuilt the store from the ground up. Just six years later he took on larger unit on Rossmarkt in the heart of Frankfurt, for a fresh new look for Christ.
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1945-1994
After the rebuild in 1944, the company expanded beyond Frankfurt, since Christ had built a reputation as a premium jewellery specialist. By 1994, with an annual turnover of more than €600m and 2,400 employees, Christ had become the leading jeweller in Germany, with a number of stores across major cities.
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1995
Following several changes in the ownership of Christ, Douglas Holding AG, which had already enjoyed sustained success in the jewellery market with Weiss jewellery stores, became a shareholder in the brand.
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1997
Christ was fully taken over by Douglas Holding AG, resulting in the company‘s base moving from Hanau to Hagen. Weiss jewellery stores gradually began to start trading under the name Christ.
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Today
Christ is a prime purveyor of style in both the luxury jewellery and timepieces worlds. With more than 200 stores, Christ is the market leader for jewellery and watches in Germany.
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Original price / Tax Refund (approx.)With more than 200 stores across Germany, including retail corners in Germany’s best department stores, Christ is cited as the country’s finest specialist retailer for watches and jewellery. With a vast range of top-quality timepieces, fine diamond and gemstone jewellery and its own line of special pieces, Christ is one of Germany’s leading brands; we discover how it achieved this status.
