Berkshire Hathaway has recently formed the BH Jewelry Group to unify the management of its jewelry retailers, Helzberg and Ben Bridge.

Ben Bridge was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2000 and currently has 34 stores, including 13 with highly coveted Rolex accounts. Lisa Bridge, the CEO of Ben Bridge (since 2019), is departing September 1, 2025.

Helzberg has 160 stores and was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 1995. Brad Hampton, the CEO of Helzberg (since 2022), will become the CEO of the newly formed BH Jewelry Group that oversees both Helzberg and Ben Bridge.

Both Helzberg (mid-market) and Ben Bridge (upscale) will continue to operate under their separate names and maintain their distinct brand identities, customer bases, and market segments.

Ben Bridge locations with Rolex stores — Anchorage, Bellevue, Lone Tree, San Diego, Seattle, Honolulu, Tucson, Torrance, Tukwila, Lynnwood, Portland (two locations), Rancho Cucamonga — represent attractive acquisition targets for US-based high-end watch retailer groups.

Professional Watches reached out to Watches of Switzerland, The 1916 Company, Ben Bridge, Bucherer, and Helzberg for comment, and none have suggested any acquisitions are planned.

Unifying top-level management helps cut costs, realize synergies, and share expertise across divisions. Speculatively, it could also make it easier to consolidate or sell off specific assets.

 

Photo by Ben Bridge.