Innovation intelligence brief
Innovation intelligence brief
Added by the 2026 Swiss InsurTech research (issue #41) from public sources, not by the original academic study (Stoeckli, Dremel & Uebernickel). Its 2016 and 2017 classifications apply the original taxonomy definitions but were not validated by that study. All innovations in this cohort · Methodology ↗
Owners of watches bought at Bucherer since November 2018 import them into the Bucherer app ('Bucherer: Watches & Jewellery', formerly Bucherer Watch Wallet), get an instant quote and buy Chubb watch cover online (accidental damage, theft, burglary, robbery, loss) at purchase or market value, without paperwork.
Research profile · Swiss Innovation · 2021–2026
Classification notes · Exact launch date unknown; earliest dated evidence February 2024. Strategic evolution 'expanded' with geographic expansion rests on Germany (Feb 2024) and Austria (Aug 2024) availability after the initial (presumably Swiss) launch. Company status 'corporate-initiative': operated by Bucherer (a large retailer, now Rolex-owned) with Chubb. Market positioning combines Chubb (insurer) and Bucherer (intermediary). The 'Watch Protect' name from an award listing could not be verified and was dropped. Contracting Chubb entity for Switzerland not confirmed.
What became of it
Reviewed · Medium confidence · Last verified 2026-10-18
At launch
Luxury-watch insurance embedded in a Swiss retailer's ownership app, quoting from the stored purchase record.
2026 reality
Bucherer's Swiss and EU pages still offer the cover via the 'Bucherer: Watches & Jewellery' app, with limits of 150,000 per watch and 250,000 per collection of up to 25 watches (CHF in Switzerland, EUR in the EU), naming Chubb as insurance partner.
The app, with its insurance function, was reported available in Germany by February 2024 and in Austria from August 2024; the app has since been renamed from Bucherer Watch Wallet to Bucherer: Watches & Jewellery. Bucherer itself was acquired by Rolex (announced September 2023).
a Swiss example of retailer-embedded specialty insurance using purchase data for instant quotes; comparable Chubb watch programmes exist abroad (e.g. European Watch Company, Bezel).
Third taxonomy
REVIEW · Replaced the dev.bucherer.com source with the production Swiss pages (www.bucherer.com/ch/en and /ch/de, which say the cover is for customers in Switzerland and show CHF prices). Swiss connection confirmed via Zefix (Bucherer AG, Lucerne). Launch moved from 2024 to 2024-02 (WatchiLove, 26 Feb 2024). Added Germany and Austria expansion milestones and the Rolex acquisition (FH), and changed strategic evolution to 'expanded'. Removed the unverified 'Watch Protect' name. The Swiss launch date is still unknown, so this record stays REVIEWED.
Research interpretation
Classified by the Swiss Innovation · 2021–2026 research, applying the original models' definitions. Not a classification by the original study.