Editor’s Note
This excerpt traces the pragmatic, unglamorous origins of a now-prominent watch and jewelry business, revealing how commercial adaptability—not visionary ambition—often fuels entrepreneurial evolution.
The story of Markfort does not begin with glamour, but with floor wax from the company Immalin. Georg Markfort’s grandfather was a sales representative, one of those who used to travel the countryside with sample cases. When the first cash-and-carry markets emerged, he switched gears – not out of vision, but pragmatism. He sold hotel porcelain, cutlery, everything the Münsterland region could need. Business is what works. The shift to the jewelry and watch wholesale business came with the entry of the second generation: Georg’s father, Dr. Klaus Markfort. He restructured, focused – while remaining an old-school merchant. “Without much fuss,” as his son puts it today. That it became precisely watches and jewelry is less innovation than evolution: the market needed someone who delivered reliably. And the Markforts were reliable.
This sounds like understatement, but it is in truth the business model. The niche clientele consists of: resellers who do not want standardized online processes. Industrial companies that need anniversary watches for their employees and high-quality promotional items. Private customers who have been coming to the same, trusted shop for decades. These customers, says Georg Markfort, are not there by chance. They come because Markfort understands their problem. A customer’s company anniversary, for example, is not the time for compromises. The engraving must be perfect, the packaging must be right, the watch must not give up the ghost after two years.
Not arrogant, more like someone who knows what he can do – and what he’d rather not.
In an industry where stores close and reopen like changing window displays, long-term employee loyalty at the Markfort company is a real distinction. For instance, Wolfgang Lammers has been part of the company for 28 years, and Petra Hörst, who recently retired, for a full 50 years. Wolfgang Lammers, a trained wholesale and foreign trade merchant, is something like the company’s memory. When he talks, it seems as if only one thing has changed in his 28 years: the price of gold. The fundamental attitude, he says, has remained the same. Not perfect, but reliable. A company that knows what it can do, and even better: what it doesn’t need.
For 58 years, Markfort has been located in the brick building at Schillerstraße 104. There were considerations to rebuild. A fellow entrepreneur advised against it.
And that was true. While trendy new buildings, restaurants, and agencies appeared outside by the harbor, the Markfort company remained where it always was, on Schillerstraße – and benefited from it. The neighborhood became more modern, younger, more dynamic. And the customers found it perfectly natural: tradition and development do not have to be opposites.
It’s interesting to observe the trends at Markfort. One would expect smartwatches to dominate the watch industry. They do – but not here. Customers are seeking mechanics again. Something that can be repaired. Something that lasts longer than a software update. Markfort sells products from brands including Junghans, Boccia, Tutima, Fortis, Junkers, Citizen, Max Kemper, Odenwald, Takto, Frank Trautz – honest, beautiful, and durable products. Gold jewelry is experiencing a revival despite high prices. And yes, they still do battery changes themselves.