As Haelixa expands its presence in watch and jewellery authentication, Hanspeter Pieth brings retail leadership experience from Beyer Chronometrie and Gübelin, along with his board roles at Estima AG and Meister 1881, to support Haelixa's next phase of growth
Hanspeter Pieth. Courtesy of Hanspeter Pieth
ZURICH, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Haelixa, the Swiss deep tech company behind DNA-based physical authentication technology, today announced the appointment of Hanspeter Pieth to its Advisory Board. Pieth serves as Board Member at Estima AG and Delegate of the Board of Directors at Meister 1881.
Pieth serves on the boards of Estima AG, a Grenchen-based manufacturer of high-quality watch components, and Meister 1881, a Swiss luxury house with a 140-year heritage, where he is Delegate of the Board of Directors. He is also Board Member and Group Advisor at KDDL Limited, an India-based group spanning watch retail and manufacturing. His three decades in Swiss watch and jewellery retail include serving as CEO of Beyer Chronometrie AG, the oldest watch retailer in the world, giving him first-hand insight into the full product journey, from manufacturing to customer trust.
"His appointment marks a step in Haelixa's accelerating market penetration in watch and jewellery authentication. It follows the launch of ProofDNA, a forensic, DNA-based authentication solution that embeds an invisible, brand-unique DNA marker directly into the product. It cannot be removed, altered or copied, and stays with the product for life. Going beyond existing systems such as Digital Product Passports, NFC, or QR codes, a simple surface swab delivers clear, binary proof of authenticity that can be authenticated on-site and independently, putting control back in the hands of brands.
In Switzerland alone, the watch industry loses an estimated $1.88 billion a year to counterfeit activity, part of $250 billion lost annually across the global luxury sector, according to OECD data.
Hanspeter Pieth, Board Member, Estima AG and Delegate of the Board of Directors, Meister 1881, said: "As Group Advisor to KDDL and Board Member at Estima, I think about precision and quality at the component level. At Meister 1881, where I'm Delegate of the Board, that same standard has to hold up in front of the client years later. Haelixa's DNA marker is one of the few technologies I've encountered that speaks to both of those worlds at once. I'm glad to bring that dual perspective to the team as they bring their authenticity solution to manufacturers and retailers alike."
Patrick Strumpf, CEO of Haelixa, said the appointment reinforces the company's next phase of growth. "Hanspeter brings a unique perspective across the luxury value chain. His deep understanding of the watch and jewellery ecosystem will play a critical role as we scale Haelixa's physical authentication technology."
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High-resolution images:
Haelixa Press Kit_Board Advisor Hanspieter Pieth
Media Contact
Aleksandra Purrington
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a.purrington@haelixa.com
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About?Haelixa:
Founded in Switzerland in 2016 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Haelixa is a deep tech company using DNA-based technology to verify product origin and authenticity. Haelixa enables independent verification when documentation alone is not enough. Its patented DNA marker technology delivers scientifically verifiable, product-level proof of origin and authenticity for luxury brands. https://haelixa.com/
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b43cdfc-fc05-41d4-8dd1-5cfa5702a50b
