Celebrating a century in the luxury goods business: Edwards Lowell turns 100 this year

Edwards Lowell is celebrating 100 years of timeless luxury across three generations, marking the vision and dedication of the family business in the realm of quality watches and jewellery.

From its beginnings in other ventures in Valletta to representing iconic international watch brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe, the company is looking back at its journey of growth in the luxury goods business and ahead to an equally bright future as the third generation steps in.

Over the past century, Edwards Lowell Co. Ltd has built a fine reputation, based on the values of “quality, style and attention to detail”.

Speaking about the significance of the milestone anniversary, Malcolm Lowell Snr, who was instrumental in introducing luxury watches in the 1970s, said “100 years is a long time for any company, especially a small business in a small and very competitive market”.

He expressed his satisfaction at having gone “from strength to strength, while at the same time achieving and retaining full family ownership.

As regards the highlights and key turning points throughout the last century, Lowell Snr credited his wife Isabelle for her “great help” in managing to completely turn around the activities of the business from wholesale foodstuffs and clothing – “beset with enormous problems of government-imposed import substitution and import license restrictions” – towards quality watches and jewellery, which “we have always loved”.

The emphasis has always been on full control of retail boutiques in the most prominent positions, Lowell Snr continued about the winning strategy.

“After all those years, it was with great pride for both Isabelle and myself to see our children Annabelle and Malcolm take a very strong interest in our business.

“They have now taken over the general day-to-day running with great success, providing the key to the future, while allowing us to relax and take a back seat in full confidence.”

As to how the scenario has developed over the years, Edwards Lowell managing director Malcolm R Lowell said the luxury goods business has changed dramatically since the dawn of social media, turning the top brands into megabrands and relatively niche brands into highly coveted and well-known icons.

As to how the scenario has developed over the years, Edwards Lowell managing director Malcolm R Lowell said the luxury goods business has changed dramatically since the dawn of social media, turning the top brands into megabrands and relatively niche brands into highly coveted and well-known icons.

“We were in the fortunate position to be able to invest and build on our past. At the right moment, the family did exactly that. It was not apparent at the time, but in hindsight, it was very much about taking advantage of the opportunities at the apt time,” Lowell said.

The company will now be honouring this achievement – 100 years of “quality, detail, luxury, experience, heritage, style, dedication, family and hard work” – with special celebrations throughout the year and surprises in store.

The main event is a gala dinner in June that Edwards Lowell intends to “make memorable”, for an intimate group of patrons and business partners.

“We will have a curated exhibition of our main brands along with some novelties and memorabilia,” Lowell revealed.

Telling the timeline

Edwards Lowell was established in 1925 by Charles E Lowell, who started his journey in the textiles and food products business, moving into luxury watches when he was appointed the official distributor for Rolex in Malta in the 1940s.

This was the catalyst for his son Malcolm Lowell Snr, who, driven by his love for fine Swiss watches, gradually turned the business around in the 1960s and 1970s to concentrate exclusively on the finest quality timepieces and, later, expand its portfolio to include the best jewellery brands on the international market.

Together with his wife Isabelle and children, Annabelle Bonello Lowell and Malcolm R. Lowell, and in keeping with their commitment to give their valued clientele a dedicated service and that personalised touch, the company is today a leader in this sector in Malta.

Now run by the third-generation, together with the rest of the Lowell family, it remains the exclusive Maltese distributor for all the brands it represents.

Edwards Lowell expanded to represent the prestigious Patek Philippe brand in 1980. The landmark watch shop in Zachary Street, Valletta, opened in 1980, followed by the launch of The Music Shop opposite in 1984, which later transitioned into a bookshop. Next came the unique Chopard agency in1995 and Breitling in 1998.

The Spinola Bay boutique opened in 2007, and Edwards Lowell went on to represent more high-end brands, including Hublot, Pomellato and Girard Perreagaux that same year.

The family business was restructured in 2013, with the third-generation son appointed managing director and daughter director, paving the way for significant expansion.

The Rolex Boutique opened in Republic Street, Valletta, in 2018, and a year later in 2019, the Portomaso Concept Store in St Julian’s was also launched, while 2020 marked the opening of the Cartier and Patek Philippe boutique in Valletta’s Republic Street.

Edwards Lowell Books, representing big brands such as Taschen and Assouline, also came to life in Zachary Street in 2023, while last year 2024, saw the inauguration of two more boutiques, Breitling and Tudor, in Mercury Towers, St Julian’s, taking the number of brands to 16 in seven shops.

The Swiss connection

Other key moments in the company’s timeline include it’s appointment as general sales agents for Swissair in 1961 and that of Malcolm Lowell Snr as Honorary Consul of Switzerland in1972, aged only 24 where he took over from his father Charles who was Honorary Consul since 1937.

The role of consul of Switzerland has been handed down along the generations, and when he stepped down in 2015, after 42 years of service, the baton was passed on to Annabelle, who is continuing the family’s legacy of Honorary Consul General for Switzerland in Malta.