| - | - |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 |
| HQ | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Employees | ~32,000 |
| Revenue | CHF 10.5B (2024 est.) |
| Positioning | Dominant luxury sport/dress watchmaker |
Rolex was founded in 1905 in London by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis. The company moved to Geneva in 1919. Wilsdorf wanted to produce precise, reliable wristwatches at a time when pocket watches dominated.
Key milestones: the Oyster (1926), the first waterproof wristwatch; the Perpetual rotor (1931), a self-winding mechanism; the Submariner (1953), a professional dive watch rated to 100m; and the Day-Date (1956), the first watch to display the full day of the week.
Rolex is privately held by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. It produces roughly one million watches per year, all with in-house movements earning COSC chronometer certification. The company manufactures nearly every component internally, including its own gold alloy (Everose) and steel (Oystersteel, 904L grade).
Rolex uses proprietary technologies: Parachrom hairsprings for shock and magnetic resistance, Chronergy escapement for improved efficiency, and Cerachrom ceramic bezels. Movements are certified to ±2 seconds/day, twice the COSC standard.
Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult estimated CHF 10.5 billion revenue and roughly 32% Swiss watch market share in 2024.
Where to Buy
Bavaria (Germany)
Juwelier Hilscher — Nordendstraße 50, 80801 München (39 min drive) or Flughafen München, Terminal II. Official Rolex retailer with 4.8/5 average reviews.
Juwelier Wempe — Weinstraße 11 or Maximilianstraße 6, München. Known for personal, attentive service.
Bucherer — Residenzstraße 11 or Oberpollinger, Neuhauser Straße 18, München. Strong Certified Pre-Owned program.
Switzerland
Boutique Rolex Genève — Rue de la Fontaine 3, Geneva. The only Rolex-owned boutique in the world.
Bucherer Boutique Rolex — Bahnhofstrasse 17, Zurich. Full model range plus service center.
Beyer Chronometrie — Bahnhofstrasse 31, Zurich. Switzerland's oldest watch retailer (est. 1760). Rolex Certified Pre-Owned partner.
How to Buy
Process for the Explorer (and most steel sport models): visit a store in person and "ouvrir un souhait" (open a wish). Register with a local store. Keep in touch at least once or twice a year. Waiting time ranges from months to years.