At the Top of Rolex, a Rare Board Vacancy

Rolex building in Chêne-Bourg. (Photo credit: Rolex)

One of the most powerful and exclusive clubs in horology has just gotten smaller. Philippe Pascal is stepping down from Rolex's board of directors, the eight-member body which oversees the long-term strategy of the biggest luxury watch brand in the world, including the appointment of its CEO.

Information about Rolex’s conseil d’administration, especially the reason for one of its member’s departure, is hard to come by. At 69, Mr. Pascal is a prominent figure in the luxury industry, having spent 20 years at LVMH, including as CEO of Moët Hennessy and its Watches & Jewelry Division. An avid wine enthusiast, Mr. Pascal and his wife, Catherine, own Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Burgundy, a 10-hectare vineyard estate. He has served on Rolex’s board since 2021.

Mr. Pascal could be retiring altogether, or simply paring down his responsibilities. He remains on Bucherer's board of directors, an appointment made just one year after Rolex acquired the Lucerne-based retailer, a sign the brand continues to value his expertise.

More importantly, Rolex's board now has a vacancy. Its most recent appointment came only last year, when Rolex named Alexa Aponte, CFO of Geneva-based MSC, the world's largest container shipping group. Ms. Aponte's brother is said to have played a key role in arranging the White House meeting between Swiss executives, including Jean-Frédéric Dufour, and President Donald J. Trump.

Rolex Opens Its Largest Boutique in Vietnam

New Rolex boutique in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Rolex)

Vietnam is getting its largest Rolex boutique with the opening of a 182-square-meter store inside the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. It is only Rolex's third location in a country with a population larger than France or Germany. As with its other boutiques, Rolex has incorporated touches reflecting the host country, including a handcrafted relief inspired by the lotus flower, a symbol of beauty, resilience and the spirit of the Vietnamese people.

Operated with DAFC, the new location gives Rolex two boutiques in Ho Chi Minh City alongside one in Hanoi, the latest sign of the brand’s expansion in one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing luxury markets. As Vietnam's economy has grown, so have foreign investment, its middle class and demand for luxury goods. The economy expanded about 8% in 2025, while the share of middle-class consumers is projected to double from 13% of the population in 2023 to 26% by 2026.

(Photo courtesy of Rolex)

Rolex Listed in Trump Financial Disclosure

(From OGE.gov)

Rolex appeared in President Donald J. Trump's mandatory financial disclosure report for 2025, but the company's mention had nothing to do with the Rolex clock spotted last November on the Resolute Desk. Instead, the nearly 1,000-page filing, released Tuesday by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, listed Rolex as providing Mr. Trump with 10 tickets to the 2025 U.S. Open valued at $25,000, the first indication of the value of its invitation to last year's tournament.

Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour's appearance alongside the president at the men's final generated headlines and prompted Senator Elizabeth Warren to question whether Rolex had sought to influence U.S. trade policy through the invitation, an allegation Mr. Dufour later rejected in a letter.

The disclosure also listed gifts from other organizations, including 10 FIFA World Cup tickets from FIFA president Gianni Infantino worth $15,000. It does not include the gold bar and desk clock presented by Swiss business representatives in the Oval Office because they will become part of the future Presidential Library.

The filing comes as Switzerland seeks a new trade arrangement with the Trump administration before the current tariff agreement expires on July 23. Swiss President Guy Parmelin traveled to Washington this week for the negotiations.

The Rolex of COMEX's First Woman Diver Is Up for Sale

Muriel Sivazlian. (Photo courtesy of Artcurial)

A Rolex COMEX Sea-Dweller reference 16600 issued to pioneering French commercial diver Muriel Sivazlian will be offered at auction by Artcurial during its Monaco sale on July 6-8 with an estimate of €80,000 to €120,000. While COMEX Sea-Dwellers already command some of the highest prices among vintage divers, collectors place a premium on examples with well-documented first-owner histories. Sivazlian's watch, engraved with the COMEX number 3497, remains in “well-preserved overall condition with minimal signs of wear,” Artcurial says. The watch retains its original caseback sticker.

Born in Marseille, Sivazlian restored her first sailboat at age 18 before becoming the first woman in France to qualify as a scaphandrière or commercial diver. Her career began after meeting COMEX founder Henri-Germain Delauze in 1976. Told that the company employed no women underwater, she offered to work aboard its oceanographic vessels instead, receiving her first assignment two weeks later. She later trained as a submersible pilot and participated in numerous expeditions, including the 1996 Titanic mission with filmmaker James Cameron, which helped produce footage for the film while contributing to the scientific documentation of the wreck.

Rolex supplied specially adapted diving watches to COMEX divers beginning in the 1970s, with each watch engraved to its assigned diver. Earlier this year, Artcurial sold another COMEX Rolex, issued to a former company secretary, for €160,000 despite lacking the underwater career associated with professional divers. Although Sea-Dweller models today are generally less sought after than comparable Submariners, Sivazlian's COMEX watch is likely to exceed its estimate, another sign that the market for exceptional vintage Rolex watches is largely detached from the new and pre-owned market.

Rolex Gave $100 Million to a Museum With Only One Watch

(Photo courtesy of National Geographic Society)

Rolex has donated $100 million toward a new museum that took four years to build and features almost no watches. In a press release Thursday, the brand simply said it was proud to be the Grand Opening Partner of the new National Geographic museum without mentioning the scale of its donation, which exceeds the entire budget of many watch brands today. Watch writer Jason Heaton reported in an article for Hodinkee that a plaque inside the museum had revealed its donors and their contributions, the only hint of Rolex's record-breaking donation amount. In the 100,000-square-foot museum in the heart of Washington, D.C., the only watch on display is the Deepsea Challenge from James Cameron's submersible, according to Mr. Heaton, who was able to preview the new museum before its opening on June 26.

Coronet reported in 2023 that Rolex had donated "by far the largest single gift in the National Geographic Society’s 135-year history" for the expansion of its headquarters in Washington, D.C. But neither the Society nor Rolex disclosed the amount until the museum’s Grand Opening last week.

Arnaud Boetsch, the global Director of Communication and Image at Rolex, simply said he is grateful to the National Geographic Society and for the shared dedication to advancing exploration as Rolex marks 70 years of partnership.

The size of the gift is the latest sign that Rolex today operates on a financial scale far beyond that of most watchmakers. A single philanthropic contribution of $100 million exceeds the annual marketing or operating budgets of most brands. It also shows the financial flexibility that comes from being privately owned and controlled by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. Rather than returning profits to shareholders, Rolex can deploy them toward long-term projects that strengthen its reputation and image.

Rolex Looks to Magnetism to Authenticate Its Watches

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex has recently published a patent application for a simpler way to authenticate watches. The challenge in creating authentication markers is that visible markers affect a watch's design, hidden ones require disassembly, while engraved codes require optical equipment. Rolex now says it has created an invisible marker that can be detected without opening the watch or changing its appearance, according to a patent published on June 18 and discovered by watch writer Nick Gould.

Rather than adding engraved markings or electronic identification technologies, Rolex's latest invention uses an invisible magnetic marker inside a watch. The marqueur — as Rolex calls it in its patent — can take many forms, including an insert, coating, surface treatment or localized material modification. When exposed to a magnetic field, it produces a distinctive magnetic signature that can be detected externally, without opening the watch or affecting its appearance. As Rolex movements have become more resistant to magnetism, it’s an interesting twist that the brand now wants to use magnetism as an identification tool.

In its patent, Rolex says the technology can be used beyond detecting counterfeits. The marker could verify that a component has passed a particular manufacturing step, be checked during final assembly or later during servicing "pour s'assurer de la conformité de la pièce d'horlogerie." It also describes using markers to encode information such as a manufacturing line, providing a discreet way to improve traceability and quality control throughout the production process.

Europe's Heat Wave Forces Rolex to Slow Construction

Cooling the movement. (Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Morel)

As Europe broiled under record-shattering temperatures, Rolex has decided to halt construction work early Friday afternoon at its new manufacturing campus in Bulle, Switzerland.

The company ordered the site to close from 1 p.m., despite having already introduced measures including mandatory hourly breaks, air-conditioned rest areas, sunscreen stations, water distribution and an earlier 6 a.m. start time to reduce workers' exposure to the heat.

The unusual temperatures are testing Europe's ability to adapt to extreme weather, including at major construction projects like the one in Bulle, where workers must wear standard protective gear, long clothing and neck coverings, with some working underground on a project involving enormous financial and scheduling challenges.

About 380 people, including contractors and supervisory staff, were working on the Bulle site on Thursday. Project managers said working conditions varied depending on location, with employees on exposed concrete slabs facing the most difficult conditions despite shaded areas and scheduled breaks.

The continent's stifling heat wave — the second in two months — has disrupted education, transportation and other aspects of daily life for millions of people, with officials warning that older people or those who work outdoors, like on construction sites, are most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.

Europe Has a Heat Wave. So Does Rolex, Thanks to Zendaya

Caught in Rolex’s web. (From daya.by.zendaya19 via Instagram)

Despite Europe’s punishing temperatures this week, Rolex is enjoying its moment in the sun, perhaps even more than it did at Roland-Garros, where nearly all of its tennis favorites were eliminated early. Marvel has spent the week promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day across Europe with appearances by Zendaya, who plays Peter Parker's love interest, MJ.

At each stop, Zendaya was photographed wearing a different Rolex, including a discontinued stainless-steel Daytona, a Perpetual 1908 fitted with the new Settimo bracelet and a Lady-Datejust. Pics from the tour have obvs spread across Instagram, well beyond the watch media. The exposure across the fashion and entertainment media may have given Rolex more visibility than a trophy ceremony at a Grand Slam final. Watch writer Nick Gould first reported on Zendaya's wristwear.

Zendaya's appointment is still relatively new. She joined the Rolex family as the brand's first actress Testimonee last year. The move followed the appointment of Leonardo DiCaprio just seven months earlier, the brand's only actor until she was signed. It marked a departure for a company that had historically aligned itself with athletes, musicians, explorers and even directors, but not actors. Earlier this month, Rolex disclosed the appointment of a third actor to its roster, Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

After Building Its Name, Rolex Faces the Cost of Protecting It

(Photo credit: Rolex)

A Rolex trademark victory came earlier this month when European officials partially blocked a Spanish company's application for the name "Vorlex" covering automotive goods and services. The European Union Intellectual Property Office ruled that consumers could see the mark on vehicles, car parts or related products and assume a connection to Rolex. The decision followed a recent "Lolex" case, in which Rolex successfully challenged the use of the name on certain pillows and home-furnishing products.

The cases are the latest examples of a brand spending resources not only on making watches but also on protecting its name after it has become widely recognized. In both, officials agreed the similarity of the names could allow applicants to benefit from Rolex's reputation despite having no connection to the watchmaker.

No other watch brand pursues trademark disputes as aggressively as Rolex. Unlike brands built around surnames or common words, Rolex's name gives it a strong basis to argue that similar-sounding trademarks seek to benefit from its reputation. In the Vorlex case, European officials said it was "very likely" that the applicant was attempting to take advantage of Rolex's reputation. Rolex also argued that associating its name with automotive products could tarnish the luxury image it has spent more than 100 years building. The company claimed that seeing "Vorlex" stamped on a car might lead shoppers considering a Rolex watch to "give it a second thought," the decision says.

In an interesting twist, European officials did not strike down the trademark entirely. The Spanish company can continue using "Vorlex" for five services, including retail services relating to accumulators and safes, unmanned food retail stores and certain wholesale activities.

Rolex Brings Its Brand to Rockefeller Center

Time skates by. (Photo credit: Michael Young via Instagram)

Rolex and Rockefeller Center announced an exclusive partnership on Wednesday, unveiling a new Rolex clock above the Rockefeller Center Rink on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan. "Today we are unveiling a new landmark for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world, the Rolex Clock above the Rink at Rockefeller Center," said E.B. Kelly, Senior Managing Director at Tishman Speyer and Head of Rockefeller Center.

The clock sits atop a new Art Deco-style visitor information center. Rolex's presence at one of New York's most recognizable landmarks is the latest sign of the brand's continued investment in its image, even as it generates record revenue. Rolex is also nearing completion of its new North American headquarters and renovated flagship store at 665 Fifth Avenue. "We are honored to partner with a brand of Rolex's stature, and we look forward to seeing the clock become a new symbol of New York," Kelly said.

To mark the event, Rockefeller Center replaced its usual flags with green Rolex flags around the plaza. Among those attending the unveiling were Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex Director of Communication and Image, and Luca Bernasconi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rolex Watch U.S.A.

The clock is the latest example of Rolex's willingness to spend millions building its brand, despite already being the world's largest luxury watch seller and owner of one of the world's most recognizable logos.

At 9,908 Feet, Rolex Opens Its Highest Boutique Yet

Peak retail. (Photo credit: Titlis Tower)

Rolex and Bucherer have opened what they describe as the world's highest watch boutique, located at 3,020 meters (9,908 feet) atop Mount Titlis in central Switzerland. The store occupies part of the newly completed Titlis Tower, a redevelopment project designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron that transformed a former telecommunications structure into a tourist destination overlooking the Uri Alps.

The new boutique, which was announced last week on Bucherer's Instagram account, is Rolex's latest example of so-called destination retail. The brand has pivoted from using its boutiques primarily as points of sale to places focused on the brand experience, especially as most Rolex models are still unavailable to buy.

This latest project builds on Rolex's association with exploration and mountaineering. Visitors reach the boutique through a tunnel carved into the mountain from the summit station before entering a space featuring Rolex's design language, including Verde Alpi marble, wood finishes and floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of the glacier.

When it comes to Bucherer, Rolex may not be giving the retailer preferential access to watches, as some feared when it acquired the Lucerne-based company in 2023. But it is using Bucherer as a vehicle for expansion, opening more Bucherer-operated boutiques while ending relationships with some independent dealers. Still, for this unusual location, Rolex was able to pursue a project that few retailers would consider, investing capital and staff in a boutique atop a mountain, accessible only by cable car, where operating above 3,000 meters brings more challenges and costs.

The Titlis Tower Rolex boutique. (Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex Turns to India for Its Third Actor Ambassador

Priyanka Chopra Jonas. (Photo credit: Rolex)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is only the third actor to join Rolex’s roster of ambassadors. The agreement was signed earlier this year at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles with Rolex’s global director of communication and image, Arnaud Boetsch. Although the deal was finalized months ago with Anjula Acharia, Chopra Jonas’s manager, her appointment to the Rolex family was disclosed only this week.

Rolex's reasons for waiting nearly 100 years to add actors to its roster are not publicly known, even if the strategy seems obvious today. In 2025, 98 years after Rolex’s first ambassador appeared in a Daily Mail advertisement, the brand signed Leonardo DiCaprio as its first actor Testimonee. Zendaya became its first actress.

Now the appointment of Chopra Jonas, India’s highest-paid actress, comes as Rolex’s strategy toward the world’s most populous country and fastest-growing major economy remains unclear. India, which has added a dollar millionaire household every 30 minutes since 2021, has fewer than 30 Rolex boutiques. To compare, the U.K. has more than 90 Rolex retailers despite having less than 5% of India’s population and less than one-tenth of its land area. When asked for comment, a press relations specialist at Rolex in Geneva said the brand continues to monitor the situation in India.

When the agreement was signed at the Los Angeles hotel, Rolex envisioned Chopra Jonas in an India-only campaign. It was her manager who pushed for a global partnership, according to people familiar with the deal. For the past six years, Chopra Jonas had been an ambassador for Bulgari, a relationship that would usually rule out a deal with Rolex. The two sides ultimately reached an arrangement allowing Chopra Jonas to represent Rolex for watches and Bulgari for jewelry.

Rolex Listings Are Swelling, a Sign of Potential Price Pressure

(Data: WatchCharts)

Rolex supply on the secondary market continues to swell following Watches and Wonders and has reached levels reminiscent of the 2022 speculative bubble burst.

Reliable data on secondary-market prices are hard to come by, as buyers and sellers often negotiate prices privately. But the number of watches offered for sale can serve as an early indicator of market conditions. Rising supply on the secondary market could signal downward pressure on future prices.

As previously reported on Coronet, new Pepsi listings hit an all-time high in the seven days following the discontinuation announcement, as sellers rushed to capitalize on the news. But the sudden surge in supply is now having the opposite effect, pushing Pepsi prices lower. WatchCharts said the GMT-Master has become the worst performing model when comparing prices from April to May. So far, this trend has also continued into June.

Among the Rolex models tracked by WatchCharts, the number of new listings on watch marketplaces reached record highs in April and May, while overall supply kept swelling. That marks a departure from the trend since the 2022 market correction when inventory had generally been declining. “This suggests a sell-off of inventory that was likely purchased speculatively, similar to what we saw during the watch market bubble in the early 2020s, albeit on a much smaller scale,” WatchCharts said.

The increase in supply could put downward pressure on prices, though price movements often lag changes in supply and demand. In 2022, while demand had already weakened by February, prices did not begin to decline until April. In other Rolex news, the brand implemented a round of retail price increases on June 1st for gold pieces, further widening the gap between retail and secondary prices since last month. Retail prices for gold models increase by an average of 5.0%, while two-tone models increased by an average of 2.5%. Stainless steel, platinum, and titanium models were unaffected.

Frank Abagnale’s Rolex, Inspired by ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ Is for Sale

Buy it if you can. (Photo credit: Artisans de Genève)

The customized Rolex GMT-Master II created by Artisans de Genève for Frank Abagnale Jr., whose exploits inspired the Leonardo DiCaprio film Catch Me If You Can, is on the market. A Texas-based dealer recently listed “The Uncatchable” project for $49,995. The resale is the latest sign bespoke Rolex watches, once dismissed by collectors, are increasingly taken seriously in the secondary market, as more celebrities, from Spike Lee to Adam Levine, enlist Artisans de Genève for custom projects.

Abagnale's watch began life as a 2015 Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116710BLNR before being transformed by the Geneva workshop in 2023. "Despite being in a state of severe wear and tear, Frank’s GMT timepiece had been dear to him for years," Artisans de Genève said when it unveiled the watch. "The watch held the most memories and was the best candidate for his personalization project."

The project was unveiled in 2023 as a one-off personalization inspired by Abagnale’s life story, popularized by the Steven Spielberg film in which DiCaprio portrays him posing as a Pan Am pilot. Artisans de Genève reworked the modern GMT-Master II with vintage-inspired details including an aged cream "albino" dial, a bakelite-style two-tone bezel insert, a riveted bracelet and a period-style GMT hand and date wheel, aiming to evoke the look from the 1960s.

Frank Abagnale Jr. (Credit: Artisans de Genève)

A New Rolex Book Makes Its Debut in Shanghai

Rolex’s latest book. (Via Instagram)

There are scant details about Rolex’s newest book by Nicholas Foulkes, the third in a series. But images of the publication surfaced at the opening of Rolex’s exhibition at the West Bund Dome in Shanghai, held from June 10 to June 28, 2026.

Rolex and Wallpaper have once again partnered to publish Oyster Perpetual: The Quintessential Rolex Watch, written by Foulkes. Its cover features the Oyster Perpetual 41 in yellow Rolesor, the commemorative model introduced this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Oyster case. The publisher has yet to provide any details on its website. The book was displayed at the Shanghai exhibition, whose opening was attended by Rolex Testimonees and executives, including Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex’s Director of Communication and Image.

The display also announced that the Chinese-language edition of Oyster Perpetual Datejust: A Watch That Made History, also by Foulkes, is now available for pre-order, with shipping scheduled to begin on Oct. 1, 2026, in a sign Rolex wants to deepen engagement with Chinese collectors about the history of the brand.

With Its Favorites Gone, Rolex's Bet Paid Off

Mirra Andreeva. (Photo credit: WTA)

Just last year, Rolex signed a 17-year-old tennis player named Mirra Andreeva. The brand decided to add the Russian teenager to its exclusive roster of tennis players after she had just been eliminated in the fourth round of the Australian Open. This magazine was first to report the news of her signing.

A year later, that incredible bet paid off when Andreeva won Roland-Garros on Saturday, the latest sign of Rolex's ability to spot talent. She became the first player, man or woman, born after 2005 to win a Grand Slam. For Rolex, signing Andreeva looked more and more like a genius move as the tournament went on. The Russian quickly became the only Rolex Testimonee left in a tournament heavily sponsored by the brand, as several favorites, including Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek, were unexpectedly eliminated in what was an unusual year. To compare, three of the four singles finalists at Roland-Garros last year were Rolex Testimonees.

Rolex's backing of Andreeva when she was just 17, which ultimately allowed the brand to feature her a year later in its "This Crown Is Yours" campaign reserved for champions, is the latest example of its competitive advantage beyond watches. Few watch brands — and few luxury brands in general — have matched Rolex's ability to spot talent that later embodies the company's values.