Was Your Rolex Assembled by a Teenager?

At Rolex, apprentices as young as 15 can learn to assemble mechanical watches, adjust movements, fit dials and hands, and inspect components for defects. As Rolex takes on more apprentices than ever, the line between training and production is drawing closer.

Switzerland’s watch industry relies on a dual vocational system that mixes classroom instruction with hands-on experience. When a 15-year-old is learning to assemble a luxury watch, it begs the question of where training ends and cheap labor begins. The debate is hardly new, but few industries have people so young learning to make products that are worth so much.

Still, Rolex seems to be doubling down on apprentices. In 2022, the brand set a goal of training 500 apprentices by 2030. Halfway to that deadline, it has reached more than 80% of its target. It is currently advertising 47 apprenticeship openings across 26 occupations, including watchmaker, electroplater, precious-stone setter and case finisher. Rolex says it has doubled its number of apprentices and introduced eight new training pathways.

This comes as Rolex prepares to open its mega-manufacture in Bulle and builds a pipeline of workers. This school year, Rolex launched a two-year training program, partnering with the École professionnelle artisanale et industrielle, a school in Fribourg, as first reported by Coronet. In the inaugural class, which began on Aug. 10, is a 15-year-old girl from Bulle who is on track to work on Rolex watches.

Rolex Comes to a Swiss Fair, Not to Sell Watches but to Find Workers

Time for new recruits. (Photo credit: Régine Gapany)

As Rolex builds its mega-manufacture in Bulle, with an expected 288,000 square meters of floor space, the new complex will bring together production, R&D, a training center and a Rolex World Service hub, creating a workforce challenge no luxury watchmaker has ever faced at this scale. How to prepare a workforce for a facility that can accommodate more than 2,000 employees? Advertising, recruiting and training need to begin years before the doors open in 2029.

To complicate things, Rolex must also find workspaces for new recruits before the Bulle manufacture is ready. Watchmakers, technicians and specialists need places to work and train. And having recruited them in the canton of Fribourg, the brand cannot expect them to commute to Geneva or Bienne.

To solve this problem, Rolex has established temporary sites across the canton of Fribourg, as first reported by Coronet. Villaz-Saint-Pierre is now home to an after-sales service and the Rolex Training Center. Romont hosts production and R&D while Bulle houses HR. Rolex plans to transfer these employees to the new Bulle complex once it opens, though it says it does not expect to have all 2,000 employees in place on day one.

Rolex needs to step up its recruitment efforts. This week and through Nov. 1, the brand is attending the Comptoir gruérien, an annual regional fair in the Gruyère district expected to draw more visitors than Watches and Wonders. The exhibition, which was first announced by Coronet earlier this year, has little to do with the latest watch collection. Rolex is showcasing watchmaking careers through presentations. A model of the planned Bulle complex is also on display. Rolex said on its website that it wanted to take part in the fair because training the next generation of watchmakers is “une priorité pour Rolex.”

There’s a New Rafa in Spanish Tennis, and Rolex Wants In

The next big swing. (Photo courtesy of Rolex)

At just 20, Rafael Jódar has climbed to No. 11 in the world, after a meteoric rise in tennis. He picked up a racket at the age of four and has been coached throughout his career by his father, Rafael Jódar Sr. The young Spaniard became an obvious choice for Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex’s global director of communication and image, a former tennis pro himself.

Rolex signed Rafa earlier this month, making him a top-four ATP player among the brand’s 33 tennis Testimonees, behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton. Tennis is Rolex’s second-largest sports category after golf. Rolex’s golf roster has grown to a staggering 56 players after it signed 21-year-old Jackson Koivun this year.

Last week, Rafa reached the final of the Rolex Shanghai Master, only to lose to fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He was thrilled to join the Rolex family, telling his 277,000 Instagram followers in English that it was “very special for me to share this journey with a name that carries such a unique legacy, built alongside generations of legends.” Garbiñe Muguruza, the retired former WTA No. 1 who remains a Rolex Testimonee, welcomed him with “Bienvenido a la #RolexFamily.”

After Years Promoting Its Green Mission, Rolex Erases It From Its Official Website

Un-green lit. (Photo credit: Rolex)

On Rolex.com, Rolex has erased years of environmental messaging from its official website, an abrupt change after years of promoting its Perpetual Planet Initiative and sustainability goals, which have helped define the luxury brand.

Rolex has removed its Sustainability page, all content related to its Perpetual Planet Initiative, and references to Rolex.org from its official website. The Sustainability page, which was created just three years ago, stated Rolex’s green objectives as it comes to manufacturing and shipping watches. Rolex.org, the website focused on philanthropy, remains online.

The changes at Rolex.com came shortly after the brand decided to promote National Geographic’s new wildlife documentary “Africa: Earth’s Wild Home.” Four days later, the promotion disappeared from the website, along with the Sustainability and Perpetual Planet pages and any links to Rolex.org.

At Rolex.com in the main menu, the brand has changed the “Sports, Arts and Planet” headline to just “Sports and Arts,” dropping the word “Planet” and any mention of the Perpetual Planet Initiative, which was started in 2019.

It’s unclear why Rolex has erased years of green messaging from its main website; many companies have faced scrutiny over whether their sustainability claims were exaggerated. The move could simply be a sign of changing strategy at Rolex, with the brand now wanting to fully separate its product website from any kind of environmental work.

In Push for Greater Control, Rolex Acquires Swiss Supplier

Tightening its grip. (Photo credit: CPAutomation)

In the latest sign that Rolex is trying to further reduce its reliance on external partners — including the makers of the machines used to produce its watches — the brand has acquired an industrial supplier in the canton of Fribourg. The deal marks Rolex’s first industrial partner on Fribourg soil, expanding its presence in the canton, where it is building a mega-manufacture in Bulle.

Rolex has acquired CPAutomation SA, an industrial automation company based in Villaz-Saint-Pierre. According to its website, CPAutomation specializes in precision manufacturing equipment, including systems that handle delicate components and inspect parts during production. Founded in 1999, it employs approximately 120 people in the Glâne district and has supplied Rolex for about two decades, making the luxury brand its principal customer. Rolex first acquired a stake in CPAutomation six years ago, when two Rolex executives joined its board of directors.

The full acquisition of CPAutomation is the latest sign of Rolex’s growing demand for manufacturing equipment, making the brand more vertically integrated than ever while extending its reach beyond watchmaking and into machinery. Still, ownership of CPAutomation will now limit the supplier’s ability to serve other watch brands or industries. It’s also unclear whether CPAutomation will continue developing equipment for medical technology applications.

Rolex Brings New Transparency to Watch Servicing

A polished move. (Photo credit: Rolex.com)

For the first time, Rolex has published its service prices online, separating four-digit, five-digit and six-digit references in a move toward greater transparency around long-term ownership costs. Modern Rolexes are cheaper to service than older models, according to a page added Wednesday, despite their higher purchase prices and more advanced components. A Daytona service costs $940, compared with $1,430 for its five-digit predecessor and $5,500 for a four-digit one.

The move is a sign that Rolex wants to set price expectations with its clients upfront, at a time when more than a million Rolex watches enter circulation each year and the brand needs to figure out what to do when they come back. It also lets owners compare Rolex’s service prices with potentially higher rates from independent watchmakers.

Prices vary slightly by country and currency. Servicing a modern Submariner Date costs $700 in the U.S., €740 in Europe, CHF 700 in Switzerland and £640 in the U.K. Polishing is listed separately at $170. More prices can be found here.

After ‘1908’ and ‘Padellone,’ Rolex Again Claims a Name From Its History

Kew and improved. (From Swissreg.ch and Rolex.com)

Rolex has filed a trademark application for “Perpetual Kew,” reviving a name associated with an important chapter in its history, as it did with “1908” and “Padellone.” The brand appears to be considering a watch named after one of its earliest achievements in precision timekeeping.

In 1914, a Rolex wristwatch received a Class A precision certificate from Britain’s National Physical Laboratory at Kew Observatory, a distinction reserved for marine chronometers. Tested over 45 days between June 1 and July 15, the watch was identified in the certificate (pictured above) as a Rolex made in London and Bienne. The result showed that a wristwatch could meet the exacting standards traditionally applied to much larger precision instruments.

At a time when wristwatches were still considered jewellery rather than timekeeping instruments, the recognition helped establish Rolex’s credibility and became a milestone in its history. The “Perpetual Kew” trademark, filed by Rolex last week and still pending, will likely be used for a future heritage-inspired dress watch.

As Rolex Steers Clear of TikTok and Snapchat, It Joins KakaoTalk

Entering the chat. (Photo credit: KakaoTalk)

Rolex has added KakaoTalk to its official social media channels, expanding its presence in Asia just months after joining Japan’s biggest messaging app, LINE, as first reported by Coronet.

The South Korean messaging app is used not only for everyday communication but also for shopping and payments. The social media addition — after YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Weibo, WeChat, Douyin and LINE — is the latest sign of Rolex's commitment to the South Korean market.

Still, it remains unclear how Rolex chooses which social networks to join. For example, in the U.S., the brand remains absent from platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, a sign Rolex is selective when it comes to audience demographics on social media. Other brands, including Patek Philippe, also choose specific channels rather trying to reach consumers on every network.

In a First, Rolex Turns to Auction With DiCaprio and Federer

Four seasons, two stars. (Photo courtesy of Rolex)

Rolex will team up with Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio to auction four one-of-a-kind Daytona watches in London on Sept. 28, with proceeds going to charities associated with the two Testimonees. The Phillips sale will benefit the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports education programs for children, and Re:wild, a conservation organization co-founded by DiCaprio.

Rolex is not known to have auctioned watches directly, though it has bought rare vintage pieces at auction for its collection. This time, the auction will help the brand publicize its philanthropy in a way it has never done before. Still, the choice of heavily gem-set watches, using mined diamonds is an interesting twist when raising money for the environment. Rolex says it hopes to achieve 100% traceability for colored stones this year, though it admits the data is provided voluntarily by suppliers.

The four watches to be auctioned represent spring, summer, autumn and winter, according to Rolex, each in a different precious metal with a natural-stone dial. While Rolex calls the four watches unique, their case shapes, materials and movements are shared with other Daytona models. What makes them one of a kind is simply the combination of dial materials and diamonds. Spring uses chrysoprase, lepidolite and purple sapphires; summer features turquoise and pink stones; autumn combines mookaite and green stones; and winter uses blue opal, lapis lazuli and sapphires.

The one-of-a-kind Rolex Daytona watches represent spring, summer, autumn and winter. (Rolex)

The watches will be auctioned as four separate lots. Hodinkee reported that Rolex initially planned to sell them as a set, but demand was so strong, with more than 1,000 names submitted despite a roughly 4-million-franc price tag, that it pivoted to an auction for charity. That demand will likely encourage Rolex to lean further into the K-shaped economy, with “unique” watches becoming the epitome of exclusivity. The announcement comes less than three weeks after Drake showed off his one-of-a-kind, gem-set Daytona on Instagram.

Rolex’s Fight Against Custom Watches Comes to Canada

An icy dispute. (Photo credit: Bijoux Medusa)

Julien Duguay, founder of Quebec jeweler Bijoux Medusa, said in a Facebook post last week he will “vigorously contest” a lawsuit filed by Rolex. Rolex accuses him of selling counterfeit watches because they were modified with aftermarket diamonds and other precious stones. The case is important because it could set a precedent for Canada’s market.

At issue is whether a Rolex is still a Rolex if the movement and case are from the brand, but the bezel has been replaced with a diamond-studded one not made by Rolex. Courts in the U.S., Switzerland and France have generally sided with Rolex when businesses sell modified watches, while allowing customers to have their own watches personalized, a distinction reported by Coronet. In an interesting twist, a U.S. appeals court has ruled that adding diamonds to genuine dials without removing or reapplying Rolex trademarks does not constitute trademark infringement.

Mr. Duguay argues that Rolex is seeking to “control and dominate” the pre-owned Rolex market. He said the lawsuit, coming as Bijoux Medusa prepares to open a Montreal boutique near official Rolex retailers, is “an attempt to intimidate a local Canadian business.”

The lawsuit against Mr. Duguay is the latest sign Rolex is building legal precedent around the world, one case at a time, redefining what makes a counterfeit watch. Bamford, Artisans de Genève, MAD Paris, Blaken, La Californienne, as well as dealers in Texas and Georgia have faced similar pressure from the brand. Canada has little case law on the issue, making the Bijoux Medusa an important one for Rolex.

Eric Wind Calls It the Best Rolex Explorer in the World. Now It’s for Sale.

Peak vintage Rolex. (Photo credit: Wind Vintage)

A prominent vintage watch dealer not usually known for hyperbole says he has a piece so important it probably belongs in the Rolex Museum. In a video published on Instagram on Sunday, Eric Wind said, “I am biased obviously because I'm offering it for sale, but I happen to think it's the best Rolex Explorer that exists on the planet today.” He is listing the watch for $350,000 on his website, and if one has ever sold for more, Coronet is not aware of it.

The watch is an early Rolex Explorer reference 6350 with its rare waffle dial. Its case appears to be unpolished, according to Mr. Wind. “This watch is arguably the greatest example of the reference 6350 in terms of its condition,” Mr. Wind said, also pointing to its unusually thick bezel, something often lost on vintage examples. Mr. Wind has run Wind Vintage for almost a decade and was previously a vice president and senior specialist at Christie’s.

The watch belonged to Hollywood actor Spencer Tracy, the first actor to win consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor. Mr. Tracy wore it in The Mountain (1956), playing a retired Alpine guide who agrees to climb a dangerous peak to stop his younger brother, played by Robert Wagner, from looting a plane crash. “It is possibly one of the earliest product placements of a Rolex in a film,” Mr. Wind said.

Mr. Tracy wore the watch for many years on a Rolex strap with a steel buckle. Mr. Wind has added a period-correct Rolex Oyster rivet bracelet dating to 1957, but said the original strap is included in the sale.

As More Rolex Watches Need Service, Rolex to Shift More Work to Retailers

Rolex has its hands full. (Photo credit: Rolex)

With more than a million Rolex watches entering circulation each year, the brand also has to figure out what to do when they come back. Since 2022, the growing Certified Pre-Owned program adds to that demand, including for watches less than five years old. CPO watches come with a two-year guarantee, requiring servicing as more are traded in. We still don’t know what watch components will be made at Rolex’s new Bulle manufacture, but we do know it will include a hub for Rolex World Service, a sign of the growing need facing the biggest luxury watch brand.

Rolex’s strategy is to push more servicing to local retailers and develop on-demand services outside the brand’s own service centers. Rolex says it has established guidelines for retailers to help speed estimates, maintenance and repairs, while promoting services such as polishing. It is launching for the first time an After-Sales Service Polisher program, a three-month course training specialists for retailer workshops, alongside its existing 18-month watchmaker program. The share of customer servicing performed by retailer watchmakers is growing, the brand says, and is reaching nearly half (49%) of all servicing operations. “The brand’s objective is to offer more local services, thereby ensuring shorter lead times through a streamlined process,” Rolex said.

Rolex also wants to streamline when parts need to be replaced, a decision usually left to the watchmaker. It keeps spare parts available in Geneva for up to 35 years after production ends and can make some parts to order for collectors’ watches. Now it plans standardized rules for replacing individual components, reducing the need for new parts. “These principles will be fully defined by 2030 for all serviced models,” Rolex said.

4 Months After Rolex Killed an Icon, an Unusual Market Response

Price trend for the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO on the secondary market. (Data: WatchCharts.com)

The discontinuation of the GMT-Master II "Pepsi" was not completely a surprise. What is a surprise today is that four months after the brand killed off one of its most difficult-to-obtain watches, prices have settled so quickly, in one of the most unusual market responses to a Rolex discontinuation.

The model might be iconic, but today’s prices suggest there is a limit to what buyers will pay for a bezel color. With more GMT-Master II options than ever, the market is deciding just how much red and blue is worth.

Still, the market is skeptical the 126710BLRO is the last Pepsi. When Coronet asked a Rolex rep about the fate of one of its biggest icons, the response from Geneva seemed purposely ambiguous. So, the Pepsi’s historical importance is working against its premium, something we've rarely seen at Rolex. The market fears an improved version will draw buyers to the new watch, especially if Rolex has perfected the bicolor-bezel process.

But the more interesting explanation may be long-term psychology. Few Rolex watches have been rumored for discontinuation as often as the Pepsi. As prices steadily rose in anticipation, much of the effect was already baked in, leaving little new catalyst when production finally ended. To be sure, prices did jump once the discontinuation became official, but they settled far sooner than anyone expected, as Coronet observed already in May.

Finally, there is the unusual way the Pepsi market was divided. The model was nearly impossible to get at retail, and buyers willing to pay a premium had turned to the secondary market long ago. Those who refused and stayed on retailers’ waitlists are not suddenly willing to pay premium prices today. Ending production simply closed the already-tight retail route; it did not remove the thousands of Pepsis in circulation on the preowned market, many of them hoarded by dealers who were lying in wait.

For Rolex, the U.S. Courtship Continues

Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour, left, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Callista Gingrich and Rolex General Counsel Alexander Troller at Rolex in Geneva on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Bern)

Almost a year after Rolex invited President Donald Trump to the U.S. Open, the brand has invited another member of his administration, this time behind the doors of its manufactures in Geneva.

On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Callista Gingrich visited Rolex for the first time, touring its watchmaking facilities, learning about the history of the brand and meeting CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour and General Counsel Alexander Troller. The meeting is the latest example of Rolex's unusually visible role in U.S.-Swiss relations chronicled by Coronet.

It is Ms. Gingrich's first visit to a Swiss watch manufacture since becoming ambassador, after being nominated by Trump in Dec. 2024 and confirmed by the Senate in Sept. 2025. In April, she attended Watches and Wonders in Geneva, meeting several members of the industry, including Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation CEO Matthieu Humair and Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern.

Thursday’s visit to Rolex’s headquarters comes as trade remains sensitive between Washington and Bern. Less than three weeks ago, new U.S. duties on Swiss imports took effect, generally bringing the rate to 12.5%. While Rolex regularly invites new Testimonees to tour its facilities, visits by ambassadors are rare.

Mr. Troller's presence is perhaps the most intriguing part of the visit. Rolex's first in-house general counsel joined the brand just last year, as first reported by Coronet, and his appearance alongside Dufour is a sign his role may reach beyond legal matters as Rolex now navigates a complex geopolitical environment. The ambassador's visit follows a year in which Mr. Dufour hosted Mr. Trump at the U.S. Open, answered questions from a U.S. senator about the invitation and traveled to the Oval Office with other Swiss executives.

Rolex’s Latest Trademark Has a Familiar Ring

(From: Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property)

Rolex has registered a name that may point to a new movement technology. A Swiss trademark application for STELLOXI published last week covers Class 14, including watches and watch components. The filing does not say what Stelloxi is.

Rolex’s silicon hairspring, introduced in 2014, was named "Syloxi" and is made from a composite of silicon and silicon oxide. Currently used on small- and medium-diameter Rolex models and thinner watches, the material resists magnetic fields and compensates for temperature changes. The similarity in name raises the possibility that Stelloxi could be another silicon-based hairspring, though "Stell-" (from Latin stella, star, perhaps?) is even further away than "Syl-" for "silicon."

A Rolex patent previously covered by Coronet but not yet used in any Rolex watch replaces the conventional hairspring with a spiral made from hundreds of repeating, linked elements designed to store more energy in the same space, allowing a watch to run longer or power more complications — a moonphase, perhaps? — without a larger barrel.

(European Patent Office)

The patent says the spring could be made from silicon or silicon carbide, optionally coated with silicon oxide. None of that guarantees Stelloxi as the name of this invention. But a new Rolex spring in need of a name, silicon and silicon oxide, and a Syloxi-like trademark all make for an intriguing possibility.

At Chrono24, Rolex’s Falling Market Share Tells a Bigger Story

(Data: Chrono24)

Karlsruhe, Germany-based Chrono24 released its latest report last week. Unlike reports from WatchCharts or EveryWatch, which track sales across multiple platforms but generally lack visibility into final negotiated prices, Chrono24 covers only its own marketplace but knows what watches actually sold for. Its report is based on several million transactions from 2018 through the second quarter of 2026, Chrono24 said.

Rolex may remain the most important brand in the global luxury watch market, but its dominance is waning, the report shows. Its share of Chrono24’s total transaction value continues to trend downward as other brands gain ground.

To be sure, a declining share does not necessarily mean Rolex sales are falling. The rest of the market may be growing faster. Cartier has enjoyed a resurgence, while Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin have gained ground with collectors, especially in a K-shaped economy, where more money is going toward haute horlogerie. And because Chrono24 measures transaction value rather than the actual number of units sold, a small increase in transactions for Patek, AP or Vacheron watches can disproportionately affect the data.

Still, the trend may tell a broader story than collectors simply diversifying. As Rolex raises prices and continues to produce more than a million watches a year, availability has improved for some models, giving buyers less reason to pay premiums on Chrono24 and more reason to wait for one at retail. Since 2022, Rolex’s Certified Pre-Owned program, which has been chronicled in this magazine, has created another major channel for preowned watches, likely taking Rolex sales away from Chrono24.

A Forgotten Court Ruling and Rolex’s Fight for the Oyster

(Photo credit: Rolex & Fallrecht.ch)

As Rolex marks 100 years of the Oyster, a remarkable part of its history has resurfaced. A Swiss court ruling from 1937 appears to document the earliest known case of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf going to court to defend a patent, fighting for the invention that would define Rolex. The case reached Switzerland’s highest court, which brought in experts before siding with Wilsdorf. The ruling shows that at least one key moment in Rolex’s history has played out in a courtroom, with its fate in the hands of judges, perhaps one reason the brand continues to be litigious today.

The nearly 90-year-old case, discovered by watch writer Nick Gould on Monday, tells of Wilsdorf confronting a rival over a key Rolex invention. In 1934, Swiss watch-case maker Schmitz Frères & Cie told Rolex it planned to market its own waterproof screw-down crown, acknowledging “much analogy” with Rolex’s 1926 patent while insisting its construction was different. After Schmitz began selling the crown, Wilsdorf had one examined by an engineer, who concluded it infringed the Oyster system.

Wilsdorf filed a criminal complaint in 1935, and the dispute ultimately went before the Supreme Court after Schmitz challenged the validity of the Rolex patent. The court’s experts found the Oyster crown represented a meaningful technical advance. “L'idée n'est pas ‘géniale,’ mais c'est une bonne idée” (the idea was “not brilliant” but “a good idea”), the court said, meaning it needed not be brilliant to qualify for protection, especially in watchmaking, where innovation lies in small details. It upheld Wilsdorf’s patent and awarded him 10,000 francs in damages because Rolex had lost sales of complete watches, not merely crowns.

Inside Rolex's Latest Invention for a More Durable Dial

(Photo credit: Rolex)

A newly published patent offers an unusual glimpse into what Rolex considers a weak point in watch dial production. Nearly every dial receives a transparent finishing lacquer, often made from a material known as zapon, that protects decorative finishes from moisture and oxidation. Rolex says zapon also gives the dial "a depth effect" and highlights its surface finish.

The problem, according to Rolex, is that the lacquer does not always adhere well enough over time. As the coating ages and is exposed to humidity, its bond can weaken, causing the protective layer to separate from the dial, a process called "décollement" in the patent. For Rolex, stronger adhesion is "essential for the reliability and robustness" of the dial to "guarantee its longevity over many years."

Instead of changing the protective lacquer itself, Rolex engineers found through experiments that inserting an ultrathin layer of metal, like chromium or titanium, between the dial surface and the lacquer improved adhesion "très significativement,” the patent said. Rolex never explained how its engineers came up with the idea of adding a metal layer just a few nanometers thick. But in accelerated aging tests in Rolex’s labs, dials were exposed for three days to 30°C (86°F) and 95% relative humidity before adhesive tape was applied and peeled away. Dials without the metallic layer showed the so-called "décollement," or delamination, while those with it showed none.

The invention is the latest example of Rolex’s R&D spending to improve its watches in ways customers won’t notice when they buy them. The metallic layer is invisible to the naked eye, and the benefit won’t become apparent for decades.