Rolex Patent Could Revive Milgauss Line

Attraction issues. (Source: Rolex via IPI.ch)

A patent filed by Rolex with the Swiss Institut Fédéral de la Propriété Intellectuelle reveals the brand is working to improve further the anti-magnetic properties of its watches.

Rolex engineers realized they didn’t need to redesign the Parachrom — or Syloxi — hairspring to raise the current anti-magnetic rating. They just needed to change the composition of the balance wheel with an alloy less conductive to electricity. Rolex said the findings were “surprising and unexpected.”

When Rolex engineers conducted testing with a balance wheel made of lead-free brass, the watch could withstand up to 40,000 gauss, instead of 25,000 gauss with a balance wheel made of copper-beryllium, the alloy in the current collection.

The results are “absolutely remarkable,” Rolex said in the patent. Read more about it here.

Bespoke Rolex Watches: Courts Clarify Limit of the Law

Making time. (Photo credit: Artisans de Genève)

Courts on both sides of the Atlantic seem to agree: Businesses that sell customized Rolex watches infringe on Rolex's trademark, but a business can legally personalize a watch owned by a customer.

The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland reversed last week the lower court's decision after one of the biggest Swiss-watch customization brands, Artisans de Genève, was sued by Rolex S.A. Artisans de Genève made the news last year, when Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine revealed a personalized neon-green Daytona. The Supreme Court said Artisans de Genève is not infringing on Rolex trademark as long as it sells customization services and not customized watches.

The decision came coincidentally the same week a U.S. Court of Appeals told a Texas-based dealer he could not sell customized Rolex watches, but could customize a watch upon request after it had already been purchased, as reported in theses pages.

Rolex Is Still King of Premium

A larger portion of Rolex models than any other brand trade above retail. That's according to the latest data available by WatchCharts, Morgan Stanley.

While Rolex commands premiums for the largest percentage of models out of all nine brands tracked by WatchCharts, Patek Philippe watches command the largest premium at +39%, compared to +20% for Rolex. The vast majority of pre-owned watches from brands outside of the Big Four are available at a discount.

Still, at 68% of Rolex watches selling above MSRP on the secondary market, Rolex watches continue to be a good deal when bought at authorized dealers — though less and less as the trend has declined for the past three quarters.

The Executive Behind Rolex's Successful Partnerships

Net gains: Rod Laver and Arnaud Boetsch. (Photo credit: G. Ciaccia/ROLEX)

When Jannik Sinner was signed by Rolex, in early 2020, the 18-year-old Italian tennis player had never reached past the second tour of any Grand Slam tournament. But last Sunday, Sinner, crowned winner of the Australian Open, lifted the trophy with a Rolex Submariner on his wrist.

Rolex, which has signed top players early in their careers, including Roger Federer, has had a knack for picking talents. That is because Rolex's global director of communication and image, Arnaud Boetsch, is a former tennis pro himself.

Boetsch, an Alsatian who once ranked in the ATP top 12, is the man at Rolex responsible for building partnerships with some of the biggest events and Testimonees in Formula 1, classical music, golf and tennis, including bringing Federer back to Rolex, in 2006, after he had left for Maurice Lacroix. In recent years, Boetsch has pioneered the brand’s entry into the world of cinema.

If Rolex's image and reputation is arguably the brand's biggest asset, it was recruiting Boetsch almost two decades ago that turned out to be the real ace for Rolex.

Appeals Court Finds for Rolex Watch U.S.A.

Clock blocked. (Photo credit: Jackson Lewis)

Is a Rolex still a Rolex if the movement and case are from the brand, but the bezel was swapped with a diamond-studded bezel not made by Rolex? What if the dial is genuine but repainted using non-Rolex methods — or simply embellished with diamonds?

An appeals court on Friday published a decision in a lawsuit filed by Rolex Watch U.S.A., a subsidiary of Geneva-based Rolex Holding S.A., against Texas-based watch dealer BeckerTime. It affirmed the lower court that parts replaced, such as the bezel, dial, and bracelet, “are integral and necessary,” and therefore BeckerTime infringed on Rolex’s trademarks despite dealer's disclosures to customers.

The lawsuit was filed against BeckerTime just months after Rolex U.S.A. won its case against La Californienne, in 2020. The case against BeckerTime was cross-appealed last year and reaffirmed on Friday, a potential death knell for Rolex customizers and their dealers in the U.S.

One setback for Rolex U.S.A.: the court says while repainted dials constitute copyright infringements, embellished dials with added diamonds or stones “not involving the removal or reapplication of Rolex’s trademarks” do not.

Rolex: Working from Home Approved!

Clocking in from anywhere. (Photo credit: Rolex)

More than 150 years before Covid, the Swiss watch industry was already well versed in the practice of remote work, using stay-at-home wives and idled farmers during the winter to help assemble timepieces. By 1870, it's estimated 60,000 Swiss men, women and children helped in the production of watches — all from home.

Today, big manufactures like the Swatch Group, the largest employer in the industry, have prohibited remote work after Covid restrictions were lifted. The Swatch Group argues that if 80% of employees are unable to work from home due to their positions in productions or sales, neither should the other 20% who possibly could.

Rolex, however, says it will continue to allow non-production employees to work one day per week from home even if post-Covid restrictions are no longer in effect.

“In order to best reconcile personal and professional life, Rolex has implemented various approaches to organizational work giving more flexibility to all its associates, including remote work of one day per week for those outside the production unit,” Rolex’s Head of Public Relations and Spokesperson Virginie Chevailler said.

A list of job openings can be found on Rolex’s official hiring site.

When a Queen Rocks a Rolex

Someone's allocated OP was worn by a queen.

Britain's Queen Camilla tried on a 31mm Oyster Perpetual with a turquoise-blue dial on Monday during her visit to a Rolex authorized dealer in Swindon, England, the latest sign of the power of that dial color in the Rolex collection.

We're told she went to the 175-year-old family-run jeweler not to shop for a Rolex but to bring in a vintage Breitling for repairs though it's unclear whom in the royal family the watch belongs to.

Queen Camilla seemed interested in all things watches, checking out vintage pieces and taking a tour of the sixth-generation workshop, where she spoke to a young female watchmaker. Also in attendance was Deacon & Son's manager director Richard Deacon and, of course, Richard de Leyser, the CEO of Rolex UK, who had been briefed of her visit.

Queen Camilla didn’t pull the trigger on the Tiffany-dial OP, we’re told. That could be a future gift idea for King Charles III. After all, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

High Supply Persists on the Pre-Owned Rolex Market

Total supply remains near all-time highs even for discontinued Rolex models. That's according to the latest WatchCharts, Morgan Stanley research released last week.

WatchCharts analyzed 90 Rolex models from three distinct generations, including discontinued models, and the analysis shows that total supply remains at or near all-time highs for all segments. Median age of Rolex inventory increased by 25% in 2023.

Total supply levels for discontinued five-digit-reference models has jumped +32% in the last three years (-4% YoY). Total supply levels for discontinued six-digit-reference models has increased by +55% in the last three years (-4% YoY).

“Some dealers may still be holding out on realizing losses on older inventory purchased at higher prices,” WatchCharts cautioned in the report. “Which may put further downward pressure on prices in the future if the urgency to sell increases.”

Pre-owned inventory for current-production models saw the biggest jump over the past three years at +189% (+8% YoY).

London Cops Try New Tactic Against Rolex Robbers

Ticking towards justice. (Photo credit: Met Police)

Until now, undercover cops were used in the investigation of narcotics crime, radical groups and vice operations. But having them pose with Rolex timepieces in order to catch robbers is a first. While Rolex watches have been tested on the highest of mountains and in the deepest of seas, one place the brand seems to have difficulty surviving is European capitals, like London.

In a press release on Wednesday, Scotland Yard released CCTV footage and explained how plain-clothed officers wearing valuable timepieces volunteered to go out to streets known to be hotspots in London. The footage shows brave officers being grabbed by the throat after being ambushed by up to five robbers in some cases. A covert team of officers then emerges and pounces on the criminals.

The multiple operations, which resulted in 27 men being arrested, are the latest strategy regarding watch robbery: trapping malefactors before real victims could fall prey. The innovative tactic by Scotland Yard in the past two years is said to have led to robberies halving, an encouraging sign.

Rolex Confirms New Hiring Center Open in Bulle

Clocking in. (Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex confirmed it has opened a recruitment center, a business space occupying several hundred square meters on one floor at the Bulle train station. “The recruitment center was opened early December and the director of HR has taken possession of the premises,” Rolex spokesperson Céline Gouzer-Monney said. “The space is not open to the public and remains a work space linked to recruitment.”

While the Bulle site won't be operational until 2029, one of its temporary sites, located in Villaz-Saint-Pierre, will begin work in the second quarter of 2024, according to Rolex. “These will be after-sales service activities,” said Ms. Gouzer-Monney. “The number of employees will be defined according to needs.” The other temporary site, in Romont, will begin operations as early as 2025. A list of job openings can be found on Rolex’s official hiring site.

For more reading, I’ve already reported on Rolex recruitment efforts here and the company’s plans to open temporary sites in Romont and Villaz-Saint-Pierre here.

Rolex's Newest Face of the Brand is 21

A watch to serve him well. (Credit: Rolex)

U.S. tennis player Ben Shelton announced this weekend on Instagram he is Rolex’s newest Testimonee. The announcement came before the start of the Australian Open, an event sponsored by Rolex that marks the start of the tennis season. The left-handed tennis player chose the Rolex GMT-Master II with the crown on the left.

Shelton joins Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff, young players signed by Rolex early in their careers. From equestrian sports to Formula 1, Rolex is signing athletes younger than ever — some in their teens — and before their first wins, I’ve reported earlier. Shelton is just 21 and has never won a Grand Slam tournament or even an ATP Tour Masters.

None of the pros wear a Rolex while playing tennis, and they are rarely photographed when not plying their trades — unlike, say, actors or singers. Still, Rolex sponsors more tennis players than any other kind of celebrities. The brand wants to be associated with the lifting of the trophy, and it is willing to wait for it.

Is the Syloxi the Future of Rolex?

All the right moves. (Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex released a "Celebrating Rolex Watchmaking in 2023" video earlier this week, and while the 30-second video briefly features the Parachrom hairspring, it’s leaving out the brand’s newest hairspring innovation which made an appearance for the first time in a men's watch in 2023: the Syloxi hairspring.

Rolex has been slowly and cautiously introducing the Syloxi hairspring for years in women's watches, like the Ladies Datejust, OP 31 and Yacht-Master 37. The brand says the silicon-made hairspring provides great stability during temperature variations and is also resistant to strong magnetic fields and shocks.

“Although it was designed for our small and medium-diameter models and our thinnest watches... [it] has all the makings of a giant,” Rolex said. The Syloxi could be the future in Rolex men’s watches and a new reason for its clients to upgrade.

Rolex to Build the Brand's Largest European Showroom

Building success. (Photo credit: @watchyouare)

Construction is underway for a new Rolex boutique on Bond Street, in London, to be operated by Watches of Switzerland.

The boutique will become the largest Rolex showroom in Europe, the latest sign Rolex continues to consolidate points of sale as it grapples with product shortage. Watches of Switzerland will close the other Bond Street location. Wempe closed its Bond Street boutique last year after Rolex cancelled its contract. The news was first reported by WatchPro.

Last year, Rolex also opened flagship boutiques in Dublin, Seattle and announced the acquisition of Bucherer, the largest Rolex retailer in the world. It is currently building a 28-story flagship location in Manhattan.

I wrote here about Rolex’s growing investment in real estate whose returns have outstripped the sale of watches, according to a former Rolex executive.

Rolex Exclusive Dial May Reveal New Strategy

In tune with the times. (Photo credit: Rolex)

The release this year of Rolex’s newest timepiece, an “exclusive version” of a Day-Date, “a tribute to generations of musicians,” according to the brand, could be a harbinger of things to come: exclusive models celebrating partnerships. Rolex told me the new Day-Date with the violin dial will not be part of the catalog.

The Day-Date, unveiled for the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, came just months after the release of a Daytona celebrating 100 years of Le Mans, a special Daytona equipped with an exclusive 24-hour chronograph movement, a nod to the race.

Rolex has sponsored the 24 hours of Le Mans since 2001 and the Vienna Philharmonic since 2008. Future exclusive-edition designs paying tribute to other long-standing partnerships are likely at Rolex, a strategy commonly used by luxury brands to create artificial scarcity.

Rolex Drops Video Touting Online Shopping

From cart to carat. (Photo credit: Rolex)

For the first time in Rolex history, the brand released a video showing the online purchase of a Rolex watch.

The thirty-second clip released Thursday touts the ability to browse pre-owned Rolex watches online, including adding a watch to a virtual shopping cart. The video came two weeks after a French regulatory body fined Rolex over preventing authorized dealers in France from selling new watches online.

Because Rolex wants the online shopping experience to be uniform across retailers, it provides a copy-and-pastable source code while allowing each retailer to personalize content relating to their points of sale, the brand said. Rolex requires retailers’ websites to have certain technical specifications and keep the Rolex section segregated from other certified pre-owned brands. But Rolex says it also helps retailers be more visible on search engines like Google.

In a NY Times Ad, Rolex Explains the New Day-Date

Time to ad-mire. (Source: Rolex via NY Times)

Just don’t call it a cello. The dial on Rolex's newest watch, a Day-Date 36 that pays tribute to classical music, is a violin. That's according to the only piece of communication from Rolex about the watch: a printed ad in The New York Times.

“The brand has chosen the date of this beloved annual concert, which takes place on January 1. 2024 in Vienna, to unveil a refined, musical interpretation of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36,” the ad reads. The ad is not available online.

Rolex describes the dial as a “finely crafted dial representing a violin and its volute, a decoration made using the champlevé method of grand feu enameling. Directly etched into the yellow gold base, the violin design is colored by hand in different shades of green — the brand's emblematic colors — which have been selected for their intensity and depth.”

The ad was first reported by Highsnobiety.