Rolex-Owned Bucherer Joins Vacheron's CPO Program

(Photo credit: Bucherer)

Swiss luxury retailer Bucherer, whose acquisition by Rolex was finalized just months ago, announced this week it will become an authorized Vacheron Constantin Certified Pre-Owned retailer, in a sign Rolex is not keeping Bucherer from expanding its partnership with competitive brands.

It’s not the first time Bucherer is selling certified pre-owned watches from other brands besides Rolex. But the certification and warranty would always be provided by Bucherer. Now, Bucherer will offer a brand-certified pre-owned program, with the inspection, two-year warranty and official certification coming directly from Vacheron.

As Bucherer navigates a Rolex ownership with a Vacheron partnership, Bucherer’s alignment with its new owner is at least apparent on its website: the Vacheron CPO page prominently displays a link promoting Rolex's CPO program in the top half, while the Rolex CPO page does not reciprocate.

Rolex Readies Launch of New Tennis Promotional Video

A month before the first Grand Slam tournament of the year is slated to begin, Rolex has uploaded to YouTube its new Australian Open promotional video for 2025. The clip is still unlisted on the platform but can be accessed directly at this address.

“Start the season under the bright Australian sun, a fresh challenge for a coveted trophy,” says the voiceover in the 30-second clip.

The clip ends with a fast slideshow of all Rolex Testimonees that have won the Australian tournament, from Rod Laver to Jannik Sinner. Sinner is wearing a Submariner, reference 116610LN, while lifting the trophy.

A blue-dial Datejust appears in the outro alongside the Rolex logo, the second consecutive year the brand has featured this model for the tournament. In the 2022 and 2023 editions of the AO, the featured Rolex was a blue Oyster Perpetual.

Halfway There: Rolex USA's New HQ Takes Shape

(Photo credit: Michael Young/YIMBY)

The construction of the new building on the corner of 5th Avenue and 53rd Street in Manhattan that will house Rolex USA headquarters is halfway through its pinnacle, its upper levels already shrouded in scaffolding, according to pictures taken by Michael Young of YIMBY.

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects with Adamson Associates as the architect of record and developed by the Rolex Realty Company, the 469-foot-tall, 30-story structure will be completed late next year with the ambition of being “the most environmentally sustainable new-build tower in New York.”

The concrete superstructure has risen steadily since Coronet's last update a year ago. Clearly visible now is the cantilever at the northwestern corner, which will eventually be enclosed by the glass curtain wall, creating a three-story atrium for the office lobby. According to diagrams showing the interior layout, a new Rolex store will occupy the first four levels.

(Photo credit: Michael Young/YIMBY)

Rolex Buys Nasser's Watch for 10x Estimate

(Photo credit: Sotheby’s)

In the latest sign that Rolex is building an impressive collection worthy of a museum, the Rolex Day-Date that was worn by late President Gamal Nasser of Egypt was acquired by the brand at a New York auction on Friday.

While such acquisitions are never officially disclosed by Rolex, they have surfaced at exhibitions highlighting the brand's legacy. In April, the GMT-Master exhibition inside Rolex's booth at Watches and Wonders included historically significant pieces acquired at auctions. Rolex also displayed rare Daytona models at Dubai Watch Week in 2023.

Coronet’s sources indicate that Rolex placed the winning $840,000 bid at Sotheby’s on Friday, surpassing the top estimate of $60,000 by over tenfold.

When a Rolex representative in Geneva was asked about plans to build a museum, she told Coronet, “We do not comment on potential future projects.”

NYC Civil Servant’s Rolex Fetches $768K at Auction

(Photo credit: Sotheby’s)

A modest New York City civil servant who said he and his wife lived paycheck to paycheck will receive roughly three-quarter of a million dollars, after a watch auction at Sotheby's closed Friday.

The Brooklyn resident inherited a gold Rolex from his uncle in 1998 and kept it in a safe deposit box, wearing it only on special occasions — while believing it was worth $10,000.

A chance conversation during a recent cruise revealed his Daytona, reference 6238, known as the “John Player Special,” was actually worth far more than he had imagined.

“A presentation [on the cruise] about Rolex watches piqued my interest,” he wrote in a letter to Sotheby’s. “After showing a picture of my watch to a fellow passenger, he exclaimed, 'That watch is worth a lot of money. Be careful where you take it!’”

The owner decided to visit Sotheby's, traveling by subway with the “John Player Special” tucked in his pocket. The watch ultimately sold for $768,000.

Dufour, Federer Attend Rolex Flagship Opening in Beverly Hills

Gearys CEO Tom Blumenthal, right, and Jean-Frédéric Dufour. (Credit: Bianca Heyward)

After a five-year project to establish a stronger presence on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Rolex unveiled its new boutique on Wednesday at 312 N. Rodeo Drive, the former location of Dolce & Gabbana.

In a rare appearance for a store opening, Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour and tennis icon Roger Federer traveled from Switzerland to celebrate the brand’s newest addition which will be operated by Gearys.

The new three-story building features a rooftop terrace, a wall depicting the Los Angeles skyline, a green marble bar and a circular wood staircase connecting all three levels. Rolex surfboards hanging on the wall complete the decoration.

The 6,200-square-foot boutique is the latest example of Rolex concentrating its presence into bigger but fewer locations. On Thursday, Watches of Switzerland Group president Brian Duffy said a 6,000-square-foot, three-story Rolex boutique is on schedule to open in March 2025 on Bond Street, in London, the retailer's largest Rolex showroom yet.

In a First, Rolex Promotes a Book on Its Website

(From Rolex.com)

In its biggest push yet to promote a recently written book about the history of the Submariner, Rolex is displaying the picture of the book’s cover on its website, with a link to “order now.”

This is the first time the brand is publicizing a book on Rolex.com. The link takes the client to ACC Art Books UK, a Melton, England-based publisher and distributor, where the 252-page tome can be purchased for £100.

Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch that Unlocked the Deep is the first authorized account of one of Rolex's most famous models. Its author, Nicholas Foulkes, received access to Rolex archives, an extraordinary break from tradition in the 119-year history of the brand.

In a press release, Rolex said the book was the first in a series of titles “exploring the brand’s unique watches.”

Rolex Joins Threads as Social Media Landscape Shifts

(Photo credit: @rolex/Threads)

Less than four weeks after the U.S. presidential elections, Rolex decided to use Threads as its newest social media platform, following the migration of millions of users to Meta's text-based app. Rolex shared its first post on Monday, inviting users to “Join the world of Rolex on Threads.”

Rolex is still posting on X, as well as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Weibo and WeChat, and owns dormant accounts on other platforms, like TikTok.

Threads reached more than 275 million monthly users in November, up from 200 million in August. Many power users, including celebrities, have announced they are leaving X, owned by Elon Musk, after they felt the platform had shifted to the right.

Meta has not revealed how many users have joined Threads since the election. But as of Wednesday, Threads was the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store.

Rolex's first video on Threads, a 30-second clip about watchmaking, logged over 91,000 views and 2,400 likes in two days. The same clip on X logged about 20,000 views and 400 likes.

Rolex Enlists Top Builders for New Manufacturing Site

(Photo credit: La Gruyère)

Rolex has hired three construction companies with 275 years of combined experience for its most expensive project to date.

While construction equipment can already be spotted on Rolex's future manufacturing site in Bulle, Switzerland — Rolex received last August an advance authorization to prep the site — the construction won't officially begin until mid-January.

The building permit for Rolex's fifth manufacture was granted last Wednesday by the Gruyère Préfecture, according to public records published on Nov. 29, 2024.

While Rolex typically asks contractors for their discretion, Coronet is reporting that the three companies that have won the bid are Grisoni-Zaugg SA, JPF Construction SA and Antiglio SA, all major players in the construction industry. Grisoni has been in business for over 75 years; JPF, 98 years; and Antiglio was founded in 1898.

Together, next month, they will begin a four-year, one-billion-franc project that will include five buildings, 692 indoor car spaces, 60 spaces for two-wheelers and 684 bicycles spaces.

Rolex Updates Presentation Boxes

Rolex is getting ready to ship new presentation boxes to its authorized dealers. That's according to designs filed by the brand with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. The designs were made public Friday.

The new presentation boxes include some minor cosmetic changes. The waves etched on the box top are now horizontal instead of ascending from left to right.

Inside the box, the soft beige interior no longer funnels towards the center, around the watch pillow, but slants down to one side. In a surprise change, the half-moon notch at 12 o’clock that helps pull the flap down has disappeared, according to the pictures.

(Credit: Milan Ramon/@timetrraveller)

Rolex’s presentation boxes arrive to the authorized dealers separately from the watches it manufactures. The watches are shipped securely encased in packaging often nicknamed “watch coffins.”

A leaked picture of the new Rolex box sent to Coronet reveals that the outer box is painted green, instead of the standard cream color.

As Market Softens, Rolex Seeks More Visibility in Sports

While the luxury market continues to face a global slowdown, brands like Rolex have deepened their partnerships with sports in an attempt to increase visibility and find new customers.

Last month, Chanel said it would become a partner of the rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge, while L'Oréal said it would sponsor a crew on the America's Cup. Starting in 2025, LVMH will partner with Formula 1 and is now in talks to acquire the Paris FC.

Last week, the news broke Rolex would expand its support to the Women’s Tennis Association. A day later, it announced it would also increase its sponsorship with SailGP, a fairly new competition with state-of-the-art catamarans reaching 50 knots.

Rolex has severed its F1 ties because of a dispute over the contract’s duration, Coronet was first to report, as F1’s carbon footprint continues to garner attention. In SailGP, however, Rolex sees a sport “geared towards delivering climate-positive events,” the brand said.

“SailGP is inspiring positive change through its initiatives to encourage sustainability… [by] utilizing circular manufacturing processes when building new race boats,” Rolex said. “SailGP has an ambitious goal to be 100 percent powered by nature, both on and off the water, by 2025.”

Artisans de Genève Turned a GMT-Master Into a Worldtimer

(Image courtesy: Artisans de Genève)

Artisans de Genève, an independent watchmaking workshop known for its bespoke designs, unveiled its latest creation on Tuesday, and Coronet felt it was worth a write-up.

Named “AFRIKA,” the custom timepiece transformed the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 into a worldtimer with a skeletonized dial and a green ceramic bezel, a design inspired by the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary and Africa’s landscapes, according to Artisans.

Rolex doesn't currently have worldtimer complications in its collection, but the brand could do worse than take some of Artisans' inspiration. In 2020, Artisans created a Rolex Submariner 116610 with a crown on the left for tennis legend John McEnroe. Two years later, Rolex released its first “lefty” Rolex available for public sale.

Bespoke-watch services have been controversial and argued in courts on both sides of the Atlantic. But the Supreme Court of Switzerland ruled earlier this year Artisans de Genève was not infringing on Rolex trademark as long as it sold customization services and not customized watches, as reported on Coronet.

Since then, the workshop seems to have been busier than ever, with customization services topping 30,000 francs each. It was just last month it unveiled a skeletonized Daytona with a mirror-polished Murano aventurine dial it had made for a client, the fifth time that client was using Artisans' services.

Up for Sale: Rolex ‘President’ Gifted to a President by a President

President Gamal Abdel Nasser. (Photo courtesy: Sotheby's)

A Rolex Day-Date, Reference 1803, in yellow gold from the early 1960s is being sold by the family of the original owner, former President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser, a widely popular figure in the Arab world. The watch is engraved not with his name but the name of Anwar El Sadat, who was the original gifter.

El Sadat, who later became Vice-President of Egypt in 1969, and then President of Egypt in 1970, had been a life-long friend of President Nasser. Sadat had been in the Egyptian Military Academy with Nasser, making this a Rolex “President” gifted to a President from a President.

The watch, which is being auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on Dec. 6, was worn until Nasser's death in Sept. 1970.

In a letter written by Nasser's grandson that is included in the Rolex sale, he wrote that “shortly after [President] Nasser’s passing, my Grandmother, gave my father the watch that was worn up until his death.... A few years before my father’s passing in September of 2011, he showed me the watch for the first time, and passed it on to me as his mother had done with him.”

With Jannik Sinner, Rolex May Have Found Its Next Federer

(Credit: @janniksin/Instagram)

After Jannik Sinner’s win in the Davis Cup on Sunday, it's hard to overstate what a year the 23-year-old Rolex brand ambassador from South Tyrol — the German-speaking region of Italy that borders Switzerland and Austria — has had.

Sinner, who was signed by Rolex at the age of 18, has become the first tennis player ever to win two Slams, the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup in the same season. No one previously had ever managed to achieve this milestone, not even Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.

When Sinner reached the No. 1 ATP spot in June, Federer advised him to enjoy the view from the top. For Rolex, the ultimate goal of sponsorship is not just to find a winner — it sponsors more athletes in tennis than in any other sport — but to find someone who will embody the brand's values for a lifetime: a Federer, a Jack Nicklaus, a Jackie Stewart.

Speaking on “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast, Roddick said, “He is the most relaxed person I've ever seen beside of Roger [Federer] before a Slam final. It feels like he has this very quiet confidence.”

Earlier this year, Sinner faced allegations of doping after he tested positive for traces of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol — less than a billionth of a gram — on March 10 in Indian Wells, Calif., and again on March 18. Initially, he was suspended from tennis, but the suspension was later overturned on appeal.

Sinner may have reached the top ranking less than six months ago, but already he looks untouchable. With 11,800 ATP points, he has 4,000 more than the next two players.

Rolex's Hans Wilsdorf Foundation Releases New Donation Data

Hans Wilsdorf Foundation donations from July 1st, 2023, to June 30, 2024. (Data: hanswilsdorf.ch)

The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation has supported more than 5,500 projects in the past year, most of them in welfare and healthcare, according to the latest data made available by the foundation, which is the sole owner of Rolex. The foundation published the new data on Friday on its official website.

This year, la Fondation Hans Wilsdorf gave away 21% of its donation money to help people acquire job training. In the past, almost a third of its donation money would go to that category. But the foundation boosted donations in other categories — culture, arts, humanitarian, environment and animals.

Though many of these donations remained in Geneva, some have no geographical limitations, especially when it comes to the environment and animal rights, two fields in which the foundation allocated double the fund when compared to the previous year.

Still, the foundation's main goal is to fulfill the mission as outlined by its statutes — first, to guarantee Rolex's longevity as a business, a reason why the foundation tends to be conservative with its investments. Today, its subsidiaries, Marziano 19 and Marconi Investment, make up the largest private real estate ownership in the canton of Geneva.

Rolex Strengthens Ties with Women's Tennis

Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals. (Courtesy: Rolex)

Rolex continues to grow its tennis empire, expanding its sponsorship with the Women’s Tennis Association at a time of growing popularity for women’s tennis, with WTA events attracting an annual televised audience of more than 1 billion.

Under this latest agreement, Rolex will become Official Timekeeper and Timepiece of the WTA Tour and will renew its support of the WTA Finals, which was won earlier this month by Rolex brand ambassador Coco Gauff.

The brand’s support for tennis has been swelling under Arnaud Boetsch, a former tennis pro and the current Director of Communication & Image for Rolex. In 2018 and 2019, Rolex acquired the rights to two Grand Slam tournaments, four decades after it first partnered with Wimbledon.

Rolex has also increased its roster of tennis players, including teenagers before their first major wins, Coronet reported. Rolex now sponsors more tennis players than any other sports.

For the First Time, Rolex Hires In-House Counsel

(Photo credit: Pascal Frautschi)

In a sign of Rolex’s needs for immediate access to legal expertise, the 119-year-old watchmaker has decided to appoint its first ever General Counsel, hiring Alexander Troller, a partner from Switzerland-based law firm LALIVE.

Rolex, which operates in multiple jurisdictions, is facing increasingly complex regulations related to manufacturing compliance, environmental standards and intellectual property. The Swiss Supreme Court ruled against the brand earlier this year after it sued Artisans de Genève, which customizes Rolex watches.

Alexander Troller. (Credit: LALIVE)

With an in-house lawyer, Rolex will have access to immediate strategic guidance, especially during contract negotiations for sponsorships, or if the brand decides to acquire more companies besides Bucherer while keeping negotiations airtight. Coronet was first to break the news in July that Rolex would be exiting Formula 1 in 2025.

Rolex's first in-house lawyer will begin at the brand on Jan. 2025. Before joining LALIVE, Troller held various positions in the commercial and banking sector, including with Banque Paribas in Paris (1994-1997), Firmenich Inc. and Firmenich SA as legal counsel in New Jersey (1994) and in Geneva (1993). He received his law degree at the University of Geneva in 1989.