From Rolex to Cowboy Boots: Xmas Gifts in the NFL

(Photo credit: Kansas City Chiefs via X)

The love for Rolex watches among NFL players has been well documented. Whether it is their robustness, elegance or symbol of achievement, they remain gift favorites during the holiday season.

Last year, Jalen Hurts, a Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, showed his appreciation to his offensive line with 40mm Day-Dates in Everose gold.

On Wednesday, three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes showered those who protect him on the field with white-dial Rolex Sky-Dweller ref. 336934 in Oystersteel and white gold. White is part of the Kansas City Chiefs uniform, along with red and gold.

Besides Rolex watches, the gifts to the offensive line included Normatec Elite air compression leg attachments, Lucchese leather cowboy boots, Oakley sunglasses, all boxed in a red Yeti Tundra Haul wheeled cooler.

Gold 'FOMO' Fuels Rolex Price Hike

Gold price per ounce. (Data: GoldPrice.org)

Gold in 2024 has had its best performance in more than a decade, with prices hitting 40 record highs over the course of the year, affecting the jewelry industry. Rolex is preparing to increase prices for the second time in a year, mostly on precious metal pieces.

The same “fear of missing out” that influenced Rolex collectors during the post-pandemic spending splurge is now affecting gold investors, sparking record demand for the precious metal which has never been so high in its history. The rush has helped drive the price of the yellow metal up 30% this year.

Less than two months after unveiling its 2024 collection at Watches and Wonders, Rolex increased on June 1st prices by 4% for white, yellow and Everose gold pieces. On January 1st, 2025, the brand is expected to raise prices by 7% in some countries. The Daytona in precious metal, with the exception of gem-set models, is expected to go up 14%.

Lisa Su, Time's CEO of the Year, Shines with Rolex

(Photo credit: Time)

In a yearly feature sponsored by Rolex, Time’s 2024 CEO of the Year, Lisa Su, wears a Rolex Datejust with diamond bezel. The Datejust is her personal timepiece and was not provided by the brand for the Time Magazine issue, which is slated to ship on Dec. 19.

According to Time, Lisa Su has led AMD through a remarkable transformation since taking the helm in 2014, when the company was struggling with debt and a $3 stock price. Under her leadership, AMD has grown into a $201-billion industry leader, competing with Intel and Nvidia; its stock now trades at around $125 per share.

“People are really motivated by ambitious goals,” she told Time.

Su was born in Taiwan and moved to the U.S. at the age of three. She went on to earn three degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She worked at Texas Instruments, IMB and Freescale Semiconductor in engineering and management.

The Bucherer-Rolex Deal and the Man Who Sealed It

Mühlebach standing behind Bucherer. (Credit: H. Zimmermann)

New details of the deal between Bucherer and Rolex emerged Saturday, after a profile of Jörg Bucherer's lawyer, Urs Mühlebach, was published in Zurich-based magazine Bilanz.

Bucherer, who passed away just weeks after penning a deal with Rolex, had placed immense trust in Mühlebach, granting him full power of attorney over all business matters.

As his health began to decline, Bucherer entrusted his lawyer with another task: initiating the sale. Mühlebach suddenly found himself as the negotiator, executor, estate administrator and chairman of the foundation board, all rolled into one. But Mühlebach proved to be a tough negotiator with Rolex during the airtight talks that took place over an 18-month span.

Mühlebach said one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations surrounded the retailer's real estate: properties in Lucerne, Geneva and Zurich had been recorded for less value than they were worth today, with Geneva's flagship building as the crown jewel. The final agreement was kept secret, in Swiss fashion, but it is widely believed to have topped four billion francs.

The Jörg G. Bucherer Foundation today is worth an estimated five billion francs, putting it in the top five foundations in Switzerland. But while the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which donates more than 300 million francs every year, has eight board members and requires a collective signature by three, Bucherer’s trusted lawyer, Mühlebach, runs the foundation alone.

Urs Mühlebach. (Photo credit: Herbert Zimmermann)

Environmental Impact Report for Rolex's Bulle Site Released

Rolex’s new manufacture site. (Photo credit: Antoine Vullioud)

According to an environmental impact report released this week, Rolex’s future manufacture in Bulle will include upgraded initiatives, revealing an internal commitment to sustainability by the brand.

The report shows that 98% of heating needs will be covered by just renewables, including geothermal probes and recovered machine heat from the manufacture. Cooling systems will rely at 100% on renewable energy, supplemented by rooftop solar panels. In a contract signed with Gruyère Energie SA, Rolex will buy renewable electricity from the local energy company.

Rolex has also set in place plans to dispose safely of hazardous materials, including cutting oils, solvents and acids. Production waste will be categorized and treated, alongside regular industrial and non-recyclable waste. Although the exact industrial processes are not finalized, the environmental impact report draws on experience from other Rolex sites to anticipate the potential footprint.

For complete coverage of Rolex’s newest site, follow Coronet’s reports about Bulle, including Rolex’s project to plant 500 trees around the manufacture.

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.