As U.S. Cuts Aid, Hans Wilsdorf Steps In

The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross. (Photo credit: Keystone)

La Genève internationale, in Swiss parlance, refers to the ecosystem of international organizations, including hundreds of NGOs working in areas such as humanitarian aid, human rights and development — in a city known for its key role in diplomacy.

That international sector, which employs more than 36,000 people in Geneva, is now under pressure due to significant budget cuts, in part linked to reduced U.S. contributions during the Trump administration. In response, the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation has expressed its willingness to provide financial support to help NGOs restructure and explore new forms of cooperation.

In a new plan announced on Wednesday and first reported by newspaper Le Temps, the Geneva Canton and the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation would contribute equally to a 50 million CHF package aimed at helping NGOs adjust to the current financial shortfalls.

If approved by the Canton's Grand Conseil, the donation would mark a rare move for the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, an organization known for its discreet support of Geneva’s social welfare, education and culture. The foundation would be taking the unusual step of supporting international organizations and NGOs at a time when funding challenges are shaped by geopolitical factors.

Rolex Prepares to Launch New Roland Garros Clip

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex is preparing to release a new video ahead of the 2025 Roland Garros tournament, highlighting its continued role as Official Timekeeper of the only Grand Slam played on clay.

Currently unlisted on YouTube, the video begins with a voice-over by Chris Evert and Björn Borg and focuses on the tournament’s distinct challenges. It also features Rolex’s new tagline, Reach for the Crown, first introduced in February as part of a broader shift in its marketing approach.

Set to coincide with the start of the French tennis tournament on May 25, the video features the Datejust 41 in Oystersteel and Everose gold with a chocolate dial and a Jubilee bracelet.

As in all Rolex sponsorship videos, the brand also spotlights its association with top players, including Jannik Sinner, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz.

Watch the video here.

Rolex Brings GMT Showcase to Hong Kong

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex might not have a museum, but it’s making use of its rare collection of vintage watches by exhibiting them across the world. Rolex will be spotlighting the evolution of the GMT-Master in Hong Kong from May 26 to June 8, 2025, “its first stopover,” according to the brand.

The exhibition is Rolex’s most recent attempt to boost demand in the region, as the broader luxury industry has faced headwinds in Asia, with annual Swiss watch exports dropping 25.8% to China and 18.7% to Hong Kong, according to the latest data by Federation of Swiss Watch Industry FH.

Hosted at Freespace in the West Kowloon Cultural District, this marks the GMT-Master exhibition's first appearance in Asia following its initial showcase in Geneva in 2024. In a rare move for Rolex, the brand has introduced an online reservation system for this exhibition on its official website. Visitors are required to book their time slots, receiving a unique QR code for admission.

The event, called “Time Zone To Time Zone,” delves into the GMT-Master's history, tracing its origins from the 1955 model worn by Pan Am pilots to its current status as a symbol of global travel and exploration.

Theft Reported at Rolex Construction Site in Bulle

(Photo credit: Chloé Lambert)

Rolex’s construction site in Bulle, Switzerland, which is set to become one of the brand’s largest production facilities, has attracted attention in recent weeks, both from curious passersby and, more recently, from thieves.

On May 3rd, an early-morning break-in occurred at the 100,000-square-meter site, during which several storage containers were forcibly opened and equipment was taken. The cantonal police confirmed the incident but did not specify the nature of the stolen materials. Rolex declined to comment.

According to police spokesperson Caroline Aebi, six separate complaints have been filed by companies involved in the project. An investigation is currently underway to determine who is responsible. The incident highlights the challenges of securing large-scale construction sites, even in Switzerland, where Rolex’s expansion plans have otherwise progressed with limited disruption.

Tru-Beat, a Watch Long Gone, Reappears on Paper

(From Swissreg.ch)

It's not unusual for Rolex to register dozens of soundalike trademarks, names like “Datejuster” or “Master-Datejust,” not with the intent to produce new models, but to guard its nomenclature from imitations. These filings are a form of brand protection against names closely tied to the Rolex identity.

Still, the brand's decision earlier this week to register “Tru-Beat,” a name that is not a riff on anything in the current lineup, is worth writing about. First introduced as a doctor’s watch in the mid-1950s, the original Rolex Tru-Beat featured a mechanical movement with a ticking seconds hand that mimicked the motion of a quartz watch, making it easier to measure heart rates. It's a Rolex mechanical watch pretending to be quartz.

The “Tru-Beat” trademark filing on Monday is not a renewal; it’s a new application for a watch name that has been out of circulation since 1959—and sounds nothing like what is currently in the catalog. Could Rolex be planning something more than just legal protection?

Rolex's Missed Solar Opportunity

(Rolex image, modified)

For the launch of the Land-Dweller project several years ago, Rolex’s office of general management tasked its design teams with creating a model that would share nomenclature with the Sea-Dweller and the Sky-Dweller.

If Coronet had been stuck in an elevator with Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour for any length of time, his pitch would have been for the Sun-Dweller: Rolex’s first solar-powered watch, a natural complement to the Sky- and Sea-Dweller.

The name may sound bold, even harmful to your health, but so are the seas and skies Rolex already chooses to dwell in. (At least, the name starts with an “S.”)

(Rolex image, modified)

After all, Rolex already loves the sun. The brand has installed over 10,000 square meters of solar panels across all its manufacturing sites. Tied to the Perpetual Planet Initiative, a solar-powered Rolex watch would speak to sustainability and remind us we live under the most powerful energy source in our system: the sun.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Leonardo DiCaprio, who joined the Rolex family just weeks before Watches and Wonders, would have been the perfect figure to introduce the Sun-Dweller.

Coronet has long argued DiCaprio—the most prominent actor to represent Rolex since Paul Newman—shouldn't be treated as just another brand ambassador. Instead, Rolex should mirror the Newman playbook, associating him with a single timepiece, one he wears consistently on red carpets, at environmental summits and on film sets, turning the model into an icon.

A fictitious ad for the Rolex Sun-Dweller. (Sony Pictures)

DiCaprio, a vocal advocate for renewable energy and an investor in several solar-focused companies, has called solar power “key to a future without fossil fuels.” Imagine if Rolex had tied that vision to a timepiece. (And if Mr. Dufour were looking for a technical challenge, why not launch the first solar-powered watch with a smooth-sweeping seconds hand?)

By linking the Sun-Dweller to DiCaprio, Rolex could have turned a new product into a symbol of environmental responsibility, putting the spotlight—literally—on the power of the sun.

The Perfect Storm That Could Boost the Rolex Pre-Owned Market

(Photo credit: Rolex)

The U.S. luxury watch market is confronting a confluence of economic pressures that could push up the value of pre-owned Rolex watches.

A proposed 31% tariff on Swiss imports, including Rolex, is poised to increase the cost of new models, especially after Rolex already raised U.S. prices twice in the past year. This is compounded by a weakening U.S. dollar against the Swiss franc, which further drives up prices for American clients. Additionally, the price of gold has surged to record highs, surpassing $3,000 per ounce, impacting the cost of new gold-based watch models.

These factors are likely to drive consumers toward the secondary market, where pre-owned Rolex watches are more attractive not just for their relative affordability compared to MSRP, but also for their immediate availability.

(Source: FactSet)

While the full 31% tariff on Swiss products is unlikely to return after the 90-day pause announced by President Trump on Apr. 9, a reduced but still significant 10% tariff remains on the table and could become permanent. Adding to the pressure, the U.S. dollar has continued to weaken since tariffs were first announced amid economic uncertainties, pushing the CHF/USD exchange rate now close to a 13-year high.

Meanwhile, the pre-owned watch market has begun to stabilize, posting its strongest quarter in three years and the smallest decline since early 2022, according to the most recent Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts report.

Rolex’s secondary market is entering a new phase, less driven by hype than during the pandemic, but now backed by stronger global factors. Even if tariffs come down and gold or the Swiss franc plateau, luxury watch pricing is shifting. The market is adjusting, and pre-owned Rolex models are likely to benefit.

In DiCaprio, Rolex Finds a New Kind of Voice

Leonardo DiCaprio. (Credit: NatGeo)

Unlike Roger Federer, Leonardo DiCaprio works hard to avoid the spotlight. When he is indeed spotted, he’s usually dressed in black, ducking behind face masks and baseball caps, slipping from back entrances into waiting SUVs. He grants few interviews and keeps a low public profile. For a luxury brand like Rolex that relies on celebrity exposure, choosing him as a Testimonee feels almost counterintuitive.

On Earth Day, Rolex released a one-minute video featuring several environmental advocates, including DiCaprio. While watches have little to do with saving the planet, Rolex’s decision to partner with the actor underscores a more values-driven form of marketing, one that is still rare in the glitzy world of luxury, especially in an age of Instagram and constant visibility.

Dr. Piers Sellers (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio (R). (NatGeo)

The clip, released earlier today, opens with a voiceover from DiCaprio: “There is a sense of urgency that we all must do something pro-active about this issue.” The quote comes from a backstage press conference at the 2016 Oscars, just after he addressed climate change in his acceptance speech.

Research shows that 82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with their own, and they’ll vote with their wallet if they don't feel a match, while three-quarters of shoppers reported parting ways with a brand over a conflict in values. (And 72% say they think companies overstate their sustainability efforts.)

In that light, DiCaprio’s role is less about selling watches and more about underscoring Rolex’s commitment to the planet. The brand’s main plans for DiCaprio aren’t necessarily to be spotted wearing a Rolex, but to be the personification of one of its most important values.

With New Launch, Rolex Rethinks Women's Size

(Photo credit: Rolex)

When Rolex introduced the Land-Dweller collection at Watches and Wonders 2025, an unexpected detail Coronet noticed wasn’t the 5Hz movement or the use of white Rolesor. It was the size — and the person wearing it.

Yuja Wang, a classically trained pianist from China, also known for her daring fashion choices, was picked by the brand to debut the smallest size in Rolex’s new Classic collection: a still-noticeable 36mm. The Land-Dweller on the pianist’s slender wrist looked bold for a dress piece but not incongruous.

Information about Wang’s actual height is hard to come by. But in Coronet’s research, she’s often described by herself or interviewers as tiny, petite and slender, barely over five feet tall. That’s why the choice to launch a 36mm timepiece with an integrated bracelet on Wang’s wrist felt counterintuitive and a bit radical for Rolex.

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Still, the brand’s decision to select Wang comes at a time when the lines between masculine and feminine sizes are blurring across watch fashion.

While men’s preferences have been trending smaller, eschewing the 43mm Sea-Dweller, for example, women are embracing larger, more conspicuous designs. By choosing Wang to debut its latest model, Rolex is signaling that 36mm is no longer too small for men or too big for women, a message reinforced by the presence of 36mm watches in its professional lineup.

“There is a definite trend towards smaller case sizes for men, and it has been an ongoing trend towards women buying bigger case sizes,” said Brian Duffy, the CEO of the largest Rolex retailer in the U.K., Watches of Switzerland, in a recent interview on the Luxury Society Podcast. “And they converge in the middle,” he said.

Despite Going Upmarket, Rolex Still Offers Strong Value

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex’s climb upmarket has been reported by Coronet, marked by new releases with a stronger emphasis on gold, including at Watches and Wonders 2025 earlier this month. The new Land-Dweller 40 in white Rolesor, a blend of white gold and steel, is priced at $14,900. What’s less reported is how Rolex’s value compares today to other brands.

In the integrated-bracelet landscape, for example, dominated by Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, Rolex holds its own with a new, revolutionary movement. The Land-Dweller costs at least $10,000 less than models from those three brands, yet still delivers high-end finishing and a 5Hz caliber, offering higher frequency performance than its more expensive peers.

(Data: the brands)

The value proposition extends to its precious metal. The full-gold Cosmograph Daytona, for example, is priced at $47,000, a staggering $20,000 less than comparable offerings from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. Coronet reported last year how Rolex had aggressively priced its platinum 1908.

When asked about Rolex’s positioning in the market, the brand told Coronet it strives for perfection while offering what it believes is an “excellent rapport qualité prix” and a fair price for a watch built on “reliability, robustness, high performance and excellence.”

The Sea-Dweller Hits Bottom on the Pre-Owned Market

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Despite being one of Rolex’s most technically advanced watches, the Sea-Dweller is currently gasping for air on the secondary market. The Sea-Dweller has the lowest value retention of any Rolex line tracked by Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts, trading at an average of 14.9% discount to retail.

Despite the watch’s engineering pedigree, the sluggish sales are the latest sign of trends favoring slimmer, more versatile models. With a depth rating of 1,220 meters, or 4,000 feet, it remains one of Rolex’s most capable tool watches.

Still, that level of engineering isn’t translating into market demand. Among the 131 Rolex watches tracked by WatchCharts, the Sea-Dweller collection has seen the steepest drop in value retention over the past 12 months, down 8.1%.

While sought-after lines like the GMT-Master and Daytona saw modest gains in early 2025, prices continue to soften for collections that trade below retail, including the Explorer, 1908 and Sea-Dweller.

Rolex value retention by collection. (Data: WatchCharts)

The gap between retail and secondary market prices continues to narrow, as Rolex raised prices twice in the U.S. in the past 12 months and may do so again in response to new 10% tariffs on Swiss imports. Today, only 53% of Rolex models command a premium, compared to 56% a quarter ago and 68% a year ago.

As trends shift toward slimmer watches, the Sea-Dweller’s bulk may be causing its unpopularity. With Rolex now developing thinner movements and embracing titanium cases, a refresh of the Sea-Dweller line will hopefully… surface.

Sheila Scott’s Rolex Heads to Auction

(Image credit: Jake’s Rolex World)

A Rolex GMT-Master worn by a pioneering pilot, who was featured in a vintage Rolex ad, is heading to auction, and Rolex may be interested.

Sheila Scott wore the watch, a reference 1675, during her record-setting solo flight around the world in 1966, covering over 31,000 miles in 189 flying hours. She went on to set more than 100 aviation records, including the first solo flight over the North Pole in a single-engine aircraft. Scott died of lung cancer in 1988 at the age of 66.

Scott is also widely believed to have inspired the character Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, a female pilot who wore a GMT-Master in the 1964 film.

Scott’s watch gained recognition when it appeared in a 1960s Rolex advertisement, one of the rare times a sports watch was marketed to women. Scott called it “a marvelous watch.”

(Photo courtesy of Spink)

The watch, along with other personal items and archives, will be auctioned by Spink in London on Apr. 24, with an estimate of £20,000–30,000. It was first sold at Phillips in 1989.

In 2023, Rolex acquired at auction a GMT-Master that had belonged to a Pan Am pilot known for breaking multiple aviation records. The pilot also appeared in a famous Rolex ad. The watch was then displayed by Rolex at Watches and Wonders in Geneva.

René Beyer, Longtime Rolex Partner, Dies at 61

René Beyer. (Credit: PD)

René Beyer, owner of Beyer Chronometrie on Zurich’s prestigious Bahnhofstrasse, has unexpectedly died on Sunday. He led the historic watch and jewelry store for nearly three decades, representing the eighth generation of a family business that dates back to 1760. Like all his predecessors, Beyer was also a trained watchmaker.

According to the Zurich financial website Inside Paradeplatz, which was first to report the news, Beyer is survived by his wife, a native of China. As the couple had no children, she is expected to inherit the business.

The company, considered the oldest authorized watch and jewelry retailer in the world, has maintained a close relationship with Rolex since 1932. In the 1950s, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf gifted a yellow-gold Day-Date to René’s grandfather in appreciation of his longstanding support.

To mark Beyer Chronometrie’s 250th anniversary, Rolex produced in 2010 a special edition of its platinum Day-Date, offered exclusively through the retailer.

Beyer’s sister, Muriel Zahn-Beyer, who has served as managing director for the past year, will continue to lead the company. The store announced that business operations will proceed as usual.

FMDS: First Modern Daytona in Space

Dr. Jonny Kim. (Photo Credit: Jake’s Rolex World)

According to Dr. Pierre-Yves Donzé, author of “The Making of a Status Symbol,” the Rolex Cosmograph was initially designed for American astronauts. It was after Rolex's unsuccessful attempt to collaborate with NASA in the 1960s that the brand repositioned the watch as a racing driver’s chronograph, renaming it the Cosmograph Daytona.

More than six decades later, the Daytona is (again) returning to its roots. NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim arrived safely at the International Space Station last week; on his wrist, a Rolex Daytona reference 126500LN.

While it is not the first time a Daytona has been to space, Kim’s 240-day mission will set a record for the longest continuous spaceflight wearing a Rolex.

The astronaut, a Harvard graduate and former U.S. Navy SEAL, also owns a GMT-Master II, which he likely included in his Personal Preference Kit (PPK), Coronet suspects, the small bag astronauts use to carry personal items on missions.

Is Tom Cruise Rolex’s Next Testimonee?

Tom Cruise. (Photo credit: tomcruisefan.com)

Watches and Wonders hadn’t ended when Tom Cruise was already photographed wearing the newly released Rolex Land-Dweller, making him one of the first people to be seen with the watch after Rolex Testimonees Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The appearance, captured on a London helipad on April 6, less than a week after the model’s launch, has Coronet wondering whether Cruise could be in line to become a Rolex brand ambassador.

Tom Cruise with the Land-Dweller. (Photo credit: tomcruisefan.com)

Cruise’s exclusive access was made all the more intriguing by his presence last summer at Wimbledon, where he was seated next to Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour and Arnaud Boetsch, the Communication and Image Director at Rolex, as first reported by Coronet. Boetsch, who has pioneered the brand’s entry into cinema, has been at Rolex longer than Dufour and is largely credited for bringing on Rolex's big fish, including Roger Federer.

As Rolex Focuses on Gold Pieces, Gold Soars to All-Time Highs

Gold futures, past five years, as of Apr. 11. (Source: FactSet)

Gold has reached a new all-time high as investors turn to traditional safe-haven assets amid ongoing market volatility.

Meanwhile, and for the second year in a row, Rolex has centered much of its new collection around gold, including the most accessible version of the Land-Dweller, made in white Rolesor, its signature blend of white gold and steel.

On Friday, gold reached an intraday high of $3,246.80 per troy ounce, as economic uncertainty amid tariff threats increased demand.

The new yellow-gold Daytona with turquoise blue dial. (Credit: Rolex)

At the same time, Rolex has increased the number of gold models in its lineup, while new steel releases have become less frequent. The brand introduced just three dial colors for its Oyster Perpetual line this year; the rest of the new collection was released in precious metals, including platinum.

Platinum, once more valuable than gold, has declined over the past year and now trades at roughly $948 per ounce, about one-third the price of gold.

Still, for Rolex, platinum continues to sit at the top of the materials hierarchy, referred to as the “noblest of metals” by the brand. A platinum Land-Dweller 40 is priced 38% higher than its Everose gold equivalent, while the platinum Daytona commands a 67% premium.

But the rarity of a material only tells part of the story. The added cost reflects also the complexity of working with platinum, an exacting metal that demands specialized tools, time and expertise.

New Rolex Magazine Is Shipping to Retailers

(Credit: Rolex)

The 13th issue of Rolex Magazine is arriving at an authorized dealer near you. Like the previous edition, it contains 150 pages and is free.

From the launch of the Land-Dweller and the new Settimo bracelet to the enduring impact of Rolex Testimonees, the magazine presents Rolex’s 2025 watches through a series of in-depth features.

This is the second year in a row that “THE ROLEX MAGAZINE” appears in bold on the cover, helping distinguish it from a standard watch catalog.

The importance of the Land-Dweller release for Rolex is hard to overstate. The model is featured on the cover of the magazine. But the brand has also published a separate book dedicated to it, titled “Land-Dweller: Opening New Horizons,” which will be available at retailers.