Rolex sponsors champions and virtuosos in the most visible way, while the foundation that owns Rolex supports the orphaned and downtrodden quietly. These are the two faces of Hans Wilsdorf’s legacy. In the latest example, the Wilsdorf Foundation has spent just over 56 million Swiss francs to buy a four-story building in Geneva, according to public notices published by the canton earlier this month.
The building purchased by the foundation is used by Hospice Général and, for the past four years, has provided 130 emergency and temporary housing places for families and individuals in crisis. Contrary to its name, Hospice Général is not a medical hospice but the Canton of Geneva’s public social welfare agency, providing support to residents in need.
As Rolex opens a raft of multi-level flagship boutiques worldwide, complete with celebrity appearances, the buildings acquired by the Wilsdorf Foundation to assist the homeless carry no sign indicating Rolex funding. Coronet has tracked the purchase of at least three former Geneva hotels transferred rent-free to charitable organizations, each acquired for a double-digit million sum in francs: La Cour des Augustins (32.5 million) for CausE; the Lido (12.3 million) for the Red Cross, supporting at-risk youth; and another property (26 million) for Cœur des Grottes, assisting women and children who are victims of violence.
Hospice Général will save more than 1 million francs a year in rent that it was paying the former property owner, while continuing to provide emergency housing and basic assistance. For the Wilsdorf Foundation, buying real estate is a safe way to preserve capital in times of uncertainty. As global investors seek refuge in gold and the Swiss franc, holders of both turn to the next best thing: Swiss property.