The Rolex dichotomy is that the brand sponsors champions and virtuosos in the most visible way, while the foundation that owns Rolex supports the orphaned and downtrodden quietly. Together, they are the two faces of Hans Wilsdorf’s legacy.
In the arts, the work of the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation is also on display — and behind the scenes. As Rolex prepares for the Oscars, Hollywood’s most glamorous night, where the brand is one of its biggest sponsors, few know that the Wilsdorf Foundation is quietly working to rescue a movie-theater complex.
The Plaza cinema, an iconic Geneva venue that opened in 1952, is now scheduled to reopen in early 2027, after the foundation launched an ambitious renovation. When the Plaza shut down in 2004, a public initiative to save it gathered over 11,000 signatures but ultimately failed. The Plaza was once Switzerland’s largest cinema and the country’s first equipped with CinemaScope. The Wilsdorf Foundation stepped in and purchased the site for a high double-digit million sum to save it.
The Plaza renovation is one example of Rolex funds supporting the screen arts away from Hollywood’s bright spotlights. For the first time this year, the brand also supported the independent film festival at Sundance in January. This week alone, Rolex backed a masterclass at the National Film and Television School in London, taught by Cameron Bailey, the chief executive of the Toronto International Film Festival.