(Photo credit: Osaka University)
Dr. Pierre-Yves Donzé, a professor at the Graduate School of Economics at Osaka University, is the author of a new 300-page book on the business history of Rolex, billing itself as the first to be written “from independent historical research.” The book, titled “La Fabrique de l’excellence,” was published last week in French after two years of research. An English edition is in the works, the author said.
Dr. Donzé, a French native speaker who grew up in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, said he had informed Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour of his plans to write on the history of the brand. They had an amicable conversation on the phone for an hour, he said, and Rolex gave him “carte blanche.” The brand didn't review the manuscript before publication.
Rolex said in a statement: “The brand respect the work carried out by Pierre-Yves Donzé, a recognized expert in the field of watchmaking, for the seriousness and credibility of his work.”