(Photo courtesy of Servette FC)
Rolex is famously associated with elite sports such as tennis, golf and equestrian events, but far fewer people know that its charitable structure also directly supports soccer, rugby and hockey in Geneva.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the organization that oversees Geneva’s professional teams will have a new president. Fondation 1890, which is financed by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, has until now been led by Didier Fischer, who will step down after ten years and hand the role to Grégoire Pictet. Through this structure, revenue from the sale of Rolex watches worldwide supports professional soccer, rugby and hockey in Geneva, even though Rolex does not advertise or display branding around these teams.
At the center of this complex web sits the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, the charitable owner of Rolex, whose revenues underpin Fondation 1890’s nonprofit model and sustain Geneva’s professional teams. Through this structure, the foundation owns or supports Geneva’s major professional teams, aiming to provide stability. Servette FC remains the flagship name. Founded in 1890 and one of Switzerland’s most decorated football clubs with 17 league titles and eight national cups, it filed for bankruptcy twice, in 2005 and 2012, before it was saved in 2015 by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation with a double-digit-million Swiss franc donation.