Rolex will pay the city of Bulle about 600,000 Swiss francs, roughly $780,000, in annual property taxes, according to Jacques Morand, a Bulle City Council member. Bulle is set to become Rolex’s fifth manufacturing site, scheduled to open in 2029. Mr. Morand, who retires from the City Council in April, told the Fribourg-based daily La Liberté that Rolex did not seek a tax exemption. Coronet reported in October that Rolex had quietly donated 3 million francs to support the renovation of the public library and museum in Bulle, with no sponsorship or advertising attached.
How much Rolex pays in taxes overall is difficult to determine, as the company does not publish financials. Some say it avoids paying taxes because it’s wholly owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The foundation, however, said it has declined tax-exempt status for the past five years and pays about 75 million francs annually, according to its general secretary, Marc Maugué.
In Bulle, Mr. Morand said the site will initially employ just 600 people, short of the 2,000 projected by Rolex, with expansion tied to growth. But a report published earlier this month by Vontobel, a Zurich-based bank, offers a dimmer outlook. It said Rolex has reduced production in 2025 for a second straight year “most likely by design, as the brand prioritizes scarcity and pricing power over incremental unit growth.”
Rolex does not disclose production figures, and the bank’s estimates cannot be independently verified. Still, Vontobel’s report raises questions about Rolex’s investment in its new manufacture in Bulle, which is expected to top 1 billion francs.