Fresh off the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex’s Communication & Image team is diving straight into preparations for the Australian Open 2025, which kicks off on Jan. 12.
The brand has uploaded a new promotional video for Australia’s tennis Grand Slam, featuring the blue-dial Datejust on Oyster bracelet, but the clip will stay unlisted on YouTube until a few days before the tournament.
Last month, Rolex announced a new partnership with Australia’s oldest and most renowned public art museum, located in Melbourne. In September, Rolex said it had forged a partnership with Australia’s Professional Golf Association.
Comparison 2022-2023. (Data: FH)
These announcements are unlikely to be coincidental. As economic uncertainty looms in China, luxury brands are shifting their focus elsewhere. Australia is gaining traction as a modest yet promising market for luxury goods, fueled by a growing demographic of young consumers and the revival of international tourism in the post-pandemic period.
Oceania is now the fastest growing region for Swiss watches, not only by watch units but also by value, surpassing Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. All that according to the most recent data available by the Swiss Federal Customs Administration, which tracks exports from Switzerland.
Australia alone jumped +47.2% in two years, beating any country in the top 10 markets for Swiss watches.
The Rolex Sydney boutique, which opened in 2021, is the southern hemisphere’s largest. (Credit: Rolex)
“This is indeed a promising market evidenced by the extraordinary investment in the Sydney and Melbourne luxury sector, with Brisbane expected to boom in the lead-up to the Olympic Games,” says Rolex Australia Managing Director Benoit Falletti. “I think we will continue to see strong growth before the market reaches maturity.”
There is a lot to love about Australia. The country has sunny skies, excellent food and an abundance of beaches — even if it is also home to some of the world’s most deadly creatures.
The wealth of the very rich in Australia has more than tripled in the past two decades, from 8.4% of Australia’s GDP in 2004 to 23.7% of GDP in 2024, according to recent research by the Australia Institute. The average Australian will live longer than the average Briton or American.
Rolex Australia Managing Director Benoit Falletti. (Credit: Rolex)
Benoit Falletti. (Credit: Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race)
As part of its strategy to drive growth in the region, Rolex unveiled in 2023 a redesigned Rolex Oceania headquarters, featuring a groundbreaking watchmaking training facility within the remodeled Centenary Hall building in Melbourne.
Rolex's remodeling of the historic Centenary Hall included future-proofing the six-story building while restoring its 1930s façade. Rolex has owned the site since 2018 and worked with local architect Peter Miglis, of Woods Bagot, for a skillful retrofit to safeguard a historic building while improving its environmental performance.
For Falletti, the restoration of the building is a central point of admiration, with each level reflecting a distinctive personality that references Rolex — the watch and the craft — without compromising the Hall’s aesthetic integrity.
Centenary Hall in Melbourne, Australia. (Credit: Rolex)
(Photo credit: Rolex)
Falletti says the remodeled headquarter is a “new era” for Rolex in Australia and signals a “strong expansion of Rolex in the region.”
“The restoration pays tribute to the heritage of the original structure and is harmonious to the Rolex aesthetic,” he said.
The brand has long been a dedicated supporter of global architecture, as reflected in its 60-year history of collaborating on projects with renowned architects such as David Chipperfield (Rolex USA headquarters), Fumihiko Maki (Osaka's Nakatsu Building), Kengo Kuma (Rolex Dallas) and the Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA.
Rolex Australia headquarters. (Rolex)
Rolex watchmakers at the Melbourne Service Center. (Credit: Rolex)
Last month, Rolex announced a partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, the latest sign of the brand's growing desire to establish direct connections with local audiences, a new trend in luxury marketing called hyper-localization. Luxury brands are increasingly seeking to forge deeper connections with local audiences by offering authentic initiatives.
“At Rolex, we take an ambitious and authentic approach to supporting the arts by creating deep, lasting connections with the global artistic community,” Falletti said. “The NGV is one of Australia's most significant cultural institutions.”
National Gallery of Victoria. (Credit: Rolex)
National Gallery of Victoria. (Credit: Rolex)
From the Metropolitan Opera in New York to the Opéra National de Paris and the Royal Opera House in London, Rolex's distinctive cultural strategy is unique to the world of luxury.
By immersing itself in Australia's art scene, Rolex is now growing its presence while securing a foothold in Australia's emerging market, which currently accounts for only a small share of the global luxury market.
Still, Rolex’s approach positions the brand in the region to lead in cultural influence within the luxury industry, potentially setting a benchmark for others to follow.
“Our vision locally is to continue to improve the quality of our brand image and our after-sales service, ultimately bringing Rolex to the next level,” Falletti finally said.