Top executives in the watch industry — Jean-Frédéric Dufour, Georges Kern, Jean-Claude Biver, and others — have all stood before Karine Bauzin's lens. “These men and women of power are often in control,” the Swiss photographer said. “What’s interesting is when they finally let go.”
Based in Geneva, Bauzin is one of the rare few entrusted with portraying the most powerful name in horology. In a brand where every detail is curated, she was hand-picked several times by Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour for his official portrait.
A graduate of the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, an institution with a legacy dating back to 1748, Bauzin is an award-winning photojournalist who has spent more than three decades capturing the human experience, from luxury enclaves to remote landscapes. Her work, initially published in Paris Match Suisse, took her across the globe, but what fascinated her most was capturing a subject’s true character: those fleeting moments when they reveal something deeper.
Karine Bauzin, Swiss Press Photo award winner. (Credit: RTS)
For Bauzin, photography is about trust. The subject, knowing they are in capable hands, is more likely to relax, revealing expressions that might otherwise remain hidden behind self-awareness. The friend behind the camera captures subtle details — a half-smile, a flicker of thought — that make a portrait feel intimate and true.
At Rolex, she knew Dufour wouldn’t go for the stiff, formal corporate portrait often seen in executive profiles. He sought an image that felt authentic, one that reflected his character rather than just his position.
“We've always gotten along well because Jean-Frédéric is real and grounded in reality,” she told me. “He is an easy subject to photograph. He prefers the natural, avoids the excessive,” she said. Their sessions are never drawn out. Bauzin senses the moment he’s ready to move on though he’d never say so outright.
Still, she approaches the assignment with seriousness, knowing she is documenting more than a face; she is recording Rolex history. “This official portrait is significant because he represents the entire company,” she told me.
(Photo credit: Karine Bauzin/Rolex)
(Photo credit: Karine Bauzin/Rolex)
I asked Bauzin if she could describe Dufour’s office, but true to Swiss discretion, she offered very little, “Bright, let’s say. Very bright. It opens onto Geneva.” Then, after a pause, she added, “His office is so inviting, there’s really no reason to be anywhere else in the building. You just stay.”
Rolex, a brand synonymous with luxury, excellence and mystique, rarely publishes images of its senior leadership, making this assignment one of the most exclusive in the luxury world. Dufour’s official portrait will be the sole image the brand uses when referencing its CEO in all media, including The Rolex Magazine.
Bauzin and Dufour’s connection dates back nearly two decades when their children attended the same school. Their professional relationship took shape during Dufour’s tenure as CEO of Zenith, where she was commissioned for multiple shoots. Over the years, she became a sought-after photographer in the banking and watch industries, her understanding of Swiss horology mirroring Dufour’s respect for her craft.
(Photo courtesy: Karine Bauzin)
That admiration still runs strong. The Rolex CEO personally wrote the preface to one of her most recent books, a collection of portraits capturing strangers’ responses to a seemingly simple question: What time is it?
“Throughout her career, I have been able to admire and even acquire some of her works that still mean as much to me,” Dufour wrote. “I have always been drawn to her artistic talent and her nonconformist way of seeing the world.”
As she traveled for a decade, Bauzin photographed individuals engaging in the universal act of checking the time. The resulting images, exhibited at Watches and Wonders in Geneva and Shanghai, capture a ritual that continues to evolve in the digital age. “In London, people instinctively check their iPhones. In Mongolia, they look to the sun,” she said.
(Photo courtesy: Karine Bauzin)
(Photo courtesy: Karine Bauzin)
(Photo courtesy: Karine Bauzin)
When Dufour first heard about the project, he didn’t hesitate to support it, convinced it would be both powerful and unique. “Karine's work is primarily focused on the human, not the object, which makes it universal,” he wrote in the preface. “Through these images, we see how a simple gesture can be a link between cultures.”
Bauzin, too, has her own way of checking time. Her favorite Rolex, an Oyster Perpetual 36mm with a green dial, was a birthday gift to herself, chosen for its simplicity, versatility and perfect size.
“Every time Jean-Frédéric sees it on my wrist, he says, ‘That one looks really good on you.’ It’s something he always notices,” she said. Her three-hand watch is unpretentious, honest, timeless — much like a good portrait.
Just as a Rolex is designed to be more than an accessory, her portraits are more than photographs. They are history in the making. And in the world of Swiss horology, where every detail is deliberate, there’s no higher mark of trust than being chosen to frame the face of Rolex.