Rolex is known for its reticence and reluctance to disclose information, earning it the nickname "oyster." The company's headquarters and manufacturing sites, in particular, remain largely shrouded in mystery. Kronos Germany editor-in-chief Rüdiger Bucher, who was granted permission to visit the Swiss headquarters and manufacturing site for the first time in about 10 years, takes us inside the hidden world of this crowned watch kingdom.
Translation by Akiko Ichikawa
ROLEX Acacias [Rolex/Acacias]
The black building seems to symbolize a mysterious atmosphere, and it exudes an air of impeccability, like an oyster.
Rolex rarely allows tours of its factories, even to journalists. As with tours of other manufacturers, advance application is required to enter the workshops, and even reservations are sometimes turned down. If that's too much of a hassle, potential visitors simply wait for an invitation from Rolex. However, this rarely happens. It's been over a decade since I last visited a Rolex factory. This time, for the first time in nearly a decade, I had the opportunity to spend two days touring all four of Rolex's headquarters and factories. Four manufacturing sites is quite a large number, but I'd like to share what I saw and heard. The company roughly estimates that it produces 700,000 to 800,000 watches a year, achieving the highest level of consistent, astonishing quality. This requires space and a substantial workforce. Approximately 7000 people work in Rolex-related businesses in Switzerland and approximately 10,000 worldwide.
Before the 21st century, Rolex had its manufacturing operations spread across 20 locations across Switzerland. Movement production was handled by Rolex Bienne, but there was also a separate, interlocking company, Rolex Genève. Neither company could survive on its own, and it was all part of the past. Over the past 20 years, Rolex has not only existed as a manufacture in Bienne, but has also absorbed its former suppliers. This has resulted in a vertically integrated manufacturing process, with almost all major components now made in-house—close to 100%. The few parts not manufactured in-house include the hands, jewels and bearings, and sapphire crystal.
Of the four manufacturing sites, three are located in the canton of Geneva. One of them is in the Acacia district of Geneva. Established in 1965, it underwent extensive expansion and renovation between 2002 and 2006. Covering an area of approximately 160,000 square meters, it serves as the heart of Rolex. The 13-story headquarters building is not only striking for its height, but also for its striking green façade. The office of CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour, head of the company, is located on the top floor. This is where overall command is exercised, managing each department, communicating with various parties, and issuing instructions for sponsorship activities. This office is also the hub of the family brand, Tudor.
While the main headquarters building is painted in the brand's green color, the two buildings housing the manufacturing division have black glass exteriors, just like the buildings at the other manufacturing sites scattered across Plan-les-Ouates, Chêne-Bourg, and Bienne. The black glass buildings are well lit, but the interior is hidden from view from the outside, making it difficult to peer in curiously. Even the buildings themselves emphasize their mysteriousness, like a tightly closed oyster.
Acacia - headquarters and final assembly facility
The employees working at Rolex's headquarters call the building "Acacia." My impression after stepping inside Acacia was that everything at Rolex is incredibly large. This impression was also conveyed whenever I toured other manufacturing facilities. At Acacia, manufacturing is divided into two buildings, and both buildings appear to be huge from the outside. From the outside, the building appears to be seven stories high, but it has four basement floors, making it actually 11 stories tall.
At Acacia, all the parts from the other locations are brought together and the final assembly takes place: the movement is cased, the dial and hands are set, and the watch is finally certified as a Rolex Superlative Chronometer. The final step in the manufacturing process is the attachment of the strap or bracelet, and the watch is finally ready for shipment.
While I've outlined the workflow here briefly, the actual process involves many more detailed steps, especially the constant testing and inspection. It's important to note that Rolex's approach sets it apart from other manufacturers that produce thousands or even tens of thousands of watches per year. It's not just about ensuring consistent quality across hundreds of thousands of watches, but also about achieving the highest possible level of quality. However, the definition of "best" is always a question. What's considered best today may not be the same tomorrow. This is a sentiment I heard many times during my two-day visit, and it's ingrained in every employee. Quality comes first—quality, quality, quality. This begins with the purchase of machine tools, extends to the assembly of in-house tooling, and the repeated testing. I have heard that manufacturers conduct random inspections, but in the case of Rolex, I was surprised to learn that 100% of watches are truly inspected, with checks being carried out at each stage in many manufacturing departments, including the movement, bracelet, strap, and dial.
The final assembly workshop spans two floors. Between 150 and 200 watchmakers work here, creating a tense atmosphere. The workshop is ventilated several times a day, dust is vented outside, and temperature and humidity are kept constant. The makeup of the people who work here is interesting: they are grouped into autonomous teams of around 12 to 14 people, with a team leader setting the number of weeks they work per year. Watchmakers and other employees don't necessarily have to work the exact same number of weeks year after year, and a change in work style is welcomed.
The completed movement, now awaiting casing, is not delivered directly from the Bienne factory but via COSC. All Rolex movements are chronometer-certified by COSC, the independent Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute. As is customary, each movement is inspected bare, without dial or hands. Once certified, it is delivered to Acacia, regardless of production lot, for the final product. At this stage, the dial, completed in-house, is attached and the hands, delivered by longtime partners Fiedler and Eguila, are set. Rolex values long-standing relationships with its suppliers, believing that trust and reliability play a key role in maintaining consistent quality. This same emphasis on relationships appears to extend to its employees, with many employees staying with Rolex for decades or even decades.
Once the dials and hands are attached to the movements, they are sorted by model and securely cased. All movements and cases are engraved with a serial number, and during data entry a variable generator determines which movement number pairs with which case number, and records this in a database. This not only makes it possible to distinguish counterfeits, but also, above all, prevents the incorrect combination of movement and case from being released into production, even if they are genuine company parts.
In 2015, Rolex introduced its own internal standard, the "Rolex Superlative Chronometer," as a mark of quality for its products. All Rolex products must meet this standard, which far exceeds COSC standards. While the Official Swiss Chronometer standard requires a 24-hour rate within +4 to -6 seconds, Rolex's internal standard requires a rate within +2 to -2 seconds. Watches are tested in six positions (COSC requires five) and simulated wearing conditions. Additionally, they are tested for airtightness, water resistance, winding, and power reserve. All of these tests are performed on the completed watch, though without the bracelet or strap.
It takes 33 hours for a single watch to complete a series of tests in-house, and the measuring equipment used during the tests is fully automated and operates 168 hours a week.
