Where are Rolex watches manufactured?
It is an unspoken law that Rolex plays at the very top in the royal class of luxury watch brands. From the materials to the workmanship to the movements, Rolex comes as close to perfection as it can get.
But have you ever asked yourself how exactly the excellent timepieces from Geneva are made in the first place? Where are they produced And what is so special about the manufacture?
Rolex production is unique in that it is characterized by being located exclusively in Switzerland. The luxury watchmaker has so far four different sites in Acacias, Plan-Ies-Ouates, Chêne-Bourg and in Biel. A fifth location in Bulle in the canton of Fribourg is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2029.
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How Rolex watches are produced
The special thing about Rolex is that the watch brand designs, manufactures, assembles and thoroughly tests its pieces in Switzerland. About 9,000 employees are employed at Rolex, working with excellent know-how at currently four locations in Switzerland.
The different locations
Acacias
The main headquarters of Rolex is located in Acacias, Geneva. Here the timepieces are developed and assembled.
Acacias is also the meeting point for management, administration, sales and communications, as well as the sponsorship and philanthropic programs department, the export department and global customer service.
Last year, the Acacias site was expanded. Now, it also houses all design, development and research departments.
In addition, this site also has two important production units. It is here that the various components manufactured at other sites are assembled and put together. Finally, numerous tests also take place at this site until a wristwatch finally receives certification as a superlative chronometer.
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Plan-Ies-Ouates
This site has been in existence since 2005, and it is in Plan-Ies-Ouates that the equipment for the watches is manufactured.
The raw materials and the gold alloy are produced and processed here. Everything that has to do with the equipment of the watch is done in Plan-Ies-Ouates.
For example, the raw materials are cast into the desired shape.
Rolex is the largest gold manufacturer in Switzerland, producing about 13 tons per year.
Plan-Ies-Ouates is, if you will, the Rolex forge.
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Chêne-Bourg
The Chêne-Bourg location, on the other hand, specializes exclusively in the dials and in the ceramic bezels and the ceramic number discs. In addition, the center for gem setting and gemology is located there.
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Biel
The most recent location so far is located in Biel in the canton of Bern. This location specializes in the movements. Because these are made exclusively there.
A wide variety of calibers are manufactured, assembled and tested in Biel. Everything is done with great care, by hand and with extreme precision. The site in Biel was even expanded in 2022.
Future fifth site
In order to live up to the great hype surrounding Rolex and to reduce Rolex's long waiting lists, construction is currently underway on a fifth location in Bulle in the canton of Fribourg. But more about that later.
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All homemade - the extra class of Rolex
This concept that all components of a wristwatch are designed, produced and assembled in-house at nearby locations is so unique and distinguishes the Rolex brand.
Rolex thus has absolute decision-making power and freedom in the design of their wristwatches, since they practically manufacture everything themselves. And except for the materials for the watch, they are also quite independent of suppliers, which means that the company is not as severely affected by supply shortages from, for example, other countries.
Many other companies import various components of a watch cheaply from abroad. As a result, the watches are offered cheaper overall, but then make losses in quality or there are delivery bottlenecks. This is to be weighted particularly strongly, since Rolex has extremely high quality standards both with the mechanical movements and with the finish of the components.
It must also be remembered that Switzerland is a small country, where large, wide, buildable areas for companies are rare. It would probably be almost impossible for a company of Rolex's size to find such a large site where all divisions would have sufficient space. So the division of the sites makes perfect sense.
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Furthermore, the various locations are close to each other. No long distances have to be covered. The factories are therefore well networked, so there is nothing standing in the way of optimal production of a wristwatch.
At the same time, the internal production in Switzerland gives the watches an additional unique charm of excellence, because Switzerland is known all over the world for its outstanding products.
The handling of the various Rolex locations is once again a symbol of the excellence of the luxury watch brand. Because the division of locations is thoughtful and well-considered, which results in a guaranteed optimal final product.
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New production facility worth billions is planned
With the hype around Rolex, the grey market prices for Rolex watches have skyrocketed in recent years. This is excellent for those who see Rolex watches as an investment, but it is a thorn in the side of the luxury watch manufacturer from Geneva. Rolex currently produces an estimated one million watches per year. However, this supply is far from enough to satisfy the huge demand. As a result, Rolex watches are sometimes traded on the secondary market for several times the list price. Particularly sought-after models such as the Day-date are excellent as an investment.
Rolex wants to put an end to this by increasing the production capacity of the watch brand. In this sense, the company is currently building a new production facility on an area of about 15 football fields in Bulle in the canton of Fribourg.
Rolex has already acquired the land for 31.4 million Swiss francs, but plans to invest a total of around one billion Swiss francs in the facility.
This site will then provide space for 2000 new employees and release completely new energies in terms of production capacity. Rolex plans to put the site into operation in 2029.
Once the production facility in Bulle is up and running, there will be many more watches to buy at list price.
Doch bei der Marke Rolex kann man sich wie bei keiner anderen sicher sein, dass die erhöhte Produktion keineswegs Abstriche in Sachen Qualität mit sich bringen wird. Denn auch eine größere Produktion wird qualitativ an den größten Maßstäben gemessen werden.
Until that happens, it's a case of wait and see. It looks like the gray market prices will continue to move in utopian scopes.
Scource cover image: Rolex
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Q&A
Where are the Rolex sites located?
They are located in Acacias, Plan-Ies-Ouates, Chêne-Bourg and in Biel. In addition, a new site is currently being built in Bulle, in the canton of Fribourg.
Where is Rolex's corporate headquarters?
The headquarters are located in Acacias, which is also home to many other departments, such as development and research, as well as administrative departments.
Does Rolex manufacture exclusively in Switzerland?
Everything about a Rolex, is developed, built and tested in Switzerland.
How much will the new Rolex factory in Bulle cost?
Rolex is said to have purchased the land for 31.4 million Swiss francs. However, it is planned to invest approximately one billion in the new plant.
About the author
Alexander Weinberger
For me, the most fascinating thing about watches is the interplay between precise craftsmanship and artistic development. In a watch movement, hundreds of small parts have to be put together precisely so that they form a large whole.
