Everything
For several years now, it has been virtually impossible to acquire a Rolex timepiece. From its most simple designs in the Oyster Perpetual and Explorer to the Rolex Submariner, GMT and Daytona models, walking into a Rolex boutique and coming out with a watch on your wrist is a story seldom told in fairytales.
The demand for any coveted steel sports watch, let alone one manufactured by Rolex, has dominated the industry for years, and that very demand isn’t going away anytime soon. So, in an effort to boost output amid unprecedented demand, and thus produce (and sell) more watches for new and exisiting clientele, Rolex has announced it will build three temporary production facilities in Switzerland starting this year, which will enable a greater output of luxury watches come 2025.
In an email sent to Bloomberg, Rolex said that construction of the facilities in the canton of Fribourg will begin later this year, with timepieces set to roll out as soon as 2025. The facilities, whilst temporary, will make way for the construction of a new $1.1 billion factory in Bulle, also in the canton of Fribourg, with operations set to commence in 2029.
The email went on to say that production lines will be installed gradually, with recruitment set to reach 250 to 300 workers, the majority of which will be new employees. The workers will be trained in Romont before being transferred to Bulle, once the site is ready.
“The new production site in Bulle, just like these three temporary installations, will allow Rolex to expand its production capacity, support growth and meet ever-increasing demand,” the company said.
The news will undoubtedly spark joy among Rolex enthusiasts and general collectors alike. As it stands, a new Rolex timepiece is generally unavailable through the company’s dedicated boutiques and Authorised Dealers around the world, resulting in the prospective buyer to be placed on a wait list. As a result, those who want to buy now are promoted to do so on the secondary markets, where prices for such popular models like the Daytona Cosmograph and the GMT-Master II “Pepsi” edition can fetch prices triple its retail.
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