Rolex

Rolex is a series of paradoxes. They sell obsolete and
objectively inferior mechanical devices for 10-1000x the price of
their superior digital successors… and demand is stronger than
ever in history! Their products are comparable to a Hermès Birkin
bag in price, luxury status and waitlist times… yet they produce
over 1m units / year (roughly 10x annual Birkin production). They
make the most universally recognized and desired Swiss watches…
yet their founder wasn’t Swiss and didn’t start the company in
Switzerland! If Rolex were publicly traded, they’d almost
certainly be among the top 50 market cap companies in the world…
yet they’re 100% owned by a charitable foundation in Geneva that
(among other things) literally just gives away money to local
people in the city.


Tune in for one of the most fascinating and admirable companies
we’ve ever covered on Acquired. We had an absolute blast making
the episode, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


This episode was released on February 23, 2025.


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Links:


The Renaissance of the Swiss Watch Industry - Marc Bridge

HODINKEE - Inside All Four Rolex Manufacturing Facilities

“If you were…” campaign

Worldly Partners’ Multi-Decade Rolex Study

Episode sources



Carve Outs:


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‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in
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