ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Solar · 1 May 2007, 10:18 PM

Another thread....

I was reading the latest copy of Watch Times, there was mention of an article from August 2006, of a tour of the Rolex factory.

Did anyone read that article, and if so, any main points stand out abouit the Rolex factory? I was under the impression that tours and public access to the Rolex factory are about as common as tours of the inner sanctum of the Pentagon..........

Cheers,

Chris

Lol-x · 1 May 2007, 11:00 PM

I got that magazine, in fact it was the first watch magazine I had ever purchased in my life

Anyway, some of the interesting things:
1. 50 US retailers got the tour, it is not open to the public.
2. The Rolex building at Plan-les-Ouates is the size of 5 football fields. The building is 11 storeys high with 5 underground. The roof is covered by gardens where the 1,500 employees can relax.
3. Four kilometers of rails track through the building from which parts are delivered from storage to workbench. Average time from mouse click ordering of a part to delivery to the workbench is 8 minutes.
4. Rolex is the biggest user of gold in Switzerland.
5. The watch cases are polished by machines, which after the robot is finished is passed to human hands and eyes for only they can detect tiny imperfections that might remain on the case's surface.
6. In the laboratory there are 20+ PhD's employed who work on quality control, r&d and trouble-shooting.
7. Most of the assembly is done by hand, and mostly by women who at workbenches exercise great digital dexterity with a micro-surgeon like precision. The hands (all Rolex hands are gold) are lifted by a air suction pump, so they will not get scratched and positioned on the dial.
8. Lots of tests occur, before the watch is packaged.

Jocke · 1 May 2007, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solar

Another thread....

I was reading the latest copy of Watch Times, there was mention of an article from August 2006, of a tour of the Rolex factory.

Did anyone read that article, and if so, any main points stand out abouit the Rolex factory? I was under the impression that tours and public access to the Rolex factory are about as common as tours of the inner sanctum of the Pentagon..........

Cheers,

Chris

Chris if you are real nice so will I take you with me inside the house.

So just fasten your seatbelt.

Here you have some pics from the inside of
The Magic Rolex House in Biel.

Photo credit to: Mr X.

Go to next post>>>>>>>>>

Jocke · 1 May 2007, 11:51 PM

And the last ones.

I hope you enjoy the tour.

Jocke

Alcan · 2 May 2007, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jocke

Here you have some pics from the inside of
The Magic Rolex House in Biel.

FANTASTIC pix, Jocke!!! Thanks for posting them

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jocke

Photo credit to: Mr X.

So, this Mr. X guy, is he a friend of somebody here from Sweden?

watchnut · 2 May 2007, 12:57 AM

I have a feeling that Mr.X is in a witness protection program somewhere!

Jocke · 2 May 2007, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alcan

FANTASTIC pix, Jocke!!! Thanks for posting them

So, this Mr. X guy, is he a friend of somebody here from Sweden?

If I tell you i have to.....never mind.

Jocke

OysterDavid · 2 May 2007, 01:19 AM

What, Jocke? No pictures of the WC's or the lunchroom or the area that makes those Rolex Chocolate boxes you showed us??!!!

Is their toilet paper embossed with the Rolex Crown?

Solar · 2 May 2007, 01:45 AM

Nice work Jocke, thanks very much for the insight. Thanks too to Lol-X for the summary, very informative indeed.

I figure from what I've read here and there that fabrication and initial finishing must be robotical, with a heavy human input towards the final stages.

Some of the reasons I'm so sold on the Rolex brand are:

1. Company with a long and established history of adventure performance. The Rolex I'm buying not only looks beautiful, but has decades of proven field use behind it. Not another Johnny-come-lately with a base movement and wild dial design pretending to be the new diving/dress/adventure [pick your category here] Swiss made watch. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I appreciate the uniqueness and character that I feel comes from a single source producer with a long history of excellence.

2. Complete control of production from start to finish. Not a product of outsourcing (dial from this one, movement from that one, crystals from this one....).

3. Scuffed up beaten Rolex can be refinished to look like new.

Just my opinion, others may vary.

C

Lane from s.c. · 2 May 2007, 02:38 AM

Great tour!! Thanks, I read somewhere, (not sure if its true) that rolex donates all profit to charity. It might be in my oct. 1998 cigar afic. mag. that had a big write up about rolex.

Regards,
Lane

mlb · 2 May 2007, 02:57 AM

Great tour, Jocke!

JJ Irani · 2 May 2007, 04:08 AM

Great pictorial tour, Jocke.

Can a person who doesn't wear a Rolex, gain entry into that facility?

ashu2289 · 2 May 2007, 04:35 AM

Gr8 pics Jock and very cool n interesting facts. You guys are fabulous. Keep it up.

Jocke · 2 May 2007, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Great pictorial tour, Jocke.

Can a person who doesn't wear a Rolex, gain entry into that facility?

Yes one of the workers have sin.

Or he didn´t get any discount on a Rolex.

Jocke

JJ Irani · 2 May 2007, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jocke

Yes one of the workers have sin.

Or he didn´t get any discount on a Rolex.

Jocke

You have a great sense of humour, Jocke!!

President · 2 May 2007, 06:32 AM

Where's the JJ shrine?

mikey · 2 May 2007, 11:41 AM

Very cool

Tombstone · 2 May 2007, 03:15 PM

Thanks for the eye candy.

Flyjet601 · 2 May 2007, 06:01 PM

Very interesting...great pictures. Thanks

Jinder · 19 August 2011, 08:45 AM

That was very interesting. Thank you

pyxis · 20 August 2011, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lol-x

I got that magazine, in fact it was the first watch magazine I had ever purchased in my life

Anyway, some of the interesting things:
1. 50 US retailers got the tour, it is not open to the public.
2. The Rolex building at Plan-les-Ouates is the size of 5 football fields. The building is 11 storeys high with 5 underground. The roof is covered by gardens where the 1,500 employees can relax.
3. Four kilometers of rails track through the building from which parts are delivered from storage to workbench. Average time from mouse click ordering of a part to delivery to the workbench is 8 minutes.
4. Rolex is the biggest user of gold in Switzerland.
5. The watch cases are polished by machines, which after the robot is finished is passed to human hands and eyes for only they can detect tiny imperfections that might remain on the case's surface.
6. In the laboratory there are 20+ PhD's employed who work on quality control, r&d and trouble-shooting.
7. Most of the assembly is done by hand, and mostly by women who at workbenches exercise great digital dexterity with a micro-surgeon like precision. The hands (all Rolex hands are gold) are lifted by a air suction pump, so they will not get scratched and positioned on the dial.
8. Lots of tests occur, before the watch is packaged.

This is an old thread, but worth revisiting. As stated, "Most assembly is done by hand...". So not on automated assembly line as some implied in another recent thread.

desmo996 · 20 August 2011, 04:56 AM

I wonder if the Rolex employees get a free Rolex for company esprit de corps/marketing purposes or maybe a big discount if they choose to buy one?

1 May 2007, 10:18 PM	#1
Solar "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North America Watch: their hands, baby. Posts: 1,116	Rolex factory tour article Another thread.... I was reading the latest copy of Watch Times, there was mention of an article from August 2006, of a tour of the Rolex factory. Did anyone read that article, and if so, any main points stand out abouit the Rolex factory? I was under the impression that tours and public access to the Rolex factory are about as common as tours of the inner sanctum of the Pentagon.......... Cheers, Chris

2 May 2007, 04:08 AM	#12
JJ Irani Fondly Remembered Join Date: May 2005 Real Name: JJ Location: Auckland, NZ Watch: ALL SOLD!! Posts: 74,319	Great pictorial tour, Jocke. Can a person who doesn't wear a Rolex, gain entry into that facility? __________________ Words fail me in expressing my utmost thanks to ALL of you for this wonderful support during my hour of need!! I firmly believe that my time on planet earth is NOT yet up!! I shall fight this to the very end.......and WIN!!

2 May 2007, 04:35 AM	#13
ashu2289 "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Real Name: Ashutosh Location: Rochester NY Watch: Daytonas,SD Posts: 2,342	Gr8 pics Jock and very cool n interesting facts. You guys are fabulous. Keep it up. __________________ Everything becomes nothing after ROLEX 116520 SS Daytona White Dial 116520 SS Daytona Black Dial 116523 18K&SS Daytona Slate Dial 16600 Sea-Dweller 16710 GMT Master II Pepsi Bezel 16613 18K&SS Submariner Blue Dial 116660 Deepsea Sea-Dweller

1 May 2007, 11:00 PM	#2
Lol-x Facilitator Join Date: Nov 2005 Real Name: Steve Location: Omnipresent Posts: 33,588	I got that magazine, in fact it was the first watch magazine I had ever purchased in my life Anyway, some of the interesting things: 1. 50 US retailers got the tour, it is not open to the public. 2. The Rolex building at Plan-les-Ouates is the size of 5 football fields. The building is 11 storeys high with 5 underground. The roof is covered by gardens where the 1,500 employees can relax. 3. Four kilometers of rails track through the building from which parts are delivered from storage to workbench. Average time from mouse click ordering of a part to delivery to the workbench is 8 minutes. 4. Rolex is the biggest user of gold in Switzerland. 5. The watch cases are polished by machines, which after the robot is finished is passed to human hands and eyes for only they can detect tiny imperfections that might remain on the case's surface. 6. In the laboratory there are 20+ PhD's employed who work on quality control, r&d and trouble-shooting. 7. Most of the assembly is done by hand, and mostly by women who at workbenches exercise great digital dexterity with a micro-surgeon like precision. The hands (all Rolex hands are gold) are lifted by a air suction pump, so they will not get scratched and positioned on the dial. 8. Lots of tests occur, before the watch is packaged.

1 May 2007, 11:51 PM	#4
Jocke 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Real Name: Jocke Location: Sweden Watch: A dozen of Rolex's Posts: 22,541	And the last ones. I hope you enjoy the tour. Jocke

2 May 2007, 12:57 AM	#6
watchnut "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Real Name: David Location: SW Fla Watch: SS Daytona & TT DJ Posts: 1,430	I have a feeling that Mr.X is in a witness protection program somewhere!

2 May 2007, 01:19 AM	#8
OysterDavid Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: S F Bay Area Posts: 621	What, Jocke? No pictures of the WC's or the lunchroom or the area that makes those Rolex Chocolate boxes you showed us??!!! Is their toilet paper embossed with the Rolex Crown?

2 May 2007, 01:45 AM	#9
Solar "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North America Watch: their hands, baby. Posts: 1,116	Nice work Jocke, thanks very much for the insight. Thanks too to Lol-X for the summary, very informative indeed. I figure from what I've read here and there that fabrication and initial finishing must be robotical, with a heavy human input towards the final stages. Some of the reasons I'm so sold on the Rolex brand are: 1. Company with a long and established history of adventure performance. The Rolex I'm buying not only looks beautiful, but has decades of proven field use behind it. Not another Johnny-come-lately with a base movement and wild dial design pretending to be the new diving/dress/adventure [pick your category here] Swiss made watch. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I appreciate the uniqueness and character that I feel comes from a single source producer with a long history of excellence. 2. Complete control of production from start to finish. Not a product of outsourcing (dial from this one, movement from that one, crystals from this one....). 3. Scuffed up beaten Rolex can be refinished to look like new. Just my opinion, others may vary. C

2 May 2007, 02:38 AM	#10
Lane from s.c. Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Real Name: Lane H. Location: fort mill, s.c. Watch: gmt, new in 1985 Posts: 190	Great tour!! Thanks, I read somewhere, (not sure if its true) that rolex donates all profit to charity. It might be in my oct. 1998 cigar afic. mag. that had a big write up about rolex. Regards, Lane

2 May 2007, 02:57 AM	#11
mlb Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Real Name: Mike Location: Chicago, Illinois Watch: DJ Posts: 753	Great tour, Jocke!

2 May 2007, 06:32 AM	#16
President Banned Join Date: Dec 2006 Real Name: M.Thatcher MP Location: Le Locle Watch: Bear Grylls Posts: 2,913	Where's the JJ shrine?

2 May 2007, 11:41 AM	#17
mikey "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: USA Watch: Oysterdate 6694 Posts: 2,713	Very cool

2 May 2007, 03:15 PM	#18
Tombstone "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Real Name: Richard Location: LV, NV Watch: LV Sub and others Posts: 2,689	Thanks for the eye candy.

2 May 2007, 06:01 PM	#19
Flyjet601 "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hong Kong Watch: All of them Posts: 2,789	Very interesting...great pictures. Thanks

19 August 2011, 08:45 AM	#20
Jinder Banned Join Date: Sep 2010 Real Name: Jinder Location: Ontario Watch: 116713 Posts: 601	That was very interesting. Thank you

20 August 2011, 04:56 AM	#22
desmo996 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: United States Watch: 116618LN Posts: 144	I wonder if the Rolex employees get a free Rolex for company esprit de corps/marketing purposes or maybe a big discount if they choose to buy one?

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