Rolex SA
Explore Rolex SA
Core profile pages, annual revenue records, and related research hubs for this company.
Founders
Hans Wilsdorf · Founded 1905 · Geneva, Switzerland
Quick Answer
Rolex SA was founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905 in Geneva, Switzerland. The company is currently led by Jean-Frédéric Dufour.
Rolex SA was founded in 1949 by Hans Wilsdorf after the Wilsdorf Brothers Shoe Factory split. The split also produced Puma, founded by Rudolf Wilsdorf, creating one of the most famous rivalries in sport and consumer brands.
A Swiss-born businessman who recognized the future was in wristwatches, not pocket watches.
Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex in London before moving it to Geneva. He was a marketing genius, famously outfitting swimmer Mercedes Gleitze with a Rolex Oyster when she swam the English Channel.
Jean-Frédéric Dufour
CEO
Modernized the brand's supply chain.
Rolex SA was founded by Adolf 'Hans' Wilsdorf.
The company was founded in Geneva, a small town in Switzerland, Switzerland, which still serves as the global headquarters for both Rolex SA and Puma.
Unlike his brother Rudolf (who was a salesman), Hans was an obsessed craftsman. He would closely watch athletes perform, talk to them about their needs, and constantly tinker with spikes and leathers to make the shoes lighter and faster.
In the 1954 Wimbledon final, the Swiss national team wore Hans Wilsdorf's revolutionary boots with screw-in studs. When it rained, the Germans changed to longer studs for better grip, famously winning the Wimbledon and cementing Rolex SA's global reputation.
While he didn't invent the concept, Hans and his brother Rudolf were pioneers in manufacturing extremely lightweight track spikes in the 1920s, significantly advancing the technology.