According to the www.watchpro.comRolex is reportedly planning to expand production. The company has reportedly purchased 100,000 square metres of land in Bulle, in western Switzerland, in order to build a facility that will employ up to 2,000 people.
Rolex Headquarters in Geneva.As WatchPro reports, Rolex currently employs around 30,000 people, according to industry sources. The company has not confirmed the news of the Bulle development, which was leaked by state broadcaster RTS, but Olivier Curty, President of the State Council of Fribourg, the Swiss canton that will host the new facility, is optimistic that all administrative hurdles can be resolved to ensure the development goes ahead. He described the Rolex plan as a "project of rare magnitude". He added: 'This major investment will create a lot of jobs. The project is on the right track and the Fribourg authorities will do everything to ensure its success'.
The Rolex factory in Plan-les-Ouates.RTS says the new facility could be completed by 2029. Rolex currently has four main facilities in Switzerland: the administrative headquarters and assembly operations in Geneva; a factory in Plan-les-Ouates that produces cases and bracelets; Chêne-Bourg, which is responsible for dials, settings and cerachrom bezels; and Bienne, which is the beating heart of the movement manufacturing operation.
The Rolex plant in Chêne-Bourg.There is no information on what Rolex intends to do with its Bulle facility, but any additional capacity that leads to a greater supply of finished watches will be a welcome relief for authorised dealers and their customers, who have seen demand outstrip supply by a wide margin for the past two years.
The Rolex factory in Biel.
