Are Rolex waiting lists about to get much shorter? Demand for the luxury timepiece has reached such crazy levels, the Swiss watchmaker just announced it will open 3 new factories to boost supply

Mar 16 , 2023

Rolex watches are in such high demand, the company has had to boost production in Switzerland. Photo: Bob’s Watches

It’s near impossible to obtain a new Rolex through the watchmaker’s authorised channels, and even the price of second-hand pieces such as the Daytona Cosmograph have gone through the roof

Now the company is preparing to open temporary facilities in Villaz-Saint-Pierre, Bulle and Romont in Switzerland to meet demand, adding up to 300 new employees

Rolex SA will create three temporary production facilities that will begin churning out luxury watches in 2025, as the world’s largest maker of high-end timepieces seeks to boost output amid unprecedented demand for its products.

Rolex has decided to accelerate Swiss production to meet the rising demand for its watches. Photo: Jomashop

Construction on the facilities in the Swiss canton of Fribourg starts later this year, Rolex said in an email. The capacity follows plans to spend 1 billion Swiss francs (US$1.1 billion) on a major new production site in Bulle, also in the canton of Fribourg, that is expected to commence operations in 2029.

At present, new watches are generally unavailable for immediate purchase through the company’s authorised network, prompting dealers, such as Watches of Switzerland Group Plc, to resort to buyer waiting lists. It’s also caused a surge in secondary market prices that has seen popular models, such as the Daytona Cosmograph, trade at values well above retail.

The highly popular Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Photo: SCMP

Rolex officials said work on a 96,900 sq ft facility in Romont, Switzerland will commence in the second half of 2023, with production expected to start in 2025. There will also be a temporary facility at the Vivier SA industrial park in Villaz-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland that will begin operating in 2024, as well as a recruitment centre in Bulle.

The plan for the production increase acceleration and temporary facilities was first reported by Fribourg newspapers La Gruyère and La Liberté.

New Rolex watches are now virtually impossible to source on the company’s authorised network. Photo: Shutterstock

Rolex said production lines will be installed gradually, and recruitment will be staggered and could reach 250 to 300 workers – most which will be new employees. The workers will be trained in Romont before being transferred to Bulle, once the site is ready.