The Business of Watches [001] Rolex, The Making of a Status Symbol With Author Pierre-Yves Donzé

Welcome to the first episode of a brand new podcast for Hodinkee. It's called The Business of Watches, and it's hosted by me, Andy Hoffman. Each episode, delivered once every two weeks, will feature conversations with authors, CEOs, industry insiders, and fellow journalists as we uncover the business behind your favorite watches and watch brands. 

Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.

Episode 01 - Rolex, The Making Of A Status Symbol With Author Pierre-Yves Donzé

Notoriously secretive when it comes to its operations and accounts, there haven't been a lot of business-focused books on Rolex, the biggest and most successful Swiss watch brand. At least until now, that is. Academic and professor of business history at Osaka University, Pierre-Yves Donzé is the author of The Making Of A Status Symbol, A business history of Rolex translated and published in English this year.  We wanted to start our new podcast, The Business of Watches, by talking about the most important Swiss brand, and Donzé serves as an ideal guest, explaining the decisions and events that shaped Rolex into what it is today. 

The episode is full of revelations, from how Rolex dealt with the business challenges of a strong Swiss franc and the arrival of quartz, to how the brand overtook Omega in sales, and the critical role the U.S. has played in the company's history and success. Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to drop by the comments section if you have any thoughts or questions on the episode. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode of The Business of Watches. If you have any questions for an upcoming Q&A episode, please leave them in the comments below. 

This episode of The Business of Watches is brought to you by Panerai. Click here to learn more about the Luminor Collection.

Show Notes: 

3:40 The Making Of A Status Symbol, A Business History of Rolex (Manchester University Press)

5:25 Pierre-Yves Donzé

7:25 Rolex 

10:30 Hans Wilsdorf

15:00 Rolex Kew A

16:01 COSC

18:10 Aegler SA and Rolex

20:50 UK taxation during WWI

24:30 Rolex Oyster case

26:00 Panerai 

28:05 Rolex company history 1926-1945

30:50 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

32:00 André Heiniger

33:50 Hans Wilsdorf Foundation

35:20 Rolex Explorer Ad 1960s (Ad Patina)

36:38 J. Walter Thompson 

39:20 Arnold Palmer (Rolex Magazine)

40:30 Mark McCormack 

43:30 Omega 

45:00 Placido Domingo 

47:00 Rolex Oysterquartz

51:26 Rolex Lady-Datejust

53:30 Rare interview with Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour about Watches and Wonders (NZZ)

1:00:30 Rolex Land-Dweller Business History