Rolex SA

Introduction
1. Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, 1905,
Rolex base of operations in Geneva, Switzerland in 1919.

2. Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand, producing about 2,000
watches per day, with estimated 2013 revenues of US$ 7.4 billion.

3. Also, Rolex is the most reputable company that exclusively produces a

consumer product.

4. It employs over 2800 employee.

Innovation
• The first waterproof wristwatch “Oyster”, 1926.

• The first wristwatch with an automatically changing date on the dial (Rolex
Datejust, 1945)

• The first wristwatch case waterproof to 100m (330ft) (Rolex Oyster

perpetual Submariner, 1953)

• The first wristwatch to show two times zones at once ( Rolex GMT Master ,
1954)

• The first wristwatch with an automatically changing day and date on the dial
( Rolex Day- Date, 1956)

• The first watchmaker to earn chronometer certification to wristwatch.

History
1900-1920
• 1905 - Hans Wilsdorf & Alfred Davies form Wilsdorf & Davis in order to
create wrist watches.

• 1908 - Wildorf needed a name for his soon to be created masterpiece and
chose Rolex, a word whose origins are hotly disputed.

• 1910 - Rolex obtains the first official chronometer certification ever awarded
to a wristwatch.

• 1914 - London's Kew Observatory awards the Rolex wristwatch a

"Chronometer" rating.

• 1920 - Montres Rolex S.A. (later to be shortened to Rolex S.A.) is

established in Bienne.
1920-1940
• 1926 - Rolex develops and patents the first airtight, dustproof and
waterproof watch - named the Oyster.

• 1927 - The Rolex Oyster crosses 26 miles of the English Channel - working

perfectly after the swim by Mercedes Gleitze.

• 1931 - Re-birth of the Perpetual (automatic) watch, a self-winding

mechanism first invented by Abraham-Louis Perrelet.

1940-1960
• 1945 - The Rolex Oyster Datejust goes on sale. Automatically sets the
correct date for each month (perpetual month).

• 1953 - The Rolex Submariner goes on sale.

• 1954 - The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady date goes on sale.

• 1955 - The Rolex Oyster GMT Master is released, reads time in any two
time zones.

• 1956 - The Rolex Oyster Day-Date goes on sale.

• 1960 - A bathyscaphe (a free-diving deep-sea vessel) carries a Rolex watch

35,000 feet into the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.

1960-1980
• 1967 - The Rolex Oyster Sea-Dweller is released - waterproof to a depth of
611 m / 2000 ft

• 1967- The Submariner (ref: 1680) is released with a date version called
the Rolex Submariner Date. It is now commonly referred to as the "Red
writing."

• 1971 - The Rolex Oyster Explorer II is released. It becomes known as the

"Orange Hand" or "Steve McQueen."

• 1978 - The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller is tested waterproof

to a depth of 1222 m / 4000 ft.
1980-2000
• 1988 - The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is fitted with a perpetual rotor. It
becomes known as the "Zenith" and several collectible versions
inadvertently emerge such as the A-series with solid end link.

• 1992 - The Professional range of Rolex watch gains another superb

wristwatch - the Rolex Yacht-Master.

• 2000 - Rolex begins to produce the Rolex Daytona with a Rolex movement.

The model becomes known as the 116520.

2000-today
• 2004 - The Rolex Submariner celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Rolex
celebrates with a special commemorative model - the Green Bezel 16610 LV
with "maxi-dial."

• 2007 - The Rolex Milgauss is re-launched with patented anti-magnetic

mechanism to much aplomb with 3 different models. The Green crystal
116400GV instantly becomes a collectors Classic.

• 2008 - The Rolex Deepsea is introduced as a world first. It enjoys a massive

depth rating and it is a technical masterpiece. The jury however, remains out
on this watch.
Rolex watch images
Target market of Rolex
All customer segments usually seek strong and reliable communications that are
easy to use. However, feature preferences vary in between the segments. Some
people want better service in good price whereas some want more service no
matter what it costs. Some want the service at reasonable price. People want to
achieve a good reputation with his/her belonged products. People want to keep in
touch with friends and families with a new vision of life. Travelers have a strong
need for a universal timing portal that will take care of all his services and save
his/her time.

Target Markets:
18+ and above
Young aged people
Matured age groups
Aristocrats
Professionals
Business people
Travelers
Positioning:
Rolex has positioned itself as an aristocrat brand without any compromise in the
quality of the services and sustaining its growth by generating substantial profits.
They believe their competitive advantage is good quality with extraordinary look.

Rolex has been successful to position itself in almost every part of world with its
excellent channel of distribution. And for creating sales and enquiry, it has
introduced various exciting and beautiful advertisements and sales promotional
activities.

Mission, Vision & Business Plan of ROLEX:

Mission:
To manufacture, distribute and service high quality wrist watches.

Vision:
To continue the long tradition of excellence that the Rolex name represents.

Plan:
-Educate the younger market on the value of wrist watches.

-Create social media strategy that will encourage users to interact with the brand as
well as extend the message to a larger audience.

-Promote the purchase of wrist watches as a “reward” for key success in a young
man’s life.
SWAT Analysis of Rolex

SWOT Analysis of Rolex:

Strength
Brand awareness involves the ability of consumers to remember to the brand name
or recognition brand. In the purchase decision, it can play a vital role because
people usually like to buy familiar brands. Brand awareness has been calculated by
a variety of brands and is available at Annex lV: Brand Awareness. This result
shows that Rolex has 97% for awareness. The Rolex brand value is quite high and
the name is known around the world.
Weakness
The strategy has been defined so well but it is hard for the company to change its
strategy even how innovative the strategy are. The weakness is that could remain
some segments that hard to be achieved on the market. For instance, if the fashion
goes to GPS watches, Rolex is hard to changes the strategy because

Even they try to change their product to GPS watches, people assume that Rolex to
be classic watches. In this case, Rolex would be hard to get a market share of” GPS
watches”

Opportunity
Rolex brand name is very valuable. It seems that I can be diversified in related
fields. Rolex should take the opportunity to open jewelry line over the world.
Rolex has the ability to produce jewelry with its technical.

Threats
The threat of Rolex is youth does not recognize the name of Rolex. Normally, the
most mid age people recognize the name of Rolex because most of the segments
were set only for mid age people or middle upper social people.
 Rolex Brand elements

Rolex can be categorized under Meaningful, Transferable and Protectable brand

elements. The reason for such classification is elaborated below:

1. Meaningful: The name Rolex itself suggest a sense of trust, dedication

sincerity: a brand that you can rely on. The entire phrase Rolex gives an
appropriate identity on what the customers are expected to relate their
services.

2. Transferable: Due to the use of the word Rolex, which itself is a vast term,
the company has ample opportunities to explore this sector and launch new
models of wrist watch. In fact, Rolex is already in practice of this strategy,
officering several products under its umbrella.

3. Protectable: The Rolex is a private company trade mark and has patented
its brand. Therefore the brand and its elements such as logo and other
significant to the brand are protectable.
Mental map of Rolex
 Rolex slogan

Watch category hierarchy

WATCH

Touch
Analog Digital Hybrid Dress
screen

Rolex Casio Withings Omega Samsung

Points of parity
• Wristwatch manufactures

• Exclusive distribution channels- Rolex, Armani and Omega sell their

products through selective distribution channels which appeal to consumers
of the high –end market who wish to differentiate themselves from the
masses by using branded products.

Point of difference
• At Rolex, men and women who service and produce these machines are
considered artists, who blend both science and design to create these master
pieces of art.

• The work shops where the watchmakers work are very much organized.
Managers say that the person is expected to work in a library like
atmosphere.

Brand Resonance Pyramid