Watches

Rolex Names New Group President

WatchesNov 16, 2022

Rolex Names New Group President

A filing made in Switzerland shows Nicolas Brünschwig now holds the top position at one of the most popular brands in the world.

20221116_Rolex new board president header.jpg
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 with rotating bezel set with trapeze-cut diamonds and multicolored sapphires was one of the new watches Rolex introduced at Geneva earlier this year. The company that controls the popular watch brand has a new president of the board, Nicolas Brünschwig.
Geneva—The Geneva-based company that controls Rolex has named a new board president, a translated version of a filing made in Switzerland shows.

The change was announced quietly via an Aug. 29 filing with the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the official publication of the Swiss Confederation.

Nicolas Brünschwig is the new president of the board of both Rolex SA and Rolex Holding SA, as well as the company’s manufacturing arm, Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.

He succeeds Bertrand Gros.

An attorney by trade, the 72-year-old Gros resigned in July, WorldTempus reported. (The online news source also noted Brünschwig’s appointment at that time.)

Brünschwig has been a Rolex board member since 2016.

He is a member of the family that has owned and operated upscale Swiss department store chain Bongénie-Grieder for more than 130 years. (The first Bon Génie store opened in Geneva in 1891.)   

Jean-Frédéric Dufour, who was hired in 2015 under Gros’ tenure, remains the global CEO of Rolex, while Luca Bernasconi is CEO and president of Rolex Watch U.S.A.

Bernasconi took over for the retiring Stewart Wicht at the beginning of 2019.

The company did respond to request for comment on Brünschwig’s appointment. 

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