Rolex: how the queen of the watch industry keeps its secrets The Rolex production site in Biel. KEYSTONE How did Rolex conquer the world? It was all primarily down to skilful marketing, says a new book. The author, Swiss historian Pierre-Yves Donzé, says his task of charting this success story was not made any easier by the company’s traditionally tight-lipped policy on its own inner workings. 10 minutes In 1977, in the middle of a crisis in the watchmaking industry, Rolex bought a building in downtown New York for $15 million (CHF13.7 million). As competitors like Longines and Omega struggled,...