Rolex: The Making of a Status Symbol

A business historian’s account of how Rolex became the most valuable name in watches. Donzé — an academic historian of the Swiss watch industry — is interested in the company as a firm rather than as a legend: how a private, foundation-owned business organised production and distribution, how it priced and advertised its way into a luxury position it did not originally occupy, and how the brand’s meaning was constructed over decades rather than inherited from its founding.

Why it’s on the list: One of the 46 books @mastersinvest read in 2025 — a scholarly outside-in company history, as against the founder memoirs that make up most of the list.

Where I saw it: @mastersinvest’s “2025 Reading … so far” list, August 20, 2025. The full 46-title list is transcribed on 2025 Reading So Far… (tweet).

Connections

• 2025 Reading So Far… (tweet) — the list this came from.