Rolex Breaks Its Silence After Trump’s U.S. Open Joke

 

Rolex usually keeps things quiet. The brand doesn’t often appear in scandalous headlines or make statements about politics—it's more known for spotless boutiques and iconic designs than for controversy. But recently, things got a little noisy when Donald Trump made a joke that pulled Rolex straight into the spotlight.

Source: Theguardian

The Joke and the Tariff

The former U.S. president was at the U.S. Open and casually joked that the only reason he got an invite was because of the 39% tariff the U.S. slapped on Swiss watches. To put it simply, Switzerland’s luxury watch exports are being taxed heavily when they enter the U.S., and Trump decided to spin that into a punchline.

Tariffs on watches are a big deal in the industry. For years, brands have been navigating complicated trade rules and trying to balance rising costs with customer expectations. A Rolex Submariner isn’t cheap to begin with, but when you tack on almost 40% in tariffs, the price on the other side of the Atlantic jumps even higher. So Trump wasn’t exactly wrong to point it out—it just sounded more like a joke than serious policy talk.

Source: Farfetch

Rolex CEO Speaks Out

That’s where Jean-Frédéric Dufour, CEO of Rolex, stepped in. And that’s unusual. Dufour isn’t the type of CEO you often see on front pages or giving fiery speeches. He’s more of a behind-the-scenes leader, but this time, he decided to speak up and defend the watch world from being used as a punchline.

Dufour basically said that Rolex, along with the rest of the Swiss watch industry, works hard to bring value, heritage, and jobs to people all over the world—and it’s not something to laugh off.

Source: WorldTempus

Behind the Price Tag

If you zoom out a bit, the whole situation highlights something a lot of watch fans don’t think about when they walk into a boutique: the global politics behind the price tag. That Daytona you’ve been eyeing doesn’t just cost €14,000 because of steel, craft, and branding—it also carries hidden layers like taxes, tariffs, and shipping rules. And depending on where you live, those layers can make the difference between getting a fair deal and paying way more than someone in another country.

 

For Dufour to publicly clap back is rare, but it also shows how seriously brands like Rolex take their reputation and role on the world stage.

 

Rolex doesn’t need publicity stunts. The brand’s watches are already some of the most in-demand objects on earth. But when someone turns your craft into a political one-liner, sometimes you’ve got to set the record straight.

And that’s what makes this moment so interesting. A brand that usually stays quiet about everything except watches had to raise its voice. Swiss watches deserve better than to be reduced to tariffs and punchlines.

Source: Horobox