Following a long career including that included stints at Blancpain and Chopard, and most recently as CEO of Zenith, Jean-Frederic Dufour, 45, is reportedly the new CEO of Rolex, according to reports from Swiss media and industry sources.
At Zenith Dufour was credited for aligning the brand with its strong watchmaking heritage and focusing it on technical expertise. Reports say Rolex employees were informed today. Rolex reportedly makes around 800,000 watches per year, according to published reports in Switzerland.
Dufour’s expertise on the manufacturing side of the business could be helpful for Rolex if it seeks to compete with brands that specialize in highly complicated watches, an area of the business that has attracted attention from ultra high net worth consumers.
Zenith, which is owned by LVMH, recently appointed Hublot Chairman Jean-Claude Biver to oversee Zenith and Tag Heuer.
