Home-Grown Talent: Rolex Germany Opens New Training Centre
The twin-spired cathedral bells chime over the square by Cologne’s main square. The warm scent of bakeries wafts across the space as commuters dash past, fixated upon catching their train from the adjacent central station. Locals sprawl themselves across the steps leading up to the Gothic cathedral, incidentally Germany’s most visited landmark, while businessmen stride past, deep in conversation. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the country’s oldest and fourth-largest city, it’s easy to miss the fact that Cologne is also quietly home to a Rolex watchmaking school, which recently began a new chapter. Swisswatches embarked upon a mission to check out exactly what has changed, and how the legacy of a new training centre might pave the way for the formidable brand’s next generation of watchmakers.
Training watchmakers is no new feat at Rolex: in fact, in 1984, Rolex became the first company in Geneva to take on watchmaking apprentices. Since then, it has passed a number of pedagogical milestones. Back in 2001, Rolex opened a watchmaking school in the United States, while across the pond, it opened a phenomenal 4,300-square-metre training centre in Geneva in 2018.
Meanwhile, the watchmaking apprenticeship scheme in Cologne came to life in 2014, while its brand-new training centre opened in October of this year. Home to Germany’s fledgling expert watchmakers, Rolex can use schools such as this one to assure its quality standards are met not only at home, but across the globe and across the generations. Producing 33 successful graduates from the programme so far, the centre in Cologne, which spans about 800 square metres, is currently home to 13 young apprentices.
One school, several schemes: What is on offer at the new training centre?
That said, the new Rolex training centre not only offers education to those taking part in the full three-year apprenticeship scheme, but also to those who need to partake in the four-week basic course required to become a ‘Rolex Network Retailer’ watchmaker, focusing solely on Rolex watches. In addition to these basic courses, watchmakers already trained to work on Rolex watches can also attend so-called ‘refresher courses’, as well as one-week advanced courses to work on particular movements, i.e., chronograph calibres. Individual training courses also cover, for instance, expertise on disassembling Rolex movements and checking the water resistance of cases, to name just a couple of services. In turn, this ensures that Rolex watches are serviced to live up to their full potential and maintain their high quality.
This brings us to another programme that is now destined to take place at the new training centre: the After-Sales Service Watchmaker (ASSW for short). This apprenticeship is designed for those already working in Rolex customer service, who wish to add the profession of watchmaking to their repertoire. No prior knowledge of watchmaking is required; but candidates must have a knowledge of micromechanics, as well as a good sense of logic and dexterity. Despite no prior horological expertise being required, the course is shorter than the full apprenticeship scheme, taking only one and a half years to complete.
Looking to the future: The journey of Rolex graduates
The next generation of Germany’s watchmakers are taken under the wing of the Director of the Rolex Education and Training Centre, Alexander Vogel. Vogel is the embodiment of the upstanding gentleman: impeccably dressed and ever-composed, the 57-year-old quietly commands respect from his young cohort of apprentices. Under his leadership, he tells us, the Rolex apprentices aren’t just becoming watchmakers: they are becoming adults, too. With many starting between the ripe ages of 16 and 18 – the only educational entry requirement is to reach the so-called Mittlere Reife, aka High school – the start of the apprenticeship marks the majority of the participants’ first stint away from home.
As they set out on their journey to adulthood, Rolex provides its fledgling watchmakers with a stylish communal apartment in the city. Here, too, Vogel provides his protégés with constant support, even offering an occasional weekend visit to support the students as they tackle the various domestic challenges that arise living away from home. Despite running a tight ship at the training centre, Vogel is evidently a shoulder to lean on and the father figure for many of programme’s participants. Perhaps his directorial style at the training centre can be attributed to Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, who was convinced that the well-being of his employees would directly contribute to the success of his company.
But returning to on-site training and entry into the world of work: flooded with light, the watchmaking school is home to several immaculately neat classrooms. Fairly equally balanced in terms of gender, the 13 apprentices sit diligently at their watchmaker desks, grappling with oversized mock-up components, under careful observation from their instructor. Others meticulously work on the same manual task time and again, until the task is carried out to perfection.
The training centre also offers state-of-the-art ergonomic equipment, which collectively offers a toolkit that will not only actively contribute to the development of its own future watchmakers, but to the profession across the entire watch industry. Our goal is to make the profession of watchmaking more attractive again and to inspire people to take up this craft,’ explains Rolex Germany’s Managing Director, Rémi Corpataux.
That said, the goal of the training centre is not only to create excellent watchmakers: it is to transmit the company’s heritage through the development and progress of each and every individual. This, in turn, can inspire the next generation to carry the torch at Rolex.
What does Rolex look for in its next generation of watchmakers?
But what exactly makes one a worthy candidate for the Rolex training programme in Cologne? After all, there is certainly some competition: while around 250 applicants request to join the three-year course each year, only 40 are invited to the brand for further interviews. Many originate from northern or southern German states, Vogel tells us, as these demographics tend to yield more young people willing to leave their home than, for example, those in the East. Following the application process, interviews, and tests, a mere six apprentices will be accepted onto the course each year.
To gain deeper insights into exactly what Rolex is looking for, we sat down with recent Rolex training centre graduates Tim Behrens, 23, and his former classmate, Luca Maron. Both have successfully passed through the programme, concurrently winning awards for their exceptional watchmaking skills before settling down full-time with the horology house. Both are refined, courteous, and absolutely passionate about the company that employs them. It doesn’t take long to see why these diligent young men are the perfect fit for Rolex.
Behrens and Maron explain that in order to get onto the course, applicants undergo a series of tests, both practical and theoretical, as well as an interview that can help Vogel and his instructive colleagues to get a sense for the individual’s personality. Alongside dexterity, good grades, a sense for aesthetics and an ‘above-average willingness to learn and work hard’, talent also plays a role. Even after acceptance onto the programme, hard work is not only coveted, but rewarded.
Vogel adds that, while 60 to 70 percent stay with the brand after graduation, the remaining 30 to 40 percent embark in search of new adventures – but not for long. The majority of those who do decide to leave the nest, a proud Vogel explains, tend to end up returning to Rolex within a few months anyway. Following graduation, the young watchmakers can go into a range of roles depending upon their interests and strengths, with apprentices being offered a position within Rolex Germany’s service department.
The pursuit for perfection
It should be mentioned, the Rolex training programme in Cologne does not train the watchmakers to work on any high complications such as minute repeaters, as these aren’t offered in Rolex’s portfolio anyway. Rather, the apprentices carefully work their way up from large table clocks sourced by Vogel to classic Rolex movements, which are plastered in their disassembled form on large posters covering the serene white walls. But what exactly makes the Rolex Certified watchmaking qualification just so coveted? Behrens and Maron seem to be in agreement with their answer: perfection. ‘Rolex instils a duty in us,’ elaborates the latter. ‘A duty to ensure that each watch is absolutely perfect in every way.’
It seems that over the last decade, Swiss watch manufacturers have been taking a leaf or two out of the tech companies’ books. As well as getting more sophisticated, their new releases seem to be getting larger in diameter almost on an annual basis. So much so with wristwatches that the more traditional of collectors…
Originally launched in the early 1960s to give the chronograph complication a fresh and modern aesthetic, the Breitling Top Time disappeared from the brand’s portfolio for decades in the wake of the Quartz Crisis – and faded largely into obscurity. It was only with the leadership change to Georges Kern and a comprehensive repositioning of…
This one almost slipped through our fingers. In the shadow of many huge product launches, it's easy to overlook a few new models from quieter – but by no means less important –manufacturers. Certina, a brand belonging to the Swatch Group, launched the DS-2 Powermatic 80 back in March – and it turned out extremely well! I…
Victor Lance Vescovo is a special person in many ways. While visiting the Greek island of Mykonos for the 75th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster, Swisswatches met this titan of a man; slender as a whip, with a white beard and long white hair held scraped back with a hair tie, he looks like a…
When luxury steel sports watches with integrated bracelets suddenly appeared in the 1970s, it was not only Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe that caused a stir with their Royal Oak and Nautilus creations. Vacheron Constantin was also quick to recognize the trend – despite it not even being perceived as such at the time, but rather dismissed as outrageous…
When it comes to expanding Parmigiani Fleurier's clientele, it seems it's not all about fast and furious growth. Recently installed CEO Guido Terreni, leading the manufacture since the start of 2021, evidently prides himself upon creating a customer base that is not necessarily far-reaching, but rather fits with the company's values. "We are choosing an…
First of all: the general image of the Swiss watch brand Blancpain could not be more different. The layman would probably never link Blancpain to sports watches, whereas for most connoisseurs, the ‘Fifty Fathoms’ is the epitome of the modern diving watch. At this point, some might frown doubtfully. Yet, it was all caused by…
Rolex may produce over a million watches a year, but this doesn’t stop mystery from shrouding it in many aspects. One such aspect is the off-catalogue Rolex models, reserved for VIP clients and usually covered in a variety of different coloured gemstones. Gem-set pieces would have once been one off commissions for extremely important clients…
On 7 October 2024, Richard Mille unveiled its fourth watch developed as part of its ten-year partnership with McLaren. This watch aims to transfer the DNA of McLaren's super sports cars into watchmaking and be in every way as extraordinary as the cars that bear the title ‘1’. This year's creation is not only inspired…
At the beginning of April, we made our way to the French luxury ski resort of Courchevel, where Richard Mille gathered brand ambassadors such as professional skier Alexis Pinturault, biathlete Johannes Thingnes Bø and snowboarder Ester Ledecká as part of their "Ski Clinic". Tim Malachard, CMO of Richard Mille, was also there, of course. The…
It's been another extraordinary year for us all, and the watch world is no exception. That is why the Swisswatches team sat down once more to comprise a list of our top watches of 2021. From horological giant OMEGA to independent watchmaker Armin Strom, we are presenting you with 24 special highlights to emerge from…
With the SP One, MB&F ventures into uncharted territory. Instead of their usual futuristic and radical forms, the manufacture's latest creation prioritises classical elegance for the very first time. This timepiece not only heralds the launch of a new model line called Special Projects, but also begs the question of what "special" truly means for…
Whether it's Sofia Richie, Natasha from Sex and the City, or influencer The Gstaad Guy's 'Constance' serving as your inspiration, 'quiet luxury' remains the hottest trend this summer – and I would make the case that this dashingly handsome collector's piece doubles up as the ultimate embodiment of the 'quiet luxury' movement. With its combination…