Andre Heiniger; Architect of Rolex’s Status Image

Andre J. Heiniger, 78, built Rolex watches into a world-famous brand. A friend of Heiniger once asked him casually, “How’s the watch business?” to which Heiniger, the chairman of Rolex, replied, “I have no idea.” His friend laughed, but Heiniger was not trying to be funny. “Rolex,” he said, “is not in the watch business. We are in the luxury business.” Heiniger understood that what his company sold was not simply watches but status. That marketing strategy helped him make the Swiss brand world famous as the ultimate status symbol. Rolex was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf, the German-born inventor of the Oyster, the first waterproof watch, and moved to Geneva in 1919. Heiniger, the second chairman in the company’s history, joined Rolex in 1948 and rose to chief executive in 1962. He ran Rolex until his retirement in 1997. During his tenure, Rolex watches were introduced to foreign markets. Initially prized for their accuracy, they gained cachet as the timepiece of choice for the rich and famous. Even James Bond, the fictional spy created by Ian Fleming, wore one. Heiniger, as the architect of Rolex’s image, kept his own profile low. He rarely appeared in public except to present the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which he initiated in 1976 to mark the 50th anniversary of Rolex’s famous waterproof Oyster watch. The $75,000 awards are given every two years in Geneva to five recipients to recognize achievements in science, exploration and the environment. On Jan. 3 , according to death notices published in the Geneva Daily Tribune. The cause and place of death were not disclosed.