News On the occasion of its 125th anniversary, the watch firm Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA opened building VI of its industrial and administrative complex in Les Champs-de-Boujean. A photographic excursion.
On 2 October this year around 200 guests, including Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid and numerous other representatives of political and economic circles in Switzerland and Bern in particular, attended a gala dinner given by Rolex SA to celebrate its 125th anniversary and the inauguration of building VI of its complex located in the industrial district of Les Champs-de-Boujean, to the east of Biel, where the firm installed part of its production capacity in two other buildings (Rolex IV and V) around ten years ago. This marked the completion of the transfer of all activities to Les Champs-de-Boujean from Rolex's traditional site in Biel, in La Haute-Route, overlooking the city centre.
Rolex now has a complex of very modern buildings, manufacturing installations and offices on a single site. The three buildings are connected by underground corridors, which greatly facilitate movement inside the complex of both persons and goods (automated transport). The firm can now count on high-performance production installations able to meet its self-imposed and extremely rigorous quality requirements.
The task of designing and constructing this new building (140,000 m3, fully air-conditioned) was again given to the Christian Zingg practice, civil engineers with ETH/SIA accreditation based in Biel. The green granite and smoked glass exterior follows the pattern set by buildings IV and V and strengthens Rolex's presence through an impressive architectural unit.
The old buildings in La Haute-Route have for their part been rented out, in part (Rolex I and III) to Biel's College of Technology and IT, which took up residence there recently. Meanwhile, loft conversions are planned for the Rolex II building.
The Watch Manufactory Rolex SA today has a 1500 strong workforce, with 100 employees working in Le Locle. Every year, it produces around 700,000 movements. At its various subsidiaries in Biel and the Jura mountains, 300 employees work in the production of machines, tools and supplies intended for the manufacture of movements and other products.
October 23, 2003
