About Rolex - Sustainability - Our supply chain management

Our governance structure in terms of ethics and compliance

Our group is structured to address ethical and compliance topics both in terms of strategy and the steering and monitoring of our activities. We have also introduced measures to detect and manage the risks associated with our various supply chains in order to limit our environmental and social impact.

Due diligence and risk management

Responsible supply chain management is an important topic for us, as it directly and significantly influences the sustainability of our activities. To control it, we rely on the legislative and regulatory framework and have set out our approach in collaboration with our partners.

In this context, we implement risk detection and management measures and are deepening our environmental and social analyses on an ongoing basis. We maintain frequent contact with our suppliers and regularly come to agreements with them on improvement processes. We are working to map our supply chains in areas that are most critical to our risk matrix, including minerals and metals, gemstones, as well as cutting tools, leather, cocoa and promotional articles. We particularly assess the risk of child labour among our suppliers based on the origin of the products.

This sets out the responsible purchasing practices that have been in place within the company for many years and is centred on a supply control mechanism that takes our impacts into account.

This approach institutionalizes our voluntary commitments that originate in our core values, our ethics and the internal regulations that we have always applied.

To implement our due diligence obligations, we organize processes across the various purchasing segments and put governance in place to ensure we manage risks in the following areas: respecting human rights, particularly in order to combat child labour, considering the impact our activities have on communities, social initiatives, preventing environmental risks, reducing greenhouse gases, waste management, the traceability of raw materials, and business ethics and deontology.

We have implemented an audit plan for our suppliers and their own suppliers, prioritized according to the risk of child labour.

These audits are conducted according to a set of criteria that combines our internationally recognized social and environmental requirements.

We also comply with article 964k of the Swiss Code of Obligations, which requires due diligence with regard to minerals and metals from conflict zones. We have appointed an independent expert firm to assist us in this regard.

Our Sustainable Development Charter

To encourage our suppliers, service providers, retailers and business partners to adopt a responsible attitude and implement tangible sustainability measures, we drew up a Sustainable Development Charter specifically for them in 2022.

Covering corporate environmental, social and governance responsibility, the principles and measures set out in this charter are inspired by our values of excellence and our spirit of ongoing innovation, as well as international reference texts such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By signing this document, our partners demonstrate their voluntary commitment to society and the planet, in the interests of the greater good and of future generations.

It should be noted that Rolex requires all new suppliers to sign our Sustainable Development Charter and to follow the principles of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, which aim to ensure responsible sourcing.

Sustainable Development Charter

Our Sustainable Procurement Policy

Our Sustainable Procurement Policy was formalized in 2024. It aims to standardize practices within the Purchasing department and incorporates environmental and social aspects into our purchasing decisions. This document also aims to preserve the quality of our supplier relations in the long term and internally promote purchasing strategies with positive environmental and social impacts.

The policy is based on Swiss and European regulations, among other texts, as well as on the principles of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (‘OECD Guidance’). It outlines our due diligence and best practices, which have been in operation for many years, and centres around a procurement management mechanism.

It hinges on voluntary commitments that originate in our core values, ethics and internal regulations.

This policy is supplemented by regular training for our employees on due diligence as well as our requirements for supply management.

Sustainable Procurement Policy