First look at Dublin’s new flagship Rolex space
Weir & Sons in Dublin’s city centre have extensively upgraded their heritage store to showcase the Swiss watchmaker’s collection
Weir & Sons, located on Dublin’s principal shopping street, Grafton Street, has just opened a new Rolex room on the luxury floor of the listed building, renowned for its ornate façade.
The 90 square metre Rolex room is the first in a series of planned upgrades to the fine jewellery and watch store and comes as the Geneva-based brand have upped their production to meet record demand for their models.
“Having represented Rolex in Weir & Sons for over approximately 100 years, we are very proud to be expanding the Rolex presence in our store, upholding the highest standards of quality and service that are integral to both the brand and to our own business,” said Chris Andrews, managing director of Weir & Sons.
“The Weir & Sons Rolex showroom showcases the timelessness and perfection of Rolex watches.”
The interior design features the distinctive Rolex aesthetic – which the brand is known to be exacting about. The trademark Rolex colours and patterns are reflected in the fittings and furnishings while watches are displayed in showcases lined with beige leather and finished with bronze trims.
The watchmakers at Weir & Sons are Rolex-trained, which is standard in all Rolex centres around the world, and offer different types of service including a full service, which involves the complete overhaul of the watch movement, case, and bracelet. Several steps are required, and special tools and instruments are used. The watch is completely dismantled, each component is examined and any parts that do not meet the Rolex standard are replaced.
Each component is cleaned in an ultrasonic bath and dried. The case and bracelet receive similar treatment, and all treatments are carried out in a controlled environment. All functions are checked and verified, and each Rolex is covered by a two-year service guarantee.
Construction of a new Rolex facility in the canton of Fribourg starts later this year as the company expands to meet unprecedented demand. It also plans to spend 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.1 billion) on a major new production plant in Bulle, also in Fribourg, that is expected to begin operating in 2029.
At present, new watches are generally unavailable for immediate purchase through the company’s authorised network, which has prompted dealers, such as Watches of Switzerland Group Plc, to resort to establishing buyers’ wait lists. There has also been a surge in secondary market prices that has seen popular models, such as the Daytona Cosmograph, trade at values well above retail.
This year, at Watches and Wonders, Rolex commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Daytona chronograph with a revamp of the full range with subtle changes to the case size which has been increased by a millimetre to 40mm.
Founded in 1869 by Thomas Weir, Weir & Sons has been serving customers on Grafton Street since its inception, and it is still a family-run business, run by fourth- and fifth-generation family members. Rolex has been one of its key brands for over a century.
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