The Rolex Clock at Rockefeller Center is unveiled on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in New York. (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer)
Visitors to New York City’s famed Rockefeller Center now have a new landmark timepiece to admire. Unveiled yesterday above the Rockefeller Center Rink, the newly installed four-sided Rolex clock crowns a recently built information center and immediately commands attention.
Together, Rolex and Rockefeller Center announced their exclusive partnership delineating Rolex as the Exclusive Timepiece partner of Rockefeller Center. The role of the brand is designed to strengthen its commitment to the city and to celebrate its upcoming opening of the new Rolex North American headquarters at 665 Fifth Avenue.
Designed to complement the surrounding 1930’s Art Deco architecture that defines Rockefeller Center, the clock seamlessly blends Rolex’s signature design language with the historic aesthetic of this highly recognizable destination. From its fluted bezel-inspired detailing borrowed from the first Oyster watch made in 1926, to the five supporting pillars that subtly echo both the five points of the Rolex crown and the five links of the brand’s Jubilee bracelet, the structure serves as both a functional public clock and a statement piece.
The Rolex Clock at Rockefeller Center is unveiled on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in New York. (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer)
Sitting above the famed skating rink, the new information and ticket sales center with Rolex clock atop it, is located on 50th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. With one of the best tourist locations in Manhattan, the Rolex clock now joins a distinguished group of New York City timepieces that have become landmarks in their own right. Among them: the four-sided opal clock atop the information booth in Grand Central Terminal, installed in 1913 by the Seth Thomas Clock Company and one of the city’s most photographed timepieces; the highly recognizable Tiffany Atlas Clock on Fifth Avenue, where the titan Atlas has supported a timepiece above the jeweler’s entrance for generations.
The clock unveiling comes during a particularly active period for Rolex. Just days ago, Rolex-owned Bucherer opened what is being described as the world’s highest Rolex boutique atop Switzerland’s Mount Titlis at more than 3,000 meters above sea level. Additionally, as mentioned, the company continues work on its highly anticipated Fifth Avenue flagship store that is destined to become the largest Rolex boutique in the world when it opens.
(This article by Roberts Naas originally appeared on her column on Forbes.com.)
