Rolex on Acquired

Because the Acquired podcasts are 4-5 hours long and take a really deep dive into a company, the listening experience is that of enjoying a very good book rather than getting a snippet of entertainment value.  This episode on Rolex is one of my favorites as it explains how and why this watch/brand achieved its iconic status in the world of luxury products. Paradoxes proliferate the Rolex story including that their products are comparable to an Hermès Birkin bag in price, luxury status and waitlist times, yet they produce over 1 million units/year.  I also loved the parts about product innovation and how Paul Newman elevated the brand to a new level.