Two New York Icons Just Made It Official: Rolex is Coming to Rockefeller Center

On the heels of the New York Knicks’ championship victory (and massive parade today), as well as a key hosting city for the 2026 World Cup, New York is on absolute fire right now. So, it is hard to imagine a more fitting address for a Rolex clock than Rockefeller Center. Yesterday, that instinct became official — the Swiss watchmaker and the Midtown landmark announced an exclusive partnership, unveiling a new clock above the iconic Rink on 50th Street that is already well on its way to becoming a fixture of the New York skyline.

The partnership comes ahead of the upcoming opening of Rolex’s new North American headquarters at 665 Fifth Avenue, a move that cements the Swiss watchmaker’s commitment to New York as a flagship market. As part of the collaboration, Rolex will serve as Exclusive Timepiece Partner of Rockefeller Center, with the clock serving as its most visible expression — and the first of what will be yearly events and cultural installations planned across the campus.

The clock itself is worth pausing on. Designed in the spirit of the landmark complex’s original 1930s Art Deco aesthetic, it is precise in its references and rich in Rolex DNA. Its five support pillars recall the five points of the Rolex crown and the five links of a Jubilee bracelet. The raised fluting at the top — a direct nod to the iconic fluted bezel first introduced on the Oyster in 1926 — intersects at the center to represent the four cardinal points. The dial is designed for immediate legibility: clean lines, strong visual contrast, considered markers, and hands. It is a clock that reads as both a timepiece and a statement — which is, of course, exactly the point.

The Rolex Clock sits atop a newly designed information center on 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, where visitors can purchase tickets to Rockefeller Center experiences — including the Top of the Rock Observation Deck — and learn about the dining, shopping, and entertainment available across the campus.

“Rolex is one of the most respected and influential luxury brands in the world, with timepieces crafted to last for generations,” said EB Kelly, Senior Managing Director at Tishman Speyer and Head of Rockefeller Center. “For nearly a century, Rockefeller Center has similarly stood as a place that creates memories that will last a lifetime. We are honored to partner with a brand of Rolex’s stature, and we look forward to seeing the clock become a new emblem for New York.”

It’s no secret that the most enduring luxury partnerships are built on genuine alignment — not just in aesthetic, but in values. Rockefeller Center has anchored Midtown Manhattan for more than 90 years, conceived by John D. Rockefeller Jr. as a city within the city and today operating 13 buildings connected by an underground concourse, more than 85 retail shops, over 50 dining options, NBC Studios, and the world’s most famous Christmas Tree. Rolex, founded on the conviction that a watch should be as precise and enduring as the moments it marks, has spent a century building that same kind of permanence into everything it makes.

THE HAUTE MINUTE

Rolex and Rockefeller Center announced an exclusive partnership on June 17, 2026, unveiling a new Rolex Clock above the Rockefeller Center Rink on 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, coinciding with the upcoming opening of Rolex’s new North American headquarters at 665 Fifth Avenue.