Making of a Status Symbol

Regular price €97.99
Quantity:
In stock with our UK publisher. 14-28 days
Delivery/Collection within 10-20 working days
14 days return policy Shipping & Delivery
A01=Pierre-Yves Donze
advertising
Air-King
Air-Prince
Alfred Davis
Author_Pierre-Yves Donze
business history
Category=AKTF
Category=KCZ
Category=KJSC
Category=KJZ
Cellini
chronometers
creative industries
Datejust
design icon
design management
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_business-finance-law
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
fashion
global watch market
GMT Master II
Hans Wilsdorf
iconic products
luxury
luxury brands
luxury goods industry
Oyster Perpetual
Professional
Rolex
Rolex Explorer
Rolex Oyster
status symbol
Swiss
Switzerland
watch industry
watchmaking
Wilsdorf and Davis

Product details

  • ISBN 9781526183262
  • Weight: 465g
  • Dimensions: 138 x 216mm
  • Publication Date: 03 Jun 2025
  • Publisher: Manchester University Press
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Hardback
Secure checkout Fast Shipping Easy returns

Discover the fascinating story behind Rolex, the world’s most iconic luxury watch brand. In The making of a status symbol, acclaimed business historian Pierre-Yves Donzé offers a captivating and deeply researched exploration of how a small Swiss watch company transformed itself into a global emblem of success, wealth and prestige.

Challenging the myth that Rolex’s dominance is solely due to superior craftsmanship, Donzé reveals the brand’s strategic partnership with an American advertising agency and its genius for storytelling, which allowed it to turn a simple timepiece into a powerful status symbol. Spanning the twentieth century, this book provides a compelling case study of how creative industries have shaped consumer culture and the global luxury market.

This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by fashion and luxury, the evolution of consumer culture or the power of branding. Whether you’re a scholar, student or general reader intrigued by the enduring allure of Rolex, The making of a status symbol offers an engaging and insightful journey through the history of a brand that has become synonymous with excellence and success.

Pierre-Yves Donzé is Professor in Business History at the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University and a visiting professor at the Department of History, University of Fribourg

More from this author