Rolex Building

 1924_construction, commercial building, watch repair/sales shop

12-story International Style office building originally completed in 1924. It opened as the a store for the Scandinavian household goods retailer Georg Jensen which occupied the first two floors. It acquired its current appearance in the 1975 to a design by The Eggers Partnership when the building was purchased by Rolex who presumably added on upper floors when it was reclad. It is clad in black steel and dark-tinted glass, seven bays wide on the north facade on 53rd Street and four bays wide along the avenue. The main entrance is in the 2nd bay from the east on 53rd Street, with recessed glass-and-metal doors, including a revolving door in the center. The easternmost bay has a recessed loading dock, and the others have display-windows set in black polished granite infill. The storefronts along the west facade have entrances and larger windows.

The 2nd floor has bands of four windows in each bay, with the metal-and-glass curtain wall beginning on the 3rd floor (but also featuring four panes per bay). A pair of flagpoles projects from the 2nd floor at the west facade. The 12th floor is set back above the lower roof line.

The ground floor is occupied by Lindt chocolatiers, St. John Boutique, and a Rolex store operated by Wempe.

www.rolex.com/en#/
landmarkbranding.com/665-fifth-avenue-the-rolex-buildin...
www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/business/commercial-real-est...