An Incredible History: Rolex

 

As many know the incredible  history of Rolex is inextricably connected to the visions of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex.  In 1905, at the young and remarkable age of 24, Hans Wilsdorf founded a company in London specializing in the distribution of timepieces. He dreamt of a watch worn on the wrist.  Wristwatches were not very precise at the time, but Hans Wilsdorf foresaw the future of wristwatches in a way that no one truly has. They could become not only elegant, but reliable, and meant to last forever. The connection between time itself and the creation of a time piece. To convince the public of the reliability of his resolutely innovative timepieces, he equipped them with small, very precise movements manufactured by a Swiss watchmaking company in Bienne.  

 

THE NAME- 1908
Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to bear a name that was short, easy to say and remember in any language, and which looked good on watch movements and dials. .  After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva due to the unfavorable economic situation in post-war Britain, and in 1920 Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name which eventually became Rolex SA in later years.

    

The name of the watch line in catalogs is often "Rolex Oyster" or "Rolex Oyster Perpetual"; Rolex Oyster and Oyster Perpetual are generic names and not specific product lines, except for the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39/41 and Oyster Perpetual Date 34.The Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is a direct descendant of the original watertight Rolex Oyster watch created in 1926.

 

In 1926, the Rolex Oyster was hailed as the first dustproof and waterproof watch with a hermetically sealed case protects the delicate movement inside. This innovative watch was the the true pioneer in the development of modern timepieces, and the watch became wildly popular after Mercedes Gleitz wore one around her neck while swimming the English Channel. Over the years, the Oyster became the proud bearer of many other innovations – such as self-winding by means of the Perpetual rotor (1931) – that defined the identity of the models in the collection and forged Rolex’s reputation for excellence, of which chronometric precision and reliability are among the cornerstones. Now honored as an entire collection with all Rolex Oyster models offering waterproof capacity to a depth of at least 100 meters, astonishingly these watches can travel far beyond the reach of the average recreational diver.

 

The Rolex Oyster soon became the choice of mountain climbers, who could rely on it while scaling tall Himalayan peaks where challenges included low oxygen levels and temperatures far below freezing. In 1953, a new Oyster was born: The Rolex Explorer.  This watch offered even greater durability, double waterproofing, and a sturdy all-steel bracelet. Today’s Oyster Perpetual Explorer remains a popular choice among adventurers of every stripe.

 

 

“Too complicated, too fragile, ill-adapted” – the wristwatch was met with scepticism in Edwardian England, then the sporting country par excellence. Yet, relying on his intuition, firmly-held beliefs and determination to push boundaries, Hans Wilsdorf managed to achieve his bold objective of establishing the Rolex watch – the Oyster Perpetual – as the archetype of the waterproof timepiece: precise, robust and able to withstand all conditions.

But Hans Wilsdorf was not simply a visionary who, through his watchmaking knowledge, spirit of enterprise and ability to think differently, endowed Rolex watches with their fundamental technical and aesthetic characteristics and set the way for his company’s long-lasting success. His constant quest for perfection was accompanied by a profound generosity and unshakeable faith in human potential – in our capacity to both innovate and overcome difficulties. Hans Wilsdorf was a compassionate man always prepared to challenge himself and who encouraged others to give their all.

Draw from traditions to drive innovation. Push back the limits to inspire. These convictions enabled Rolex to create an exceptional product – a watch that brings together considerable expertise and has accompanied a great many human adventures in widely diverse fields.

   

Time marched on quickly and in 1954, the company introduced its Rolex GMT Master, is a dual-time watch built with the needs of flight crews in mind. 1955 saw the introduction of the Rolex Reference 6234 Chronograph, which quickly gained a following – a relief after the company’s first attempt at a chronograph received a lukewarm reception during WWII. The simple Chronograph spent 10 years in production. While it wasn’t the most popular Rolex of its day, the “Pre-Daytona” is now a valuable rarity, often selling for over $20,000. In 1963, a year after taking on the role of Daytona’s official timekeeper, Rolex introduced the Cosmograph Reference 6239, which was designed with a large tachymeter scale on the bezel in keeping with the needs of racecar drivers. Today, the Rolex Daytona exists in multiple variations, and is among the most popular models in production.

In 1956, the Day-Date was introduced as a true technological marvel, thanks to a dial that featured a day and date that changed automatically. Just a few features separate the original from some of today’s models, including a new number system, a nearly scratch-proof sapphire crystal, and some internal advancements.