Rolex, one of the world’s most prestigious brands and known for its elegant, luxury watches and association with world-class sports, the brand continues to define standards in the watch industry. In this article we’ll explore a brief history of Rolex.
The company was founded in 1905 by the German Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. The company was initially called Wilsdorf & Davis and specialized in the distribution of watches. Wilsdorf’s aim was to create a wristwatch that was precise and efficient, since pocket watches were used at the time. The “Rolex” brand was registered in 1908 and the name was chosen because it was easy to pronounce in any language. In 1910, the company moved to Switzerland and began manufacturing watches in the Swiss tradition, establishing itself as one of the leading manufacturers of luxury watches. In 1914 the brand received the “A” class certificate for precision from the Kew Observatory.
Rolex Oyster
The world’s first waterproof wristwatch due to its hermetically sealed case. The first copy was given to the English swimmer Mercedes Gleitze to swim across the English Channel. She spent 10 hours in the water and the watch continued to function without any defects and proved its resistance.
Rolex Submariner
Launched in 1953, it is one of the world’s best-known diving watches with water resistance to 300 meters. The watch has a unidirectional rotating bezel with a 60-minute scale that allows divers to accurately measure activity. The brand subsequently launched new models: Submariner No Date; Submariner Date and the Submariner Hulk.
