In 1905, Hans Wilsdorf founded his own company, giving it the memorable name Rolex. Today, the Rolex name is famous in the world of watches and beyond. The Geneva-based company released the first waterproof and dustproof watch onto the market in 1926. With that, the legendary Oyster watch was born.
The watch with the robust and hermetically-sealed case was proven to actually live up to its promise when British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam across the English Channel while wearing one.
Nowadays, the Rolex brand is still associated with the highest quality in watchmaking and absolute robustness, as, no matter what, a Rolex never has to be taken off.
The name Rolex is omnipresent in the world of watches and stands for quality and tradition. Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf (1881-1960), was born in Kulmbach and established the successful Swiss company in 1905. The company headquarters are located in Geneva.
The Swiss luxury brand continuously keeps pace with new fashion trends because of its timeless and sporty design. A Rolex watch can be worn over generations and suits women just as well as men, regardless of the model.
In the cult film Pulp Fiction, boxer Butch Coolidge fights for a Rolex which had been in his family for three generations. The Dalai Lama had one subtly twinkling from his wrist, and even Che Guevara casually wore one.
A Rolex represents a certain attitude towards life. The brand’s watches are especially associated with top sporting achievements, adventures and scientific experiments. Due to this, the watches became better along with technological developments, causing secret agent James Bond to also put his faith in the Swiss watch. Since he has always come off lightly from his adventures, the watches with the robust sapphire glass always remained unscathed, of course.
In 1953, an Oyster Perpetual was worn on Mount Everest, the Submariner during diving expeditions and, two years later, the GMT-Master flew across the Atlantic to America. In 1967, the women’s model finally came onto the market. The Rolex success story has remained uninterrupted right up to the present.