Rolex is a name that has become a social phenomenon, originally a trademark, is now a status symbol of the XXI century. Certainly the July 2, 1908, at 8am, when Hans Wilsdorf of Rolex placed under the number 24,001, he never dreamed imagine that only 80 years later, their creation would become the largest manufacturer of watches and more scope in the world.
Rolex is a word invented by Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex SA Montrex ”
Wilsdorf was born on March 22, 1881 in Kumblach, Franconia. His parents died in 1893 and is boarding school by his uncle. With an interest charged by overseas begins working as an apprentice in an exporting firm. Landfall in 1900 in ‘La Chaux De Fonds’, a small Swiss town in which he discovers his passion for watches. Your employer exported clocks but very few were made for them. Love watches, pocket watches ordered three to renowned Swiss watchmakers and applied for them the certificate of accuracy by the Observatory of Neuchatel and introduced the company’s offer.
In 1910 Rolex made the first pocket watch with an accuracy such that four years later obtained from the Kew Observatory (UK) a certificate of high accuracy very similar to that accorded to marine chronometers of the time.
With the commercialization in 1926 of the first waterproof watch (the famous Oyster), the supremacy of the Swiss firm extends worldwide. The Rolex Oyster has defied the most extreme conditions, from the summit of Everest to the Sahara Desert.
His resistance has conquered the elite athletes, their reliability to the most intrepid explorers and elegance continues to seduce the twentieth century greats. Oyster Box, along with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and screw-down crown to trace, “Twinlock” is the best proof of the superiority of a Rolex. A sturdy box so that, by design and finish is comparable to a small safe. To get it, it carves a solid block of steel, 18 carat gold or platinum, in a delicate work that requires more than 150 operations. An Oyster machine consists of more than 220 components. A true work of art in the watchmaking expertise and quest for perfection is latent in each of its parts.
The union of technology, a comprehensive quality control throughout all stages of development and expert craftsmen watchmakers hand, provides each Oyster that touch of perfection that proves its prestige. Moreover, each Rolex Oyster timer goes through a rigorous examination of 15 days and 15 nights before obtaining the certificate from Officiel Suisse des Chronomètre Control (COSC). Oyster Collection for men and women offers a wide range of models, all watertight to 100 meters, with the exception of Oysterquartz with Perpetual self-winding rotor. Spheres of different colors, to even set with diamonds, roman numerals, Arabic or strokes, three types of bracelet and bezel finish, form a unique world class precision.
Some milestones in Rolex
In 1952 starts the production of “Submariner”, ref. 6204 (known by collectors as James Bond and recognizable by the absence of protection on both sides of the crown).
Chrono born in 1961 manual, Daytona Cosmograph (ref 6239-6241) begins production will continue until 1976.
In 1971, Sea-Dweller introduced the first watch for divers. The first samples were submersible to 660 m. Today the same Submariner models reach 1220 m.
Official Website: Rolex