ROLEX - LuxuryTimelines.com

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Rolex is the most iconic name in the luxury watch industry.

Recognized across the world as the ultimate status symbol, you have most likely pictured yourself sporting a Rolex on your wrist.

Maybe an Oyster Perpetual, Explorer, or Submariner, whichever one you are drawn toward, you know it will have been created with superiority.

And this is the real reason the brand is so famous. It is the functionality and perfection of each timepiece that has earned Rolex its position as the ultimate luxury watch brand.

“I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave me some hundred names, but none of them felt quite right. One morning, while riding on the upper deck of a horse-drawn omnibus along Cheapside in the City of London, a genie whispered ‘Rolex’ in my ear.”
– Hans Wilsdorf 1908
Rolex Official Site

A History of Rolex

1905

Rolex was originally founded in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis in London, England.

The business had come about when Hans Wilsdorf, working with a Swiss manufacturer from Bienne, began importing remarkably concise watch movements.

These inner workings of a watch, also called calibers, were placed into watch cases and then sold to jewelers who put their own brand names on them to sell.

1908

It was not until three years later, in 1908, that the name ‘Rolex’ was ruminated.

Hans Wilsdorf new at once that he had discovered the perfect name. It was easy to remember, easy to pronounce, short and it sounded like a watch being wound.

It was exactly the type of name he was searching for and he quickly registered the trademark.

1910

In 1910 Rolex received a certificate for chronometric precision. The first certificate of its kind to be rewarded to a wristwatch by the Official Watch Rating Center in Switzerland.

This was followed by the award of a “Class A” precision certificate for a wristwatch from the Kew Observatory in London, in 1914. This type of award was usually only given to marine chronometers.

1919

In 1919 the company relocated to Geneva, Switzerland. The new name registered was Montres Rolex SA, which would eventually evolve into Rolex SA.

1926

In 1926 the Rolex Oyster was born. This was a first of its kind wristwatch.

It used a new method called a screw-down crown which hermetically sealed the case and was the first watch to be called waterproof.

1931

New innovations continued with the invention of the Perpetual rotor.

In 1931 Rolex patented the world’s first self-winding mechanism, which set the path for all modern automatic watches.

1945

In 1945 Rolex rolled out the first self-winding wrist chronometer with a window that revealed an automatically changing date on the dial. It was named the Datejust.

1953

1953 proved to be a big year for Rolex.

Developing watches with pioneers in mind, many famous outdoor enthusiasts continued to rely on Rolex while on their expeditions.

The Oyster Perpetual Explorer was launched in commemoration of the Mount Everest summit made by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who were equipped with Oyster Perpetuals.

Fast forward 18 years, while still celebrating exploration, a newer version, The Explorer II, was introduced to the world in 1971.

Again in 1953, with another release, the waterproof Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner was introduced with a rotatable bezel. This now allowed divers to read immersion times and stay waterproof to the depth of 100 meters (330 ft.).

1954

With more travel by flight in the 1950s, it came in handy for pilots and airline workers to have a watch that could show two time zones at once.

Rolex answered with the production of the Rolex GMT-Master (Greenwich Mean Time) which then became the official watch for several airlines.

1956

In 1956 Rolex gave us the Day-Date. This took the Datejust further by adding another window for the rotating day of the week to also be displayed.

1956 was also the year Rolex launched the Oyster Perpetual Milgrauss in response to the scientific community’s need for a watch with a high resistance to magnetic interferences.

And later the next year, in 1957, the Lady-Datejust was introduced giving a better fit for the lady’s wrist.

1967

After years of testing early models in many extraordinary manners during the 1950s, Rolex perfected its Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller.

With its launch in 1967, this watch expressed unparalleled abilities by reaching depths of 610 meters and by being equipped with a helium escape valve to allow for pressure changes.

1978

Eleven years later, In 1978, another version was released.

The Rolex Sea-Dweller 4,000 proved its power with the ability to remain waterproof at the depth of 1,220 meters (4,000 ft.)

2016

The Air-King was originally created by Hans Wilsdorf in 1958 and released as the Air-Prince in honor of British pilots.

An upgraded version, the Air-King, very similar to the Explorer, came back into play in 2007, then again after being out of the line-up for a few years, a model was reintroduced in 2016.

Today

Rolex continues to sponsor elite athletes in all fields by providing perfect navigation while exploring, diving, climbing, driving, flying, playing and more.

As the most recognized name in the luxury watch industry and even across all genres in the luxury industry, Rolex continues to set the pace for excellence.

This brand has earned its status symbol through beauty, quality, and visionary achievements.

The legacy of Rolex is one that will last for centuries to come.

Rolex Watches: