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About Rolex
Written By: Bob's Watches
Reviewed By: Paul Altieri
There can be no watch house less in need of an introduction than Rolex watches. It is a brand whose name echoes beyond the boundaries of our industry. Synonymous with luxury, interchangeable with quality, imbued with a heritage that no amount of money, spin, or PR stunts can synthesize, Rolex almost occupies its own territory. Sometime during the last decade, the brand founded by a wide-eyed Hans Wilsdorf in 1905 has transmogrified. It is no longer a watch brand but rather a phenomenon. The rules do not apply to this relentless juggernaut as it rolls over all-comers. No, when it comes to playing the game, Rolex has a distinct, insurmountable advantage: It wrote the rule book.
Rolex SA is the leading luxury watch manufacturer in the world producing over 1.05 million watches that generate sales of over $13 billion dollars in 2022. The Swiss based Company manufactures, services, and distributes wristwatches under the Rolex and Tudor brand through authorized dealers.StingRolex, a Swiss luxury watch brand, was founded in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London as Wilsdorf and Davis. The company registered the brand name "Rolex" in 1908 and later became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915. After World War I, the company moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland. Rolex has a rich history marked by innovations and advancements in watchmaking, including the development of the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch (the Oyster in 1926) and the first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor in 1931.
Key Milestones:
1905: Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis establish Wilsdorf and Davis in London.
1908: The brand name "Rolex" is officially registered.
1915: The company becomes Rolex Watch Co. Ltd.
1926: Rolex introduces the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch.
1931: Rolex patents the world's first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor.
1945: The Datejust, the first self-winding wrist chronometer with a date display, is introduced.
1953: Rolex watches were worn by the first successful climbers of Mount Everest.
1960: A Rolex Deep Sea Special withstands extreme pressure during the deepest dive in the Mariana Trench.
1956: The Day-Date, the first wristwatch to display the day and date, is released.
1957: The Lady Datejust, a women's version of the Datejust, is introduced.
1963: The Daytona Cosmograph, a chronograph designed for endurance racing drivers, is released.
1967: The Sea-Dweller, a watch for professional deep-sea divers, is introduced.
1971: The Explorer II, a watch for polar explorers, is released.
1992: The Yacht-Master, a watch for sailors, is introduced. lex (/ˈroʊlɛks/ ⓘ) is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland.[2] Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his eventual brother-in-law Alfred Davis in London, the company registered Rolex as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915.[3][4][5][6] After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of the unfavorable economy that led to business instability. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name (montre is French for watch); it later became Rolex SA.[2][4][7][8] Since 1960, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.[5][9][10... Rolex SA and its subsidiary Montres Tudor SA design, make, distribute, and service wristwatches sold under the Rolex and Tudor brands. In 2023, Rolex agreed to acquire its longtime retail partner Bucherer,[11][12] and in 2024, Rolex began construction of a new affiliate on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, near Billionaires' Row.[13]
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