84-479: Hans Wilsdorf (22 March 1881 – 6 July 1960) was a German businessman, best known as the founder of Rolex and Tudor . Wilsdorf's philosophy for the companies was "only great marketing is needed to make a company successful". Hans Wilsdorf was born in Kulmbach , Bavaria , to Protestant parents, Anna and Johan Daniel Ferdinand Wilsdorf and was the second son of a family of three children. His mother died when he
168-483: A helium release valve to release helium gas build-up during decompression, which, according to Urs Alois Eschle, a former director of Doxa, was patented by Rolex in cooperation with Doxa. The Explorer (1953) and Explorer II (1971) were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain, such as the world-famous Mount Everest expeditions . Indeed, the Rolex Explorer was launched to celebrate
252-690: A Rolex Oyster wristwatch. The same strategy was used during the 'Great Exhibition' in London by another brand several decades before. Wilsdorf realized the advent of the Rolex Oyster was a major potential of growing income, and invested heavily in advertising. His first Rolex brand ambassador was female swimmer Mercedes Gleitze who swam the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster around her neck. After Mercedes Gleitze, Wilsdorf turned to land speed king Sir Malcolm Campbell to represent Rolex as
336-479: A bag and goggles were featured in advertisements for Rolex alongside those of Lara Gut-Behrami , Iga Swiatek , Sonya Yoncheva , Grace Kelly , Sylvia Earle , Lexi Thompson , Khoudia Toure and Yuja Wang . In January 2022, a blue plaque for Gleitze was unveiled at her birthplace in Freshfield Road, Brighton. In March 2024, the film Vindication Swim , about Gleitze's 1927 English Channel swim,
420-652: A brand ambassador. Malcolm Campbell set new land-speed records nine times between 1924 and 1935. In 1931 Rolex launched an automatic wristwatch: "The Rolex Perpetual". The Rolex Perpetual automatically wound itself by harnessing energy captured from the rotation of an internal bi-directional rotor as the wearer moved around. By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches. When captured and sent to POW camps, their watches were confiscated. When Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until
504-528: A celebrity and she was regularly the subject of stories. The newspaper that most adopted a tabloid approach to her was the Daily Mirror that hinted that Gleitze was using her charity's funds inappropriately. The paper challenged the charity to allow its accounts to be audited and offered to pay for the cost. The papers also reported on believed or invented stories of rivalry between Gleitze and other swimmers. Millie Hudson , who went with her to Gibraltar ,
588-616: A four-volume set of books named Rolex Jubilee Vade Mecum . In his autobiography Hans said "Our uncles were not indifferent to our fate; nevertheless, the way in which they made me become self-reliant very early in life made me acquire the habit of looking after my possessions and, looking back, I believe that it is to this that much of my success is due". Wilsdorf had an interest in mathematics and languages, which inspired him to travel and work in foreign countries. Hans began his career as an apprentice with an international pearl-exporting company. The experience Hans gained during this apprenticeship
672-539: A full front page Rolex advertisement in the Daily Mail . Among the company's notable improvements and innovations are: By the start of World War II , Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches; however, when captured and sent to prisoner of war (POW) camps, their watches were confiscated. When Hans Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until
756-479: A grant of about $ 41,000 was launched in 2002. Rolex has been the official timekeeper to the Le Mans 24 Hours motor race since 2001. They also have been Formula 1's official timekeeper between 2013-2024. Former Formula 1 driver Jackie Stewart has advertised Rolex since 1968. Others who have done so for some years include Gary Player , Arnold Palmer , Roger Penske , Jean-Claude Killy , and Kiri Te Kanawa . It
840-491: A modest amount of money—Hans set up a business with Alfred Davis named Wilsdorf & Davis, located at 83 Hatton Garden in London. The goal of Wilsdorf & Davis was to provide high-quality timepieces at affordable prices. On Rolex's 50th anniversary, in 1958, Wilsdorf shared the story of how he originally conceived the 'Rolex' name in 1908: "I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave some hundred names, but none of them felt quite right. It
924-589: A more attractive lustre. In general, Rolex has three watch lines: Oyster Perpetual , Professional and Cellini (the Cellini line is Rolex's line of "dress" watches). The primary bracelets for the Oyster line are named Jubilee , Oyster , President , and Pearlmaster . The watch straps on the models are usually either stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum. In the United Kingdom,
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#17327796507631008-510: A product for authorized Rolex dealers to sell that offered the reliability and dependability of a Rolex, but at a lower price. The number of Rolex watches was limited by the rate that they could produce in-house Rolex movements , thus Tudor watches were originally equipped with third-party standard movements supplied by ETA SA while using Rolex-quality cases and bracelets. Since 2015, Tudor has begun to manufacture watches with in-house movements. The first model introduced with an in-house movement
1092-399: A reserve of two days of operation when inactive, police were able to reasonably infer the time of death. In Singapore on 20 April 1998, a 23-year-old Malaysian named Jonaris Badlishah bludgeoned a 42-year-old beautician Sally Poh Bee Eng to death in order to steal her Rolex and later give it to his girlfriend as a birthday present. The case became known as the " Rolex watch murder ". Jonaris
1176-517: A scheme to move unemployed people from the north of England to Leicester where they could find work. Gleitze continued to break records and she became the first known person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa. Gleitze travelled to Australia , New Zealand and South Africa to establish new records for swimming. Besides swimming the 100 miles around the Isle of Man and becoming
1260-552: A second time zone. The GMT-Master was designed for Pan American Airways pilots, navigators and world travelers. Rolex introduced the Day-Date model in 1955, featuring both a day-of-the-week aperture window and a date aperture window. The Day-Date was somewhat similar to the Rolex Datejust at 36 mm in diameter, with a slightly thicker case. The Rolex Milgauss was introduced in 1956 with a Reference Number of 6541. This watch
1344-566: A self-winding mechanism called a Perpetual rotor, a semi-circular plate that relies on gravity to move freely. In turn, the Oyster watch became known as the Oyster Perpetual. The invention of the Perpetual rotor by Rolex in 1931 revolutionized the self-winding watch , as watches were previously not allowed to be wound using a semi-circular plate that moved freely with gravity. Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established
1428-454: A shoemaker at the camp. The watch (Rolex watch no. 185983) was delivered to Stalag Luft III on 10 July that year along with a note from Wilsdorf apologising for any delay in processing the order and explaining that an English gentleman such as Corporal Nutting "should not even think" about paying for the watch before the end of the war. Wilsdorf is reported to have been impressed with Nutting because, although not an officer, he had ordered
1512-430: A small number of watches from the ground up. Wilsdorf was responsible for winding hundreds of pocket watches daily in his role with Cuno Korten, as well as verifying that all watches were accurate. Wilsdorf learned a majority of his fundamental watchmaking skills during his time with Cuno Korten. In 1903 Hans Wilsdorf moved to London, England where he went to work for another high-quality watchmaking company. In 1905—with
1596-571: A specially designed and manufactured Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller Deep Sea Challenge watch was being "worn" by his submarine's robotic arm. Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to swim the English Channel on 7 October 1927. However, as John E. Brozek (author of The Rolex Report: An Unauthorized Reference Book for the Rolex Enthusiast ) points out in his article "The Vindication Swim, Mercedes Gleitze and Rolex take
1680-525: A watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous, I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company. In 1954 Rolex launched their first specialized diving watch: "The Rolex Submariner". The Submariner became commercially available after introduction at
1764-468: A waterproof and dustproof wristwatch for Rolex, giving it the name "Oyster". The original patent attributed to Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret, that allowed the watch to be adjusted while maintaining protection from water ingress was purchased by Rolex and heavily marketed. The watch featured a hermetically sealed case which provided optimal protection for the movement. As a demonstration, Rolex submerged Oyster models in aquariums , which it displayed in
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#17327796507631848-466: A woman in 1923. She attracted attention when, at the eighth attempt, she became the first British woman to swim the English Channel , on 7 October 1927. The record was in doubt when in the following days another woman, Dr. Dorothy Cochrane Logan (using her professional name, Mona McLennan), claimed to have swum the channel faster. Her version of events proved to be a fabrication but the effect of this hoax undermined Gleitze's claim. Under pressure from
1932-453: Is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva , Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his 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. After World War I , the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of
2016-511: Is also the sponsor of the Rolex International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final competition. Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh had a specially designed experimental Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deep-Sea Special strapped to the outside of their bathyscaphe during the 1960 Challenger Deep dive to a world-record depth of 10,916 metres (35,814 ft). When James Cameron conducted a similar dive in 2012,
2100-479: Is no requirement to disclose financial or charitable donations under law, and the company pays no corporate taxes as a result of being owned by the Foundation. In 1945 Rolex introduced a wristwatch with an aperture window that automatically displayed the date via a date wheel, and was seen on the wrists of world leaders including Sir Winston Churchill and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Wilsdorf established
2184-784: Is now linked to the Family Action charity. Mercedes Gleitze was born to Heinrich and Anna ( née Kurr) in 1900 in the English south-coastal town of Brighton . She and her two elder sisters came from German heritage and Mercedes spent time with her grandparents in Herzogenaurach in Bavaria and two years studying at the Maria Stern Convent School in Nördlingen . Her father was a German immigrant from
2268-780: The Axis powers would win the war. American servicemen heard about this when stationed in Europe during WWII and this helped open up the American market to Rolex after the war. On 10 March 1943, while still a prisoner of war, Corporal Clive James Nutting, one of the organizers of the Great Escape , ordered a stainless steel Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph (valued at a current equivalent of £1,200) by mail directly from Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva, intending to pay for it with money he saved working as
2352-512: The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation , a private trust, in which he left all of his Rolex shares, ensuring that some of the company's income would go to charity. Wilsdorf died in 1960, and since then the trust has owned and run Rolex SA. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which privately owns Rolex SA, is a registered Swiss charitable foundation and pays a lower tax rate. In 2011, a spokesman for Rolex declined to provide evidence regarding
2436-622: The Omega Electroquartz watches. Within about five years of research, design and development, Rolex created the "clean-slate" 5035/5055 movement that would eventually power the Rolex Oysterquartz . Material-wise, Rolex first used its "Cerachrom" ceramic bezel on the GMT-Master II in 2005, and has since then implemented ceramic bezel inserts across the range of professional sports watches. They are available on
2520-513: The successful ascent of Everest in 1953 by the expeditionary team led by Sir John Hunt . (That expedition was supplied with watches from both Rolex and Smiths ; it was a Smiths watch, rather than a Rolex, which Edmund Hillary wore to the summit.) The 39 mm Rolex Explorer was designed as a "tool watch" for rugged use, hence its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers which give them higher shock resistance than other Rolex watches. The 42mm Rolex Explorer II has some significant differences from
2604-542: The 1930s. In 1939 they were used for homeless Czech people . The buildings were destroyed in Second World War bombing in 1940; however, an organisation continues to administer her charity and it continues Gleitze's desire to alleviate the effects of homelessness. Rolex still use Gleitze's achievement (2023) in their publicity. In 2010 the Rolex company ran adverts featuring swimming the channel, their watch, and
Hans Wilsdorf - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-402: The 1963 film The Great Escape . In an infamous murder case, the Rolex on Ronald Platt's wrist eventually led to the arrest of his murderer, Albert Johnson Walker , a financial planner who had fled from Canada when he was charged with 18 counts of fraud, theft and money laundering. When a body was found in the English Channel in 1996 by a fisherman named John Coprik, a Rolex wristwatch was
2772-601: The 39mm Explorer; the Explorer II adds a date function, and an orange 24-hour hand which is paired with the fixed bezel's black 24-hour markers for situations underground or around the poles where day cannot be distinguished from night. Another iconic model is the Rolex GMT Master (1955), originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways to provide its crews with a dual-time watch that could be used to display local time and GMT ( Greenwich Mean Time ), which
2856-654: The Air-King was dropped, making the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39 the entry-level Rolex line. In 2016 Rolex reintroduced the Air-King, available as a single model (number 116900), largely similar to its predecessors but with a larger 40mm case, and a magnetic shield found on the Rolex Milgauss; indeed the new 40mm Air-King is slightly cheaper than the 39mm Explorer (the Explorer lacks the magnetic shield but its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers that are not found in
2940-430: The Air-King's movement). The name of the watch line in catalogs is often "Rolex Oyster ______" or "Rolex Oyster Perpetual ______"; Rolex Oyster and Oyster Perpetual are generic names and not specific product lines, except for the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39/41 and Oyster Perpetual Date 34. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is a direct descendant of the original watertight Rolex Oyster watch created in 1926. Within
3024-517: The Air-Prince line to honor RAF pilots of the Battle of Britain, releasing the first model in 1958. By 2007, the 1142XX iteration of the Air-King featured a COSC-certified movement in a 34mm case, considered by some a miniaturized variant of the 39mm Rolex Explorer as both watches featured very similar styling cues; the 34mm Air-King lineup was the least expensive series of Oyster Perpetual. In 2014
3108-534: The Basel Fair Show in 1954. This watch went on to become the first watch worn by James Bond , when Sean Connery wore a Submariner in 1962's Dr. No . In 1954 Rolex introduced a "tool watch" known as the GMT-Master. The GMT-Master had all the usual Rolex features including a watertight Oyster case, Perpetual movement, and luminous hands and markers, but added a 24-hour hand designed to keep time in
3192-574: The British government implemented a 33% customs duty that prompted Rolex to move its international headquarters from London to Bienne, Switzerland. In 1919 Rolex moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains to this day. In 1927 Rolex patented and launched a commercially viable waterproof watch, "The Rolex Oyster". Rolex also selected watch dealers in each town to act as exclusive dealers, and provided them with window displays that consisted of an aquarium with plants and goldfish, along with
3276-540: The Date's 34 mm case and 19 mm bracelet. Modern versions of the Oyster Perpetual Date and Datejust models share Rolex's 3135 movement, with the most recent change to the 3135 movement being introduction of Rolex's "parachrom bleu" hairspring, which provides increased accuracy. As the Date and Datejust share a movement, both have the ability to adjust the date forward one day at a time without adjusting
3360-752: The Datejust 41, which has the same 41mm diameter case as the Datejust II, however the Datejust 41 has smaller indexes and a thinner bezel compared to the Datejust II Rolex produced specific models suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving , caving , mountain climbing , polar exploration , and aviation. Early professional models included the Rolex Submariner (1953) and the Rolex Sea Dweller (1967) . The latter watch has
3444-591: The Germans. Christie's stated it believed Imeson used the watch during the 24 March 1944 escape that inspired the movie The Great Escape . Wilsdorf and his first wife, Florence Frances May Wilsdorf-Crotty, had no children, and she died from an illness in 1944. In 1945 Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation . In 1960 he gave his 100% ownership stake in Rolex to the foundation. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation still owns and controls Rolex, and donates much of its income to charity and social causes in Geneva. There
Hans Wilsdorf - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-566: The Oyster Perpetual lineup, there are three different movements; the 39 features the Calibre 3132 movement with the Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers (the Oyster Perpetual 39 is a variant of the Rolex Explorer 39mm, sharing the same case, bracelet and clasp, bezel, and movement, with a different dial and different hands), while the 34 and 36 models have the Caliber 3130 featuring
3612-419: The Parachrom hairspring, and the smallest 28 and 31 models have Calibre 2231. The Oyster Perpetual Date 34 (or simply Date 34) adds a date display and date movement, plus the options of a white gold fluted bezel and diamonds on the dial. Certain models from the Date and Datejust ranges are almost identical, however the Datejust have 36 mm and 41 mm cases paired with a 20 mm bracelet, compared with
3696-525: The Rolex and Tudor brands. In 2023, Rolex agreed to acquire its longtime retail partner Bucherer , and in 2024, Rolex began construction of a new headquarters on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan , New York City , near Billionaires' Row . Alfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf and Davis , the company that would eventually become Rolex SA , in London in 1905. Wilsdorf and Davis's main commercial activity at
3780-479: The Submariner, Sea Dweller, Deepsea, GMT Master II and Daytona models. In contrast to the aluminum bezel which it replaced, the ceramic bezel color does not wear out from exposure to UV-light and is scratch resistant. Rolex uses 904L grade stainless steel; in contrast, most Swiss watches are made with 316L grade steel. Rolex uses the higher grade, as it is more resistant to corrosion and when polished, leaves
3864-539: The UK in 2014. Each Rolex comes with a unique serial number, which can help indicate its approximate production period. Serial numbers were first introduced in 1926 and were issued sequentially, until 1954, when Rolex restarted from #999,999 to #0. In 1987, there was an addition of one letter to a 6-digit serial number and in 2010, to the present date Rolex introduced random serial numbers. While Rolex mostly produces mechanical watches , it also participated in development of
3948-556: The amount of charitable donations made by the Wilsdorf Foundation, which brought up several scandals due to the lack of transparency. In Geneva where the company is based, it is said to have gifted, among many things, two housing buildings to social institutions in Geneva. Rolex SA offers products under the Rolex and Tudor brands. Montres Tudor SA has designed, manufactured and marketed Tudor watches since 6 March 1946. Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf conceived Tudor to create
4032-422: The boat, the same journalist made a discovery and reported it as follows: "Hanging round her neck by a ribbon on this swim, Miss Gleitze carried a small gold watch, which was found this evening to have kept good time throughout." When examined closely, the watch was found to be dry inside and in perfect condition. One month later, on 24 November 1927, Wilsdorf launched the Rolex Oyster watch in the United Kingdom with
4116-501: The brand name to be easily pronounceable in any language, and short enough to fit on the face of a watch. He also thought that the name "Rolex" was onomatopoeic , sounding like a watch being wound. During World War I , Rolex manufactured trench watches . In November 1915, the company changed its name to Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. In 1919, Hans Wilsdorf moved the company from England to Geneva, Switzerland, because of heavy post-war taxes levied on luxury imports and high export duties on
4200-426: The channel". She appeared at a corset demonstration for Kellett's and at the showing of the, now lost, 1927 silent film Swim Girl, Swim , which starred Bebe Daniels and a fellow swimmer Gertrude Ederle . There were unproductive rumours that Gleitze might star in a film. Gleitze also recommended Be-ze-be honey and bathing caps as well as her enduring role as a brand ambassador for Rolex watches. Gleitze became
4284-514: The county of Göttingen . He was a baker and her mother taught languages. With her bilingual background and education, Gleitze became a secretary and stenographer in central London exploiting her talent for languages. In her spare time she started swimming in the River Thames . Her first significant record was for 10 hr 45 min she spent swimming in the Thames. This was the longest time for
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#17327796507634368-469: The end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf personally oversaw this effort. In 2022, Christie's sold a Rolex Oyster Chronograph that had belonged to Gerald Imeson for $ 189,000. He had been a POW in Stalag Luft III and had taken Rolex up on the offer to order a replacement for the watch confiscated by
4452-443: The end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf was in personal charge of the scheme. As a result of this, an estimated 3,000 Rolex watches were ordered by British officers in the officer camp Oflag VII-B in Bavaria alone. This had the effect of raising the morale among the allied POWs because it indicated that Wilsdorf did not believe that
4536-489: The expensive Rolex 3525 Oyster chronograph while most other prisoners ordered the much cheaper Rolex Speed King model which was popular because of its small size. The watch is believed to have been ordered specifically to be used in the Great Escape when, as a chronograph, it could have been used to time patrols of prison guards or time the 76 ill-fated escapees through tunnel 'Harry' on 24 March 1944. Eventually, after
4620-456: The figure of a woman in a swimming costume. The advert did not mention Gleitze, nor did it mention that she did not complete a Channel swim whilst wearing the watch. The advert showed the swimmer wearing the watch on her wrist, although when Gleitze attempted to carry the watch across the Channel she had it tied around her neck. In 2023, her name and a picture of her emerging from water clutching
4704-530: The first person to swim to Robben Island and back to Cape Town , she also staged feats of endurance swimming. When she first took the endurance swimming record it stood at 26 hours. Over several years she extended this record in public swimming baths where crowds would attend and encourage her by singing together. Gleitze married engineer Patrick Carey in Dover in 1930 with the American swimming twins Bernice and Phyllis Zittenfeld as bridesmaids . The ceremony
4788-454: The high-quality lower-priced watch brand Tudor , a subsidiary company of Rolex, in 1946. While the Tudor name had appeared on previous watches made under the auspices of Rolex, at this time Tudor expanded into an affordable alternative to Rolex-branded offerings. On March 6, 1946, Wilsdorf made the following statement regarding Tudor: For some years now I have been considering the idea of making
4872-414: The largest order ever made for wristlet watches. This was the beginning of a long-standing partnership between Aegler and Rolex, until a century later when Rolex bought Aegler. In 1914, a decade after Wilsdorf moved to London, World War I broke out, at which time Wilsdorf changed the name of Wilsdorf & Davis to The Rolex Watch Company Ltd. Fourteen days before World War I began, On July 14, 1914, Rolex
4956-586: The media she agreed to undertake a "vindication swim" even though the water was much colder than when Channel swimming is normally attempted. Gleitze failed to complete the swim but her endurance of the cold convinced all that the original record should stand. Gleitze made not only her name but also that of Rolex's Oyster watch. The watch withstood her second swim and this was used to launch an advertising campaign in Britain. Rolex still uses Gleitze's name in their publicity. In August 1929, Gleitze swam along part of
5040-515: The northern coastline of Ulster in the north of Ireland . She swam from the Pilot's Station at Shrove (pronounced 'Shroove'), a coastal hamlet near Greencastle in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal , south-eastwards across to Portstewart , a small town on the coast of County Londonderry , on 17 August 1929. This feat involved swimming across the mouth of Lough Foyle . She made
5124-424: The only identifiable object on the body. Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex and identified the owner of the watch as Ronald Platt. In addition, police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar. Since the Rolex movement was fully waterproof and had
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#17327796507635208-481: The original quartz watch movements. Although Rolex has made very few quartz models for its Oyster line, the company's engineers were instrumental in design and implementation of the technology during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, Rolex collaborated with a consortium of 16 Swiss watch manufacturers to develop the Beta 21 quartz movement used in their Rolex Quartz Date 5100 alongside other manufactures including
5292-443: The plunge", some doubts were cast on her achievement when a hoaxer claimed to have made a faster swim only four days later. Hence Gleitze attempted a repeat swim with extensive publicity on 21 October, dubbed the "Vindication Swim". For promotional purposes, Wilsdorf offered her one of the earliest Rolex Oysters if she would wear it during the attempt. After more than 10 hours, in water that was much colder than during her first swim, she
5376-477: The retail price for the stainless steel 'Pilots' range (such as the GMT Master II ) starts from £ 9,350. Diamond inlay watches are more expensive. The book Vintage Wristwatches by Antiques Roadshow ' s Reyne Haines listed a price estimate of vintage Rolex watches that ranged between US$ 650 and US$ 75,000, while listing vintage Tudors between US$ 250 and US$ 9,000. Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created
5460-586: The return swim on 20 August 1929, this time swimming from Portstewart across to Black Rock Bay near Moville in Inishowen. Gleitze was usually sponsored for these record attempts, and she was able to open the first Mercedes Gleitze Home in 1933. This was a large house in Leicester that was converted into flats for homeless families. She was supported in her work by the Rotary Club which was undertaking
5544-420: The silver and gold used for the watch cases. In 1919 the company's name was officially changed to Montres Rolex SA and later in 1920 to Rolex SA. With administrative worries attended to, Wilsdorf turned the company's attention to a marketing challenge: the infiltration of dust and moisture under the dial and crown, which damaged the movement. To address this problem, in 1926 a third-party casemaker produced
5628-577: The time as a "wristlet" were frowned upon. Hans Wilsdorf was an early believer in the potential of the wrist watch, and made it his mission in life to popularize them. In 1902, during his stay at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Hans Wilsdorf heard of one Hermann Aegler, based in Bienne , Switzerland, who had begun producing ' ébauches ', which are the rough movements for high-quality, small lever escapement watch movements. In 1905, Wilsdorf travelled to Bienne, Switzerland and placed an order with Hermann Aegler, resulting in
5712-591: The time involved importing Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placing them in watch cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were sold to many jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually hallmarked "W&D" inside the caseback. In 1908, Wilsdorf registered the trademark "Rolex", which became the brand name of watches from Wilsdorf and Davis. He opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds , Switzerland. Wilsdorf wanted
5796-515: The time; this feature is not confined to the Datejust. Compared with the Date, the Datejust has a much wider range of customization options, including other metals beyond stainless steel, various materials for the dial, and optional diamonds on the dial and bezel. The Datejust II, which was released in 2009, has a bigger case (41mm diameter) than the standard Datejust and features an updated movement, being only available in steel with white, yellow or rose gold on an Oyster bracelet. In 2016, Rolex released
5880-409: The unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. 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 . Since 1960, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation , a private family trust. Rolex SA and its subsidiary Montres Tudor SA design, make, distribute, and service wristwatches sold under
5964-563: The war, Nutting was sent an invoice of only £15 for the watch, because of currency export controls in England at the time. The watch and associated correspondence between Wilsdorf and Nutting were sold at an auction for £66,000 in May 2007, while at an earlier auction in September 2006 the same watch fetched A$ 54,000. Nutting served as a consultant for both the 1950 film The Wooden Horse and
6048-408: The windows of its main points of sale. In 1927, British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam the English Channel with an Oyster on her necklace, becoming the first Rolex ambassador. To celebrate the feat, Rolex published a full-page advertisement on the front page of the Daily Mail for every issue for a whole month proclaiming the watch's success during the ten-hour-plus swim. In 1931, Rolex patented
6132-545: Was a British professional swimmer. She was the first known person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar and the first British woman to swim the English Channel . The name of Mercedes Gleitze was used to market Rolex 's new waterproof case, the "Oyster". She established endurance records for swimming including a record of 46 hours in 1932. She was able to raise funds to found the Mercedes Gleitze Homes in Leicester via sponsorship . The Mercedes Gleitze charity
6216-440: Was a boy and he became an orphan when his father died soon after when Hans was twelve years old. Wilsdorf's fate was placed in the hands of his uncles who sold the prosperous family iron tools business which had belonged to his grandfather, and later to his father. Hans and his brother and sister were sent to excellent boarding schools where they received excellent educations. Wilsdorf published his autobiography in 1946 as part of
6300-505: Was applied to his future dealings. In 1900 Wilsdorf began his career in Swiss watchmaking when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to work as an English correspondent and clerk with the watch firm of Messrs. Cuno Korten, at 49, rue Leoppold Robert, where he was paid a salary of 80 Swiss Francs. At the time, Cuno Korten exported around one million francs’ worth of pocket watches annually. Cuno Korten worked with all grades of watches, and manufactured
6384-554: Was arrested, sentenced to death and executed. O. J. Simpson wore a counterfeit Rolex during his 1994 murder trial . According to the 2017 Brand Z report, the brand value is estimated at $ 8.053 billion. Rolex watches continue to have a reputation as status symbols . The company produces more than 1,000,000 timepieces each year. 46°11′36″N 6°7′58″E / 46.19333°N 6.13278°E / 46.19333; 6.13278 Mercedes Gleitze Mercedes Carey (née Gleitze ; 18 November 1900 – 9 February 1981)
6468-583: Was covered by British newsreels where Gleitze announced that she was off to swim the Hellespont instead of going on honeymoon . Gleitze continued to extend her endurance record to 45 hours the following year. In 1932 she retired after again extending the record finally to 46 hours. Gleitze gathered a large number of companies who were keen to be associated with her achievements. Consumers were asked to toast her with Paddy Whiskey when they were not drinking Lipton's Tea , which had reputedly helped her "beat
6552-710: Was designed with special anti-magnetic featuring 1000 gauss for scientists who worked in research labs, power plants, or medical facilities whose watches could be affected by magnetism. The original Rolex Milgauss had a second hand similar to a lightning bolt, and resembled the Rolex Submariner. Wilsdorf died in Geneva , Switzerland , on July 6, 1960. He was buried in Kings Cemetery in Geneva beside his first and second wives. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, established in 1945, still owns and controls Rolex. Rolex Rolex SA ( / ˈ r oʊ l ɛ k s / )
6636-493: Was one morning when I was sitting on the upper level of a double-decker powered at that time by horses, driving along Cheapside in London, that a good genie whispered in my ear: "Rolex." A few days after this fruitful journey, the Rolex brand was filed, and then officially registered in Switzerland by Wilsdorf & Davis." During the first decade of the 1900s pocket watches were ubiquitous, and wrist watches, referred to at
6720-418: Was pulled from the sea semi-conscious seven miles short of her goal. Although she did not complete the second crossing, a journalist for The Times wrote, "Having regard to the general conditions, the endurance of Miss Gleitze surprised the doctors, journalists and experts who were present, for it seemed unlikely that she would be able to withstand the cold for so long. It was a good performance." As she sat in
6804-551: Was said to be a rival, and Gleitze was said to have annoyed Lottie Shoemmell, who was an American swimmer, by refusing to race her across the Channel. After her retirement from swimming, Gleitze became a housewife, had three children, and became increasingly reclusive, lying about her past to her neighbours and not discussing her achievements with her family. She died aged 80, on 9 February 1981, in London. Besides her three children and many swimming records, Gleitze founded several homes that were used by homeless British people during
6888-593: Was the Tudor North Flag. Following this, updated versions of the Tudor Pelagos and Tudor Heritage Black Bay have also been fitted with an in-house caliber. Tudor watches are marketed and sold in most countries around the world. Montres Tudor SA discontinued sales of Tudor-branded watches in the United States in 2004, but Tudor returned to the United States market in the summer of 2013, and to
6972-473: Was the first wristwatch in history to be awarded a Class "A" certificate from the Kew Observatory . Rolex had grown quickly; in 1914 they had more than 40 employees. In 1914, Wilsdorf wrote: "My personal opinion ... is that pocket watches will almost completely disappear and that wrist watches will replace them definitively! I am not mistaken in this opinion and you will see that I am right". In 1915
7056-500: Was the international time standard for aviation at that time (and still is in its modern variant of Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) or Zulu Time ) and was needed for astronavigation (celestial navigation) during longer flights. Since 1976, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise of 100,000 Swiss francs has been awarded; a Young Laureates award of 50,000 was added in 2010. The biennial Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative with
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