The Rolex watch has been associated with accuracy and prestige for over a century and is now the market leader in top quality watches. With people from all walks of life wishing they could own one of these magnificent timepieces, it is not surprising that it is the most copied and imitated watch in the marketplace. The success of these watches began with a young German entrepreneur by the name of Hans Wilsdorf, who saw a gap in the market for men’s wristwatches and decided to produce a timepiece that was initially designed for army officers.

Wilsdorf had already invented delicate wristwatches for women, but felt they were more of a fashion statement than a means of telling the time. Wilsdorf was a perfectionist, and he wanted to invent a timepiece that would become an essential “must have” commodity, known for both its quality and precision. Men only carried pocket watches at this time and these sometimes were difficult to take in and out of a pocket in a tight spot where timing could be crucial. Wilsdorf realized that army officers, who were continually required to synchronise their troops, would surely benefit from the convenience of a wristwatch. Before long, Wilsdorf’s company, Rolex, was working round the clock to keep up with an ever-increasing demand for the new and popular line of large-faced wristwatches.

After bringing masculinity to the wristwatch, Rolex went from strength to strength. In 1914 Rolex was given a “Class A Precision” from the Kew Observatory, and, in 1926 Wilsdorf put an end to any interference or obstruction from dust, heat and moisture within the watch by producing the first waterproof watch. This watch was made with a double-locking crown that was named the “Oyster” because the strong seal reminded Wilsdorf of an oyster shell. Following this innovation, he went on to produce the first self-winding watch in 1931 and the first calendar wristwatch in 1945.

Wilsdorf lived in Geneva for forty years, but surprisingly never became a Swiss citizen. He died on the 6^th of July 1960 and the company was taken over by Andre Heiniger. In 1992, André handed the company over to his son Patrick, who still works to this day in what is now the sleek and modern Geneva headquarters of Rolex. With the help of his dedicated team, he continues to produce watches of excellent quality. Rolex is proud to show a selection of the watches being worn by a group of prestigious celebrities, such as Jackie Stewart, Jim Courier, Henry Kissinger and Paul Newman, in the company’s grand picture gallery. A visitor has to ask in each case which is the bigger celebrity: the person or the watch itself.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 8th, 2008 at 6:19 pm and is filed under Historical Beginings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.