Rolex, a brief history

When anyone talks about prestige watches Rolex is certainly a brand that will come to mind. Known around the world they are the go to brand for anyone who wants a stylish watch, form race drivers to royalty there is a Rolex to suit all requirements.

Started by Hans Wilsdorf in the early 20th century, in London, the brand founder had a very hard start being an orphan at age 12 he didn’t have much, what he did have was vision, hope and determination.

The brand name was invented in 1908 and although it has not been confirmed there are several stories about how the name came to be. Whether it was a mix of other brands (Rolls Royce & Timex) or it came to Hans in a vision, the brand Rolex lives on today and is known the world over.

With perseverance Hans would go on to create the ‘Oyster’ a name that is still very much alive today within the Rolex brand, but it had initially received terrible feedback from the people of the time. Hans would persevere and firmly held on to his belief, his determination helped him to create the first ever waterproof self-winding wristwatch. He was a true visionary, his quest for perfection saw the brand create technically and aesthetically amazing watches.

Rolex has become an independent company that has the ability to make all components in house. Rolex has its own training centre. Dedicated to excellence they make sure the brands expertise exist into the future as they continue to innovate.

Rolex has watchmakers, engineers, designers and many other specialists with the ability to work closely together to create brilliant timepieces. This same diversity gives the brand complete control over components. Rolex can cast its own gold, make its own steel, create its own parts to build a unique, one of a kind watch. The ability to create its own materials means they can continue to innovate and set the bar as high as they like.

As a testimonial to the brand Rolex watches have proven their reliability in some of the most extreme conditions. Land, sea and air they are tested almost to breaking point. It is because it this success that Rolex have been able to partner with institutes and individuals to help make vital changes within the watch industry. An example of this comes from 1927 when Rolex teamed up with a British swimmer to help demonstrate how waterproof their watches were. To this day Rolex continue to create, test and push boundaries, they are currently linked to over 100 major international events.

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