Rolex is one of the most storied and admired brands in horology. Everyone knows about the Submariner and Daytona but not many people know the history of the company and how it rose to prominence in the world of wrist wear.
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1905 At the age of 24, Hans Wilsdorf founded a company in London specialising in the distribution of timepieces. 1908 The Name Rolex Was Born. Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to bear a name that was short, easy to say and remember in any language, and which looked good on watch movements and dials. The Name Rolex was born.View our Collection of Early Vintage Rolex 1919 Rolex moved to Geneva, a city renowned internationally for watchmaking. 1920s Deco Diamond Rolex During the 1920s and 1930s Rolex made some Exceptionally Beautiful Diamond pieces, hand wound and fitted with Silk Moiré straps for the evening. These pieces are very special and Rare and evoke all the glamour and craftsmanship of the Deco Period. 1926 The First Waterproof Watch In 1926, Rolex created the Oyster the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch. 1927 Mercedes Gleitze Swims The Channel 1927 a Rolex Oyster crossed the English Channel, worn by a young English swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze. The swim lasted over 10 hours and the watch remained in perfect working order at the end of it. 1931 The First Self-Winding Automatic Mechanism In 1931, Rolex invented and patented the world’s first self-winding Automatic mechanism with a Perpetual rotor. 1945 The First Datejust The year 1945 saw the birth of the Datejust, the first self-winding wrist to indicate the date in a window on the dial. 1953 Everest In 1953, Sir John Hunt’s expedition, in which Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest, was equipped with Oyster Perpetuals. 1953 The Explorer The Explorer, launched in 1953 to celebrate the victorious ascent of Everest, immediately acquired iconic status. 1953 The Submariner Launched in 1953, the Submariner was the first divers’ watch waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet). Its rotatable bezel allows divers to read their immersion time. 1955 The GMT-Master The GMT-Master was developed to meet the specific needs of airline pilots. It became the official watch of several airlines, among them the famous Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am. Its most distinguishing visual feature was the two-tone bezel which marked daytime from nighttime hours. 1956 The Day-Date In 1956, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date made its debut. It was the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week. View Our Collection of Vintage Rolex Day Date 1956 Milgauss The Milgauss, introduced in 1956, was designed to meet the demands of the scientific community and is capable of withstanding magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss. 1963 The Cosmograph Daytona Launched in 1963 as a new-generation chronograph, the Cosmograph soon gained the name that became the mark of an icon: Daytona. Designed as the ultimate tool for endurance racing drivers, the Cosmograph Daytona was robust, waterproof and featured a tachymetric scale on the bezel for calculating average speed. 1966 The 1st Submariner With Date 1967 The Sea-Dweller 1967 saw the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, waterproof to a depth of 610 metres. To meet the needs of professional deep-sea divers, the case was equipped with a helium escape valve. 1971 The Explorer II Rolex presented the Oyster Perpetual Explorer II. The watch featured a distinctive 24-hour hand, an invaluable aid around the poles and beneath ground when you can’t tell night from day. 1970s Stella Dial Rolex In the 1970s Rolex Introduced a Collection of Day Date and Datejust Models with Highly Unusual Lacquer and Stone Dials. Originally designed for the Middle East Market they have now grown in popularity the World Over. We showcase a Unique Collection of these so called “Stella” Dial Rolexes. We match them to their identical coloured Alligator Skin Strap enhancing the wearability of these Unique Pieces. 1970s Rolex Crown Collection Each Highly jewelled piece was made with Unique Reference Numbers relating to the Precious Stones used. Most pieces were made to order allowing the client to experiment with choice of Unique Dial, Bezel and Bracelet culminating in truly unique and Now highly sort after pieces. To own a RolexCrownCollection piece is to own a magnificent work of. “When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.” |