Rolex

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Rolex a name that has become a social phenomenon; originally a trade mark, it is now a status symbol of the 20th century. As the name of a man's watch, it is synonymous with the modern world-sports, wealth, refinement and a dynamic lifestyle. Certainly on July 2nd 1908, at 8am, when Hans Wilsdorf registered the mark Rolex under the number 24001, he could not have imagined that only 80 years later his creation would have become the largest and most powerful watch manufacturer in the world.

This outstanding, achievement was accomplished under the leadership of just two men: Hans Wilsdorf, the creator the man who, from the very beginning managed to change worldwide the concept of watch making, as a result of his long term strategy and planning. He insisted that his watches had to be the most "precise" and, after years of research and efforts, the firm collected unsurpassable list of "superlative" commands. Indeed in 1940, of the 21,561 certificates of precision issued from 1927 by the 4 offices able to deliver a rate control certificate for wrist-chronometers, 19,155 had been obtained by Rolex.

H.Wilsdorf also wanted to provide a practical chronometer hence is invention of the "Perpetual", the first self-winding watch using a rotor, mathematically designed, to which he later added the date and the week day naming it the "Day-Date": easy to read, practical to use. Finally he then decided that his mechanical jewel should be "reliable" in all circumstances and he therefore provided the watch with a water resistant case: The "Oyster". I is an altogether outstanding group of inventions that all together can protect the movement from the dangerous attacks of the outside world-water, dust and oxidation-that definitely can damage the entire movement.

These three elements are the key to the Rolex success: "precision", "practicality", and "reliability".

H. Wilsdorf died in 1960 and left his pupil, Andre J. Heiniger, the responsibility of maintaining the company on the foundations he had built.  Heniger, a native from "La Chaux-De-Fonds", the small Swiss town where Horology is in the blood, was not only able to improve the product, thanks to his well-thought out and precise planning, always looking towards a long term and secure result, but also he as the first to understand that good design is the basis of a sound marketing plan. As such he has created personalized design, compatible with the technological improvements and, today always, modern and immediately identifiable to the trade mark it represents. Since his aim was to make Rolex the best watch, his instructions to the engineers working for him were to pay the greatest attention to the slightest detail, and in line with this philosophy, distribution and customer services have been established all over the world in order to guarantee to the client that he is buying a very precise and long lasting watch. Today about 3'000 people in over 130 countries work for Rolex. They have celebrated the product of their 10 millionth watch and it is an event that shows how, according to the Rolex philosophy, expertise and tradition can be the key to long term success in the Geneva watch making industry.

Founded in 1908 in London

  • Moved to Geneva, Switzerland in 1919

  • Invented first waterproof watch in 1926

  • Invented first perpetual self-winding watch in 1931

  • Invented first pressure proof watch in 1953 (Submariner)

  • Invented first dual time zone watch in 1954 (GMT Master)

  • Invented first watch with Helium escape valve for deep sea diving (GMT)

  • Rolex has manufactured more than half of all Swiss certified chronometers

  • Rolex Credo: Quality, Perfection, Consistency

Features & Benefits

  • Variety of materials used to fit into a broad range of prices
  • Screw down crown: helps make watch water resistant to 330 feet minimum
  • Ensures the customer that the watch can be worn without fear of

    dust or water penetration

  • Synthetic Sapphire Crystal: Assures excellent durability, "Virtually Scratch proof",

    will not fade or discolor, are thicker than others so they're more durable

  • Perpetual Chronometer movement: self-winding, never needs a battery
  • Accuracy: -1 to +5 seconds per day
  • Reliability and Longevity: A generational watch, can proudly be passed

    from one generation to the next. Expected lifespan can be twenty years plus

    (with normal maintenance)

  • Historically, mechanical watches are the longest lasting and most durable

Materials

  • Steel
  • Steel and 18KT. Gold
  • 18KT. Yellow or White Gold
  • Platinum
  • Tricolor (The Tridor)
  • Synthetic Sapphire Crystals
  • Diamonds (VVS F-G) and high quality colored stones
Models:
  • Air King:   Entry level Rolex, all steel only
  • Explorer:   Entry level professional series watch, certified chronometer, Arabic numbers and black dial only, originally created for first ascent of Mt. Everest
  • Explorer II:   24 Hour Bezel, extra hand for dual time zone purposes, all steel only
  • Oyster Perpetual:   Non calendar basic certified chrono, Oyster bracelet only, in all steel, in steel and gold
  • Oyster Perpetual Date:   Calendar, certified chrono, Oyster bracelet only, in steel, in steel and gold, in all gold
  • Oyster Perpetual Date just:   More options in dial choices, Jubilee band available, fluted bezel available, in steel, in steel and gold, and in all gold
  • Submariner:   First diver's watch, pressure proof for 1000 ft., available in steel or without date also in two tone with date only and all gold
  • Sea-Dweller:   Pressure proof to 4,000 ft., the diver's watch, helium escape valve necessary for deep sea saturation diving, steel only
  • Yatch Master:   1192, Similar in design to the submariner but dressier, steel and gold, all gold
  • Daytona Cosmograph:   Introduced in 1939, has chronograph function (Stopwatch) steel, steel and gold gold , worn by Paul Newman
  • GMT-Master:   Introduced in 1954, for use by airline pilots, equipped with a 24hr. rotating bezel and 24hr. hand enabling dual time ability, all steel
  • GMT Master II:   Introduced in 1983, 12 hour hand is independently adjustable for ease of dual time zone traveling, steel, steel and gold, all gold
  • Thunderbird:   Descendant of Submariner, rotating turn-o-graph bezel, dressier than Submariner, steel and gold
  • Day Date President:   Introduced in 1956, all gold, platinum, day of the week is spelled out in full, president bracelet
  • Lady Date just President:   Same as datejust but with president bracelet, no day, calendar only, all gold

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