Who would not know the high-end watch brand Rolex? For sure, aficionados and watch collectors know this high quality watchmaking brand. The brand is one of the trusted watchmaking brands in the world known for its high-precision and high-quality watches. It is the first brand that people would think of when mentioning high-end, luxury, and high-quality watches. It received many honors and recognition from important individuals, and it pioneered several inventions that made them become who they are today. If you want to know more about rolex visit bay area rolex watch repair.
You might know their famous watches such as Daytona, Submariner, and Day-Date. There are many reasons why they are number one in the watchmaking industry. But even if Rolex is a famous high-end brand, how much do you know about this watchmaking brand? We compiled a list of 9 fascinating facts about this legendary brand to see how many things you’ve overlooked about Rolex.
- Wilsdorf and Davis to Rolex
Did you know that Rolex was not the original brand name of this luxury brand? Yes, you read it right. Its original name was Wilsdorf and Davis, named after the two main founders, Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis. In 1905, Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis founded Rolex in London, United Kingdom. They registered and changed the name to Rolex in 1908. Wilsdorf preferred a brand name that was easy for people to say in any language and short enough to place on the face of a watch.
- The headquarters
This swiss brand is not originally from Switzerland, and its founders were not Swiss. Wilsdorf and Davis founded Rolex in London in the United Kingdom. In 1908, they opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland after they renamed the brand Rolex. The brand shifted its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland in 1919 due to high postwar taxes on luxury items and substantial export charges on silver and gold used in watch casings.
- First-ever waterproof watch
Did you know that the company created the first-ever waterproof wristwatch? The company created the Oyster in 1926. It is the world’s first-ever waterproof and dustproof wristwatch. This watch got the term “Oyster” because it had a hermetically sealed casing that offered maximum protection for the system. To prove this claim, Mercedes Gleitze swam the English channel with a Rolex oyster. She swam for more than ten hours, and the watch was still in good working order. The company is famous for being a pioneer in the production of water-resistant timepieces.
- It is also a charity foundation
Because Rolex is a charity foundation, they are permissible for the brand to avoid disclosing financial statements and data. Following his wife’s death in 1944, Hans Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in 1945. He left all of his Rolex shares to the foundation, ensuring that some of the company’s income would go to charity. Up to this day, the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation manages and operates the company and distributes a large portion of its revenues to charity and social causes in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Rolex in the lowest and highest point on Earth
These watches have traveled to the deepest part of the ocean. In 1960, The Trieste, an experimental bathyscaphe, successfully dived into the Mariana Trench with the DeepSea. It happened again in 2012 when James Cameron descended into the Mariana Trench wearing a Deepsea. The brand assured that the DeepSea was waterproof up to 12,000 meters (39,370 feet). Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully ascended Mount Everest in 1953 while wearing an Oyster Perpetual. These prove that the brand made high-quality and high-precision watches that can last in any situation.
- Remarkable innovations
Since the company has been in the industry for more than a century, it created innovative and successful designs. In 1945, the company created the first Datejust. It is the first wristwatch that indicates the date in a window on the dial. In 1954, the company made a timepiece specifically for pilots that display two different time zones. The GMT Master is still the official watch of the famous American airline, Pan Am. In 1956, the brand created the Day-Date, it is the world’s first wristwatch to display the day of the week in 26 different languages. It is one of the most popular wristwatches among powerful individuals.
- Handmade Timepieces
Does number 7 surprise you? Yes, you read it right. All watches from the iconic brand are handmade. Watches in this high-end brand go through so much testing that it takes a year to master one. These watches are meticulously and carefully put together to produce and attain a high-quality product. The watch movements are one of the most difficult parts of creating a Rolex watch since they have a significantly higher failure rate, and therefore should be constructed by hand. When it comes to high-quality watches, it is one of the luxurious brands that you can trust.
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- The most expensive Daytona
Since it is a luxury brand with a high-quality timepiece, it’s not surprising that it is expensive. It has various designs that will truly cater to different customers. Daytona is one of the most sought-after timepieces in Rolex because of its elegance. The Paul Newman Daytona is the most expensive Rolex ever sold. It sold for nearly $18 Million in October 2017 at Phillips’ inaugural watch auction in New York City. It continues to remain the 6th most expensive watch ever sold at auction.
- The most popular Rolex watch
The brand created various collections from Daytona, Day-Date to Submariner, and Sea-Dweller. It simply shows how successful the company became. You have a lot of choices in buying a Rolex watch. The most popular watch in the family is the Datejust. It is the archetype of classic beauty that you will definitely love at first sight. The Datejust was the first waterproof chronometer wristwatch with a date display in a window at 3 o’clock on the dial.
Read Also: 8 Patek Philippe’s Most Emblematic Watches You Should Purchase
In Conclusion
Its worldwide fame stems from its achievements in a variety of areas. There are many good reasons why you should buy a Rolex timepiece. It is one of the most respected and well-known brands in the world. If these interesting facts made you think of buying a Rolex piece, visit Watchshopping.com, a trustworthy online shop that sells a variety of luxury watches.