Like all great undertakings, Rolex originated from an ordinary starting point, which is highly brilliant today. Hans Wilsdorf was born in 1881. At that time, watches were only regarded as jewelry to win the favor of women, and production was minimal. Still, Hans Wilsdorf firmly believed that watches were beautiful, accurate, and durable.
Mr. Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex
In 1905, at 24, he opened a watch company in London, specializing in selling timepieces to the UK and Commonwealth countries. He also equipped the products with small precision movements produced by a watch manufacturing company in Biel. In 1908, he registered the trademark name for his innovative product – Rolex. This name conforms to the pronunciation habits of all European languages and can be easily printed on the surface. Hans Wilsdorf’s unique vision, which surpassed his time, was soon rewarded. The First World War brought disaster to humanity, but it also became the best promoter of the popularity of watches. For soldiers carrying heavy equipment and wearing heavy uniforms, watches have innate advantages that pocket watches cannot match. Rolex soon became one of the most essential watch suppliers in the UK. Fake Rolex for sale.
The first Oyster watch
Precision is the only language.
In the first ten years of Rolex’s establishment, Wilsdorf insisted on sending the movement to the official quality control agency for testing to improve the movement’s reliability continuously. In 1910, the official timepiece evaluation center in Biel awarded a Rolex watch an official chronometer certification, the first time the Swiss government awarded such certification to a replica watch. In 1914, Rolex watches were awarded the A-level chronometer certification issued by the British Observatory. Initially, only professional marine timepieces could obtain this honor. Since then, Rolex’s quality has become synonymous with precision watches, and such success has also made Rolex more determined to send most of its watches to the Observatory for certification. To this day, the number of Rolex watches certified by the Observatory has long been far ahead of other competitors, ranking first in the world.
World Time Watch
All glory begins with the Oyster.
1926, the world’s first waterproof and dustproof watch, the Oyster, was born. The so-called Oyster watch is because the structure of the Oyster inspires its screw-in waterproof back cover, and it uses a completely sealed case to provide the best protection for movement. The Oyster watch made Rolex synonymous with waterproof performance. The emergence of the Oyster watch challenged the traditional watch market and opened the brand’s legend. In 1927, the Oyster Watch safely and accurately accompanied the young British female swimmer Mercedes Gillis across the English Channel, marking the beginning of the close cooperation between Rolex and individuals with outstanding achievements. This publicity campaign combined with sports adventure activities is also known as the most successful marketing method of the last century.
The first Datejust watch
Innovation and function go hand in hand.
In the 1930s, when other watch manufacturers were still working on experimental automatic winding mechanisms, Rolex could mass-produce the technology it had developed for many years. It successfully launched the Rolex Oyster automatic winding watch in 1931, ahead of other competitors. Today, most automatic watches worldwide have adopted this technology from Rolex. 1956, the Day-Date was launched, the world’s first watch that fully displays date and day information. In the decades after Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex has always adhered to the development of mechanical timing, even with the impact of quartz and electronic timing technology. In the early 1950s, with perfect precision timing and excellent waterproof performance, Rolex developed a professional watch series with functions far beyond simple timing.
Timeless classic details
In recent decades, the appearance and style of Rolex watches have not changed much, so it has been criticized for sticking to conventions and being content with the status quo. Still, Rolex has always been proud of the two benchmark criteria of “pursuing precision” and “being practical.” Those classic watches have a series of legendary stories of inspiration, people, and events intertwined. Even though consumers may not be able to tell from the shape that Rolex has made gradual improvements in accuracy and practicality, the countless classic designs that have been used over the years, such as the Oyster case, Mercedes-Benz hands, dual time display, waterproof performance, helium exhaust valve and unidirectional rotatable chronograph outer ring design, and those seemingly ordinary bezels, calendars, and second-hand movement designs have become the best details of Rolex that professionals most praise. Even with today’s watchmaking standards, they are all classic-century works. Rolex’s introverted and self-reflective watchmaking attitude confirms the minimalist design concept of “less is more.”
This story about classics cleverly combines tradition, honor, and technology, creating an eternal glorious chapter, a journey of excellence, a cohesion of wisdom and innovation, and an unremitting spirit of pursuing perfection.
How to identify classics
Classic features: 1. The fluorescent dot at noon must be as warm as jade. After more than half a century of trials, the shape of the Oyster case has become a classic and eternal, especially the fluorescent spot at noon, which is extremely warm and smooth, like a pearl. It often appears in the diving watch series and has become one of the most essential details.
Classic feature 2. The movement of the second hand follows a unique pattern. In simple terms, when the watch is running, you should see that the round counterpoint at the tail of the second-hand passes the center point of the “Mercedes” hour hand. This seemingly unintentional “small design” often shows the brand’s outstanding skills and rigorous attitude.
Classic feature 3. Rolex’s calendar font is different from the conventional design. Whether it is Day-Date or Submariner, the calendar font is very distinctive, and the two most accessible numbers to distinguish are 1 and 4. In the “Rolex system,” the display “1” is very similar to the English letter “I,” and the top corner of “4” is flat.
Brand: Rolex
Series: Gmt Master Ii
Case Thickness: 15mm
Movement: Automatic
Case Color: Silver-tone
Gender: Men’s
Band Color: Silver-tone
Model: 16710COKE
Dial Color: Black Dial