Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches and accessories renowned for their quality and exclusivity, as well as their cost (from a few thousand to more than one hundred thousand U.S. dollars). The watches have become status symbols of the rich and famous.
History
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Rolex SA was founded in 1905 by the German Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis. Contrary to popular belief, Hans Wilsdorf was neither Swiss, nor a watchmaker. Wilsdorf & Davis was the original name of what later became the Rolex Watch Company. They originally imported Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placed them in quality cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were then sold to jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from the firm of Wilsdorf and Davis are usually marked "W&D" – inside the caseback only.
Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark name "Rolex" in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland during 1908. The word was made up, but its origin is obscure. One story, which was never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the word "Rolex" came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning exquisite watch industry.
The Wilsdorf & Davis company moved out of Great Britain in 1912. Wilsdorf wanted his watches to be affordable, but taxes and export duties on the case metals (silver and gold) were driving costs up. From that time to the present, Rolex has been headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, though the company owns facilities in other cities (Bienne, etc) and continents (North America, Asia, Australia, etc).
The company name Rolex was officially registered on 15 November 1915. It is thought this change was part of a drive to popularize wristwatches, which at the time were still considered a novelty largely for women (pocket watches were more common). Wilsdorf was said to desire his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. The company name was officially changed to the Rolex Watch Company during 1919. It was later changed to Montres Rolex, SA and finally Rolex, SA.
Rolex SA is a foundation initiated and originally funded by Hans Wilsdorf and the Aegler family. According to foundation documentation, the Rolex SA company can never be sold, nor traded on any stock market.
Other innovations
Among the company's innovations are the first waterproof watch case; the first wristwatch with a date on the dial; the first watch to show two timezones at once; and most importantly the first watchmakers to earn the coveted chronometer certification for a wristwatch. To date, Rolex still holds the record for the most certified chronometer movements in the category of wristwatches. Another little known fact is that Rolex participated in the development of the original quartz watch movements. Although Rolex has made very few quartz models for its Oyster line, the company's engineers were instrumental in design and implementation of the technology during the early 1970s.
The first self-winding Rolex watch was offered to the public in 1931, powered by an internal mechanism that used the movement of the wearer's arm. This not only made watch-winding unnecessary, but eliminated the problem of over-winding a watch and harming its mechanism. Rolex was also the first watch company to create a truly waterproof watch — another milestone from novelty to functional timepiece. Wilsdorf even went so far as to have a specially made Rolex watch attached to the side of the Trieste bathyscaphe, which went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The watch survived and tested as having kept perfect time during its descent and ascent. This was confirmed by a telegram sent to Rolex the following day saying "Am happy to confirm that even at 11,000 metres your watch is as precise as on the surface. Best regards, Jacques Piccard".
Rolex has also made a reputation in watches suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving, aviation and mountain climbing. Early sports models included the Rolex submariner, Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller 2000 (in 1971). This watch featured a helium release valve, co-invented with Swiss watchmaker Doxa, to release helium gas build-up during decompression. Another sports model is the Rolex GMT Master II, originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways, to assist pilots in transcontinental flights. The Explorer and Explorer II were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain — such as the world famous Everest Expeditions.
On the more glamorous side, Ian Fleming's James Bond character wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in the series of spy novels. In the early EON production Bond films, Commander Bond wore a Rolex Submariner. However, for the Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan and the film with Daniel Craig, James Bond's standard issue watch is an Omega Seamaster. This is due in part to Omega being open to jointly promote their association with the films' producers.
Different watch lines
Rolex SA has three watch lines, Rolex, Tudor and Cellini. Among modern Rolex Oyster watch models are the Air-King, Datejust, Rolex GMT Master II, Explorer, Rolex Submariner, Sea-Dweller, Daytona Cosmograph, Day-Date, Oyster Perpetual and Yacht-Master. The stainless steel Daytona has become one of the most sought after watches of all time. Dealer waiting lists can run from three to seven years and there are reports of collectors paying up to $15,000 for the privilege of owning this exclusive watch, though it is not uncommon for jewellers to rake up the profits themselves by buying the watches and selling it on, hence it is rumored that Rolex has dropped the infamous waiting list.
The primary bracelets for the Rolex Oyster line are named Jubilee, Oyster and the President. Rolex "dressy" watches are from their Cellini line. The third brand in the Rolex empire is the less expensive, but high quality, Tudor brand. While still sold in Europe and the Far East, the Tudor line was discontinued in the United States as of 2004.
Rolex replicas
Like many high-priced, brand-name accessories, Rolex watches are often counterfeited and sold in markets around the world that cater to tourists. These fakes are mainly produced in Taiwan and mainland China[citation needed] and retail anywhere from $5 upwards to $1000 -- for replicas fabricated with solid gold. As of July 2006, it was possible to buy, in Rome, Italy, a replica Datejust for 20 Euros (aprox. $24). By some accounts, over 75% of all replica watches produced annually are copies of Rolex Oyster Perpetual designs. These watches have been nicknamed "Folex" or "Fauxlex". [citation needed]
One good test to spot if the watch is a fake or not can be performed simply by looking at it. Most Rolex models have a self-winding mechanical movement, which makes the second hand move smoothly around the watch face, while a majority of all cheaply made fakes have a simple battery powered quartz movement which "ticks" (that is, will move quickly, pause momentarily then repeat the action) from one second indicator to another.[citation needed] Another common giveaway is a transparent case back which allows the movement to be seen; Rolex has never produced such a watch, with the exception of some extremely rare models from the 1930's.
Not all Rolex fakes are cheap imitations. Some higher-end replicas use quality materials such as reliable ETA automatic movement with a smoothly moving second hand like a genuine Rolex, and CNC-cut accurate watch cases. These replicas require a bit more knowledge to detect because they lack the common flaws found in the low-end watches. However their numbers are small in comparison to their cheaper cousins.
See also
External Links
- Rolex, Official Rolex site
- The Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135, Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135 review.
- Rolex watches, guide to 27 popular models, additional information on history, buying, and Rolex features and innovations
References
- Dowling, James M. & Hess, Jeffrey P., The Best of Times Rolex Wristwatches An Unauthorized History, Schiffer Publishing Limited, 1996. ISBN 0-7643-0011-3
- Brozek, John E., The Rolex Report, InfoQuest Publishing, Inc (Self-published), 2004. ISBN 0-9723133-0-3
- Jarman, T. Charles, The ROLEX Reference Guide - 4th Edition, Leap Enterprises (Self-published), 2003. ISBN 0-9709514-2-6
- Brown, Richard,The Replica Watch Report, Lulu Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-4116-1402-X