Rolex

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Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf, der Gründer von Rolex

Montres Rolex SA

Swiss watch manufactory


After a commercial training leaves the Frankish Kulmbach born Hans Wilsdorf in 1900, Germany, in order to La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland for a Import/Export- business as an employee to work. Three years later he moved to London and, together with the Davis Farmers' Housing in London watches wholesale'Wilsdorf & Davis. Davis takes over the housing production and the procurement of high-Wilsdorf Uhrenwerke. The works he refers to the Swiss Biel-based company Aegler.

1908 can Wilsdorf today's world-famous brand name "Rolex" watches for his protection. Rolex stands for "horlogerie exquise" (dt.: high-quality watchmaking art) or is it based, shall be presumed, but can not be proven. After all, the name Perfect, memorable, in all language areas easy to pronounce.

After England 1915, high import taxes on watches has fixed Rolex relocated its headquarters to Biel / Bienne and 1920 for Geneva. The company name is now Montres Rolex SA.


Contents

The perfection of the wristwatch and the model "Oyster"

Rolex Prince, Jumping Hour around 1929

Hans Wilsdorf recognizes long before its competitors, the future of wristwatches. In addition, he is perfect for this time - especially in the men's World - still watches new type: He is especially about the watch resistant to dust, humidity and vibration than the usual pocket at that time.

1910 receives a Rolex, the first prize: the first official Gang sham in the world for bracelet Chronometers. 1914 following the first worldwide awarded bracelet Chronometers Certificate of Class A.

The Rolex full display on the front page of the Daily Mail

1926, the world's first patented waterproof e clock, under the name "Oyster" (German: Auster) were presented. This model is characterized by exceptional ruggedness and Waterproof unit from. Gehäuseboden and crown are screwed. The glass sits firmly and accurately to the full protection of the movement be guaranteed. The production of a current Oyster case in steel, gold or platinum needs more than 100 operations, plus the 35 operations for the Twin-lock crown is added.

On 7 October 1927, the young swimmer Mercedes Gleitz first to cross the English Channel. 15 hours and 15 minutes swimming with a Rolex Oyster "on the arm, which will thereafter be absolutely reliable running. With its secure business instinct switches Wilsdorf, then on 24 November 1927, a full page ad on the front page of the Daily Mail (price: 1,600 pounds or 40000 SFr., 1600.000 edition copies). Through this extremely spectacular marketing campaign succeeds him, the visibility of the brand to increase significantly.

Success will be a year 1928 put out by Rolex watch, not simply because of their unusual then rectangular shape history: the Rolex Prince. The special feature of this model lies in the dual Zifferblatt: The decentralized seconds display is half the size of rectangular dial a clock so that even as "Doctor's Watch" is designated. The built-form of work caliber 877 by Aegler meets all the expectations of precision, and so is the Prince in the first major piece of wristwatch produced by a [[Chronometer Certificate] ] receives.

1931 Rolex brings the famous "Perpetual" on the market. This clock is the forerunner of all modern wristwatches with automatic self-winding to a uniformly tight Spring an even greater precision to achieve.

1945 follows the Rolex Datejust with automatically changing the date display.

For this series of elegant, in many different variants available Luxury Oyster models include the 1956 presented Rolex Day-Date. It is the world's first waterproof and automatic wristband-Chronometers with simultaneous indication of the date and the full advertised weekday. (The selection of the weekday show includes 26 languages.)

Even Rolex - you hardly believe it today! - There is a quartz episode, and first with the 1970 in a number of small piece produced Quartz Date and then for a longer period with the 1978 presented Rolex Oyster Quartz. With the model Rolex Datejust Oyster Quartz 17000 equipped climbs Reinhold Messner in the same year without oxygen device Mount Everest. (Models with quartz movement s there is Rolex today only in the classically elegant series Cellini, but not more, of the Oyster models.)

The Rolex Specials

Rolex Submariner Date Steel Gold

Among the "specials" understands Rolex for certain areas of application development models, of which the Submariner and GMT-Master are the best known.

In the year 1953 to reach the New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing the British Mount Everest expedition was the first to the highest peaks in the world. This expedition is Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometers s of the specially developed type Explorer I equipped. Today, both continue in this clock Rolex program, as well as its successor Explorer II, a dedicated spelunkers model developed with an additional 24-hour display.

Also, 1953, after many experiments, the first special watch for divers developed - the Submariner. It has sapphire crystal, a screw, triple crown and a secure bolted ground. The black, perfectly readable dial has indexes from white with tritium edition, the hands are part skeletonized and also in white with tritium edition. The bezel to adjust the dive time is one-sided rotating. Initially, the Waterproof accuracy only guaranteed up to 100 m, but increases 1954 at 200 meters and is in the current version of 300 m. Sean Connery carries in the first films in the series "James Bond 007" a Submariner, which explains the increasing popularity of this model. Today the clock to the lasting icons of watchmaking history.

The 1971 appears Sea-Dweller is even up to 610 ft (1,220 m later) water and the first diver in the world with a helium valve.

1954, the GMT-Master presented. It is the result of a tender for the airline Pan Am, "for its pilots a wristwatch have wanted to at least two time zones simultaneously display.

The Chronograph enmodell Cosmograph Daytona, by the actor Paul Newman in a film appearance is known, is 1961 on the market. The clock is in the early years with a 28800 A / h heruntergetakteten Zenith caliber El Primero; or later will receive a Rolex own chronograph movement (Rolex 4130). In the following decades, this clock cult status granted, especially in the steel version, whose production for years to come out and is fully booked.

Another well-known and has become a classic model is the Yacht-Master, which since the spring of 2007 as a new edition, called Yacht-Master II, and with the new factory caliber Rolex 4160 equipment.

Also, 2007 were reprints of previous models Datejust Turn-O-Graph and Milgauss presents.

Rolex - today one of the world's best-known brands

Rolex Chronometer Certificate

The name "Rolex" has been almost 100 years of quality and the associated prestige and is therefore one of the meistkopierten (ie: fake) watch brands worldwide.

As the head is from 1963 Wilsdorf successor Andre J. Heiniger, who has already been 1954, commercial director at Rolex has been the fate of the company. 1992 he gives the reins to his son Patrick, who the company to continue behutsamem price controls, instead, as with most other manufacturers, constantly launching new models, a model of restrained policy consistent with maintaining the classics and successive Detail improvements prosecuted. Almost all of the watches available today, there was in its current manifestation is already some 50 years ago. Although all models in the course of recent decades have been revised, but these changes are mostly technical improvements.

On 27 March 2004, the definitive merger of the companies Rolex Geneva and Rolex Biel instead. Currently, each year about 800,000 watches produced. Rolex is the manufacturer with the most clocks with Chronometers works, the number of 600000 plants annually audited by any other enterprise. Due to the high proportion of gold watch is the company with about 13 tons per year is also the largest consumer of gold in Switzerland.

The Rolex Foundation

Since he had remained childless, Hans Wilsdorf had still to be alive in the company Rolex converted to a charitable foundation. Since 1972 gives these highly paid an annual prize to outstanding personalities in public life, in addition to researchers and scientists who bring new ideas and special benefits to the progress and welfare of humanity have contributed to it. Together with the price will always be a particularly valuable Rolex clock awarded. Supported by Rolex also the SOS Children's Villages.

Rolex Yacht-Master II (white gold)
© Rolex

Continued striving quality and new developments

For some time there is a fresh wind Rolex again in the hitherto relatively conservatively managed model policy. Too many models have been revised, carefully adapted to the taste successor presents. This is reflected also by some degree of increased housing. In addition, newly developed, in their accuracy and resistance to further optimized for use works. The weltbekannnte factory invested large sums in research, product development, quality testing and perfecting the service. In other words: It wants to continue leading by convincing real benefits and defend not only by the beautiful advertising bogus.

Here is an overview of last new or revamped models:

Another innovation is the development of the Rolex own rose alloy Everose ". As the name suggests, this farbbeständiger than conventional rose. This property was by adding a platinum share reached. So Everose from 76% gold, 22% copper and 2% platinum. In this composition, the material behaves as a single rose goldvariante resistant to chlorinated water.

Literature

Address

Rolex SA
3-7, rue François-Dussaud
CH-1211 Genf 24

Deutschlandvertretung:
Dompropst-Ketzer-Str. 1-9
Postfach 10 30 41
50470 Köln
Tel.: 0221/1650-0, Fax: -580

Weblinks

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