Rolex GMT Master 'Pepsi', Bild: FratelloWatches
Hans Wilsdorf (born in 1888) founded the company we now know as Rolex , in 1905. At the time it was called Wilsdorf & Davis, where Davis was a family member and acted as an investor in the company. The company started as an assembly firm, ordering movements and other watch parts from Switzerland and having them shipped to London where the Wilsdorf & Davis company was located. In 1908 the name Rolex was registered and a few years later they started to use this name more frequent. It wasn't before 1919 that Rolex opened their offices in Geneva. Manufacturing of parts took place in Bienne at that time, and still does.
Although people – mainly those who do not like Rolex – complain that there is too little innovation in their watches, Rolex has proven to be very innovative over the last 100 years .
Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Daytona, Image: Auctionata
The downside of this perpetual rotor at the time was that it influenced the thickness of a watch quite a bit. If you've ever heard of or read about the Rolex “bubbleback” models, now you know why they have bubble backs.
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In the 1950s, Rolex started to develop a range of professional watches. These were watches that could actually be used by professionals – of all sorts – without damaging or harming the timepiece. This adventure started in 1953, with the Rolex Explorer . This is the watch that Ian Fleming wore himself and described as the James Bond watch in his books. Also introduced in 1953 was the Rolex Submariner , Bond's movie watch. This professional diver's watch had a depth-rate of 100 meters and a bezel that could be rotated so the remaining diving time could be read
Rolex GMT Master II, Bild: FratelloWatches
As you know, Rolex has their preferences when it comes to materials for their watches. Rose gold became Everrose gold and instead of the commonly used 316L steel type Rolex started to use the 904L type of steel. A steel type that is a bit more difficult to process and work on, but has exceptional characteristics to fight corrosion and give a wonderful sheen, according to Rolex.
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A Rolex Submariner in 2015 is clearly related to the first Rolex Submariner in 1953, and the same goes for a lot of their models. Ask a group of people to name a Rolex classic and you will get almost all of the current models as an answer. This and their craving to create large quantities of watches with the highest quality possible makes them what they are today, one of the best recognized brand names worldwide.
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