Founding A Famous Brand
The company known as Rolex has a rich and fascinating history, dating back to 1905 when it was founded by Hans Wilsdorf, a German who had come toEnglandto start Wilsdorf & Davies. This importer of watches soon turned into a watch designing and manufacturing company, and was renamed Rolex by Wilsdorf in 1908. It was soon leading the way in the industry, with Wilsdorf himself inventing many of the watch models we know and love today; he came up with the first self-winding watch which was powered by the wearer’s arm movement, and he invented a mechanism that stopped the issue of over winding for the first time.
An area that he was particularly interested in exploring was that of water resistant watches. His Rolex designs had to undergo rigorous testing before he could put them on sale, and while they were generally praised for their high precision and durability, he still thought they could improve in the area of moisture protection.
The Rolex Oyster A.K.A The Wonder Watch
In 1926, the Rolex Oyster came along – a watch which was just as precise as its predecessors, but one that was also completely watertight. This was possible due to the company’s invention of a new unbreakable synthetic material, and a new sealing method which enabled a watertight seal on the case of the watch itself.
This claim of water resistance was bold, and not one that the general public really believed – that is, until October 1927. English woman Mercedes Gleitze swam the channel and – at the request of Hans Wilsdorf and his mind for publicity – she did it while carrying an Oyster watch. This publicity stunt couldn’t have gone better for Rolex; not only did the watch not stop during the ten hours plus journey in the cold English channel, but it kept perfect time and didn’t even have a scratch on it or a hint of condensation by the end. This led to extensive media coverage, with the London Daily Mail even calling it ‘The Wonder Watch That Defies The Elements’ on its front page – although this was paid for by Wilsdorf. 100 % water resistant watches were born.
Other Water Resistant Rolex Designs
When it comes to water resistance, the Oyster was just the start. The Sea Dweller – originally called the Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller 2000 – was released in 1971, and it was promoted as being water resistant for up to 2000 feet (610 metres). This was impressive, but 1980 saw another water resistant design – the Sea Dweller 4000 – allowing for depths up to 4000 feet (1220 metres). They worked by using a helium gas release valve which dispensed helium during decompression, and were marketed at professional divers.
If you’re looking for modern water resistant watches, you could start with the Rolex Submariner 16613. It has a steel and gold oyster lock bracelet, a blue dial with applied luminous hour markers, and is water resistant up to 100 metres. The Submariner and Sea Dweller models are among Rolex’s most popular watches – with both divers and non-divers – and some places have two year waiting lists for these designs.
Other water resistant models include the Rolex Date 15200, a watch with a salmon pink dial, polished steel domed bezel and a steel oyster bracelet with concealed clasp. It has automatic chronometer movement and is also water resistant up to 100 metres.
If you’re looking for something practical in the water, but still want a hint of glamour, the Rolex GMT Master II 16710 LN will give you that extra bit of bling, whether you’re going diving or just relaxing in the pool. Another model that is water resistant up to 100 metres, this watch has a custom set pave diamond dial, a custom sapphire diamond and ruby bezel, and diamond lugs. It has automatic chronometer movement and is finished off with a stainless steel Oyster bracelet, proving that you can have both practicality and style when it comes to watches.
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