The history of Rolex watchesAlfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf, founded Wilsdorf and Davis, the company that would eventually become Rolex SA, in London, England in 1905. Wilsdorf and Davis’ main business at the time was importing Hermann Aegler’s Swiss movements to England and placing them in quality watch cases made by Dennison and others.These early wristwatches were sold to jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually hallmarked “W&D” inside the case back.In 1908, Wilsdorf registered the trademark “Rolex” and opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The company name “Rolex” was registered on 15 November 1915. The book The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History by Jeffrey P. Hess and James Dowling says that the name was just made up. One story, never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the name came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning “exquisite clockwork” or as a contraction of “horological excellence”.Wilsdorf was said to want his watch brand’s name to be easily pronounceable in any language. He also thought that the name “Rolex” was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound. It is easily pronounceable in many languages and, as all letters have the same size, allows to be written symmetrically. It was also short enough to fit on the face of a watch.
In 1914, Kew Observatory awarded a Rolex watch a Class A precision certificate, a distinction which was normally awarded exclusively to marine chronometers. In 1919, Wilsdorf left England due to wartime taxes levied on luxury imports as well as export duties on the silver and gold used for the watch cases driving costs too high and moved the company to Geneva, Switzerland, where it was established as the Rolex Watch Company. Its name was later changed to Montres Rolex, SA and finally Rolex, SA. Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in which he left all of his Rolex shares, making sure that some of the company’s income would go to charity. In December 2008, the abrupt departure of Chief Executive Patrick Heiniger, for “personal reasons”, was followed by a denial by the company that it had lost 1 billion Swiss francs (approx.. £574 million, $900 million) invested with Bernard Madoff, the American asset manager who pleaded guilty to an approximately £30 billion worldwide Ponzi scheme fraud. Heiniger died March 5, 2013, after a long illness, according to an official statement issued by Rolex SA. Today, Rolex watches are popularly considered status symbols Sourse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex#History All images are from the actual watch for sale (WE NEVER USE INTERNET BASED PICTURES). To avoid any misunderstanding regarding scratches etc., please view carefully all images of the watch you’re interested in. The condition can be seen and judged on the picture. Case: good condition with few scratches. One of the scratches is prominent. Clock face: excellent condition Glass: very good condition, with a little scratch near the date Back face: excellent condition Bracelet: excellent condition Movement: fully operational / checked for performance, authenticity and functionality Evaluation The recent comparable model Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust in steel with automatic movement and original Rolex solid jubilee bracelet has an retail price of 6.400,- Euros. You may consider the classic design this elegant watch offers.. Payment We accept payments by PayPal, by credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, etc.) or by wire transfer to our company’s bank account. Please note that goods will only be sent after agreed payment is visible into our account. Shipping We ship our watches also internationally using insured shipping and only the most reliable shipping service by DHL. The shipping cost is supported by the customer and will be added on the invoice. Sales processing Immediate after your purchase, you will receive all payment information by e-mail. Your order will be dispatched with DHL within the next working day or within 36 hours after your payment has been received respectively. Incoming payments are checked several times daily via online banking and are forwarded to be shipped immediately. Item and accessories will be delivered as pictured. Manuals, papers, certificate cards, booklets and boxes are only included in the delivery if mentioned in the description and/or shown in the pictures. |