Rolex, excellence in men's wrist watches.
A pioneer in the domain of wrist watches, Rolex is the world's leading luxury watchmaker. From the manufacture of the components to the casting of the gold alloys and the assembly of the mechanisms, the Swiss watchmaker designs iconic timekeeping pieces for men.
A brand at the cutting edge of innovation.
Rolex was founded in London in 1905, by company director Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. Initially called Wilsdorf & Davis, then changed to Rolex three years later, the brand with the crown logo displayed a taste for avant-gardism from the very start. In 1906 it created the famous expandable straps, which became its signature. Four years went by before Rolex was granted the first precision certification awarded by the Swiss Chronometry Society. Which was very probably the reason behind Wilsdorf's move to Geneva. The first Rolex Oyster, a waterproof watch whose revolutionary winding crown protects the movement, was launched in 1926. To win over the sceptics, Rolex pulled out all the stops and displayed its Oyster watches in aquariums full of water. The birth of a legend.
Ever since, Rolex has adorned the wrists of the greats and goods of this world, with myriad models on the cutting edge of innovation. The Rolex Prince comes to mind, with its duo-dial, as does the Rotor, boasting an automatic winding mechanism, and the Oyster Perpetual Datejust, the first watch to display the day of the month. Not forgetting the Oyster Perpetual Submariner, water resistant to a depth of one hundred metres, and the Oyster Perpetual GMT Master, which gives the time in two different time zones simultaneously.
Watches that are for ever.
Pink gold, white gold, platinum, two-toned Rolesor, ceramic, rubber, leather, metal links, etc. there's a Rolex watch strap to suit everyone. The dials embody restrained elegance or in complete contrast, can be embellished with diamonds, gems or mother-of-pearl. They are graced with mono colours or more daring colour combos. As for Rolex crowns, they trace the 12 hours with appliques of Arabic or Roman numerals, with classic or professional hour markers. Last but not least comes a noble clasp, like the discreet Crownclasp, all of them bearing a small version of the iconic crown.
Among the legendary Rolex timepieces, the Day-Date revolutionised the world of watchmaking by displaying the day of the week written out in full in different languages. The updated version has taken on a more understated and timeless feel. Whereas the Datejust, marrying steel with yellow gold, mother-of-pearl and fine diamonds, is a model of refinement. Designed with car enthusiasts in mind, the Cosmograph Daytonawatch has become one of the brand's classics. It comes in an array of different versions, including the Paul Newman, that sells like hot cakes in auction rooms.