A journey to the heart of the Rolex universe
Hans Wilsdorf was deeply convinced of the human being's capacity to innovate and strive for excellence.
Published on 06/09/2024
Nearly one hundred and twenty years after the creation of the brand, the founder's state of mind is more present than ever, from the manufacturing of watches to Rolex's commitments around the world.
Rolex represents a multitude of different professions, embodied by women and men, all experts in their field.
Since its origins, the history of Rolex has been marked by the search for perfection and the desire to always go further.
At the beginning of the last century, a visionary entrepreneur, then established in London, was on the verge of establishing himself with his will alone. His challenge? Make known in the watchmaking world of the time a still unknown signature: Rolex. A unique name – invented in 1908 – which would become in a few decades one of the most famous brands in the world. The difficulty seemed insurmountable “at first glance”: this is how Hans Wilsdorf remembered the beginnings of his company in his memoirs.
At that time, the entrepreneur did not have much. But the man, on the other hand, had invaluable qualities: vision, perseverance and extraordinary working power. Orphaned at the age of 12, with nothing but his determination to overcome all obstacles, Hans Wilsdorf would invent the world's first waterproof, self-winding wristwatch with a Perpetual rotor. A watch that has become a benchmark today in terms of quality and prestige.
“Too complicated, too fragile, too unsuitable,” he had been constantly told up until then. Thanks to his deep convictions, Hans Wilsdorf nevertheless succeeded in the audacious challenge of imposing the Rolex watch – the Oyster Perpetual – as the archetype of the waterproof, self-winding wristwatch, a robust and precise watch, capable of withstanding all the situations. But Hans Wilsdorf was not only the visionary who gave Rolex watches their fundamental technical and aesthetic characteristics. His constant search for perfection was accompanied by great generosity and an unshakeable faith in human beings.
An independent and verticalized manufacturer, Rolex has an industrial tool which brings together innumerable know-how. Watchmakers, engineers, designers and other specialists work closely together to design and then manufacture watches. The company culture is based above all on human values, which place know-how and interpersonal skills at the center of the various activities.
Rolex represents a multitude of different professions, embodied by women and men, all experts in their field. The brand designs and manufactures the majority of the components of its watches, from the casting of gold alloys to the assembly of the elements of the movement, case, dial and bracelet, including machining, design, finishing and crimping. It also makes its various know-how available throughout the world, thanks to an exceptional network and after-sales service.
And to guarantee the sustainability of its know-how, Rolex has its own Training Center, unique in its kind. Dedicated to the emergence of talents and the development of its employees, this center, based in Geneva, provides continuing training for the company's employees and managers, and ensures the training of apprentices. A space for sharing knowledge and expertise, its mission is to ensure tomorrow's succession, according to the brand's values.
The Oyster Perpetual collection built on the success of the original Oyster, introduced in 1926. The world's first waterproof wristwatch, with its patented case architecture, the Oyster played a pioneering role in the development of the watch -modern bracelet. Over the years, it has been the bearer of numerous other innovations – including the automatic winding by Perpetual rotor (1931) – which have defined the identity of the models in the collection and forged Rolex's reputation for excellence, which is based, among other things, on the chronometric precision of its watches and their reliability.
The Oyster was gradually developed into a collection of watches incorporating new features and innovative technologies. The fundamentals of this watchmaking archetype are found in all the watches in the collection, which share a strong visual identity. Today, the collection is made up of 12 ranges and is broken down into two categories: Classic watches such as the Datejust and DayDate and Professional watches such as the Explorer and the GMTMaster II.
A pioneer of the modern wristwatch, she is at the origin of many major innovations in the field of watchmaking. It has filed more than 600 patents throughout its history.
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