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Hans Wilsdorf



Hans Wilsdorf
Born(1881-03-22)22 March 1881
Kulmbach, German Empire
Died6 July 1960(1960-07-06) (aged 79)
Geneva, Switzerland
CitizenshipBritish (after 1911)
Known forFounding Rolex, the largest single luxury watch brand
Spouse(s)Florence Frances May Crotty (m. 1911–1944).
Betty Wilsdorf-Mettler (m. Unknown-1960)
Hans Wilsdorf (March 22, 1881 – July 6, 1960) was a German-born British founder of noted watch brands Rolex and Tudor.




Contents

  • 1 Early Life
  • 2 1905: Founding Wilsdorf & Davis
  • 3 1908: Founding Rolex
  • 4 World War I
  • 5 1927: The Rolex Oyster
  • 6 1931: The Rolex Perpetual
  • 7 World War II
  • 8 1945: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
  • 9 1945: The Rolex Datejust
  • 10 1946: Founding Tudor
  • 11 1954: The Rolex Submariner
  • 12 1954: The Rolex GMT-Master
  • 13 1955: The Rolex Day-Date
  • 14 1956: The Rolex Milgauss
  • 15 1960: Death & Legacy
  • 16 References


Early Life

Hans Wilsdorf was born in Kulmbach, Germany, to Protestant parents, Anna and Johan Daniel Ferdinand Wilsdorf and was the second son of a family of three children.


The photo above shows Hans Wilsdorf (front row right) standing in front of his father, with his mother sitting down between sister and brother.
His mother died when he was a boy and he became an orphan when his father died soon-after when Hans was twelve years old.

Hans's fate was placed in the hands of his uncles who sold the prosperous family business which had belonged to his grandfather, and later to his father. Hans and his brother and sister were sent to excellent boarding schools where they received superb educations.


Hans Wilsdorf published his autobiography in 1946 as part of a four volume set of books named Rolex Jubilee Vade Mecum. In his autobiography Hans stated:


"Our uncles were not indifferent to our fate; nevertheless, the way in which they made me become self-reliant very early in life made me acquire the habit of looking after my possessions and, looking back, I believe that it is to this that much of my success is due."


Hans Wilsdorf excelled in mathematics and languages, which inspired him to travel and work in foreign countries. Hans began his career as an apprentice with a highly influential international pearl exporting company. The valuable experience Hans gained played a crucial role in all of his future dealings.


In 1900 Hans began his career in Swiss watchmaking when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to work as an English correspondent and clerk with the influential watch firm of Messrs. Cuno Korten, ru Leoppold Robert, where he was paid a salary of 80 Swiss Francs. At the time, Cuno Korten exported around one million francs worth of pocket watches on an annual basis. Cuno Korten worked with all grades of watches, and manufactured a small number of watches from the ground up.


Hans Wilsdorf was responsible for winding hundreds of pocket watches everyday in his role with Cuno Korten, as well as making certain all watches were keeping accurate time. Hans Wilsdorf gained tremendous insight into watchmaking during his time with Cuno Korten, where he gained valuable knowledge about how all types of watches were produced around the world.



1905: Founding Wilsdorf & Davis

In 1903 Hans Wilsdorf moved to London, England where he went to work for another high-quality watchmaking company. In 1905—with a modest amount of money—Hans set up a business with Alfred Davis named Wilsdorf & Davis, located at 83 Hatton Gardens in London, England. The goal of Wilsdorf & Davis was to provide high-quality timepieces at affordable prices.




Wilsdorf-and-Davis Placard from 1905

1908: Founding Rolex

On Rolex's 50th anniversary, in 1958, Hans Wilsdorf shared the story of how he originally conceived the 'Rolex' name in 1908:

"I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave some hundred names, but none of them felt quite right. It was one morning when I was sitting on the upper level of a double-decker powered at that time by horses, driving along Cheapside in London, that a good genie whispered in my ear: "Rolex." A few days after this fruitful journey, the Rolex brand was filed, and then officially registered in Switzerland by Wilsdorf & Davis."




Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex Founder pictured above in 1908 in London England riding Omnibus
During the first decade of the 1900s pocket watches were ubiquitous, and wrist watches, referred to at the time as a "wristlet" were frowned upon. Hans Wilsdorf was an early believer in the potential of the wrist watch, and made it his mission in life to popularize them.

Hans Wilsdorf had become aware in 1902, during his stay at La Chaux-de-Fonds of Hermann Aegler who was based in Bienne, Switzerland, who had begun producing 'ebauches', which are rough movements for high-quality, small lever escapement watch movements.


In 1905, Hans traveled to Bienne, Switzerland and placed an order with Hermann Aegler, which resulted in the largest order ever made for wristlet watches. This began a long-standing partnership between Aegler and Rolex, until Rolex bought out Aegler a century later.






World War I

In 1914, a decade after Wilsdorf moved to London, World War I broke out, at which time Wilsdorf changed the name of Wilsdorf & Davis to The Rolex Watch Company Ltd. Fourteen days before World War I began, On July 14, 1914, Rolex was the first wristwatch in history to be awarded a Class "A" certificate from the famous Kew Observatory. Rolex had grown quickly; in 1914 they had more than 40 employees on their payroll.

In 1914, Hans Wilsdorf wrote:


"My personal opinion ... is that pocket watches will almost completely disappear and that wrist watches will replace them definitively! I am not mistaken in this opinion and you will see that I am right."


In 1915 the British government implemented a 33% customs duty that prompted Rolex to move its international headquarters from London to Bienne, Switzerland. In 1919 Rolex moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains to this day.



1927: The Rolex Oyster

In 1927 Rolex patented and launched the first commercially viable waterproof watch which was known as "The Rolex Oyster". Rolex also selected watch dealers in each town to act as exclusive dealers, and provided each of them with special window displays that consisted of an aquarium with plants and goldfish, along with a Rolex 'Oyster' wristwatch. People passing by would be shocked to see a watch functioning properly while being submerged in water!

Hans Wilsdorf realized the advent of the Rolex Oyster was a major innovation in the history of horology, and invested a great deal of resources in advertising. His first Rolex brand ambassador was a female swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze who swam the English channel while wearing a Rolex Oyster around her neck.


After Mercedes Gleitze, Hans Wilsdorf turned to land speed king Sir Malcolm Campbell to represent Rolex as a brand ambassador. Malcolm Campbell set new land-speed records nine times between 1924 and 1935.



1931: The Rolex Perpetual

In 1931 Rolex launched an automatic wristwatch with a design much improved over the automatics of the day which they dubbed "The Rolex Perpetual". The Rolex Perpetual would automatically wind its movement by harnessing energy captured from the rotation of a bi-directional rotor inside the Rolex watch.


World War II

By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches. However, when captured and sent to POW camps, their watches were confiscated. When Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until the end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf personally oversaw this effort.


1945: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation

Hans Wilsdorf and his first wife, Florence Frances May Wilsdorf-Crotty, never had any children, and she died from an illness in 1944. In 1945 Hans Wilsdorf set up the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, to which in 1960 he handed over his 100% ownership stake in Rolex. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation owns and controls Rolex to this day, and donates a great deal of its income to charity and social causes in Geneva, Switzerland.


1945: The Rolex Datejust

In 1945 Rolex set another horological precedent when they introduced the first wrist watch to feature an aperture window that automatically showed the date by using a date-wheel. The Rolex Datejust was another game-changing first in the world of horology, and ended up on the wrist of many famous world leaders including Sir Winston Churchill and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.


1946: Founding Tudor

Wilsdorf also established the high-quality lower-priced watch brand Tudor, a subsidiary company of Rolex, in 1946. On March 6, 1946, Hans Wilsdorf made the following statement regarding the Tudor brand:


"For some years now I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous, I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company."

1954: The Rolex Submariner

In 1954 Rolex launched their first specialized diving watch known as "The Rolex Submariner." Rolex worked with legendary French explorer and aquanaut Jacques-Yves Cousteau to test early prototype Rolex Submariner watches. The Submariner became commercially available after it was introduced at the Basel Fair Show in 1954.


1954: The Rolex GMT-Master

In 1954 Rolex introduced another radical, avant-garde "tool watch" known as the GMT-Master. The GMT-Master had all the usual Rolex features including a watertight Oyster case, Perpetual movement, and luminous hands and markers, but added a 24-hour hand designed to keep time in a second timezone. Also, it features a rotatable 24-hour bezel which was luminous. The GMT-Master was originally designed for Pan American Airways pilots and navigators and for world travelers.


1955: The Rolex Day-Date

Rolex introduced the Day-Date model in 1955, which was the first wrist watch to feature both a day-of-the-week aperture window and a date aperture window. The Day-Date was somewhat similar to the Rolex Datejust at 36mm in diameter, but featured a slightly thicker case.


1956: The Rolex Milgauss

The Rolex Milgauss was introduced in 1956 with a Reference Number of 6541. This watch was designed with special anti-magnetic features for scientists who worked in research labs, power plants, or medical facilities whose watches could be affected by magnetism. The original Rolex Milgauss featured a second hand that looked like a lightning bolt, and in many ways looked like the Rolex Submariner.


1960: Death & Legacy

Hans Wilsdorf died in Geneva, Switzerland on July 6, 1960. He was buried in Kings Cemetery in Geneva beside his first and second wife.



Tomb of Hans Wilsdorf. Kings Cemetery, Geneva.
Hans Wilsdorf's legacy and contribution is unparalleled in the world of Horology. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was set up in 1945 still owns and controls Rolex. Despite the fact Hans Wilsdorf passed away in 1960, his foundation and Rolex have adhered strictly and successfully to executing his original timeless vision



Hans Wilsdorf

Born


22 March 1881


Kulmbach, German Empire


Died


6 July 1960 (aged 79)


Geneva, Switzerland


Citizenship


British (after 1911)


Known for


Founding Rolex, the largest single luxury watch brand


Spouse(s)


Florence Frances May Crotty (m. 1911–1944).


Betty Wilsdorf-Mettler (m. Unknown-1960)


Hans Wilsdorf (March 22, 1881 – July 6, 1960) was a German-born British founder of noted watch brands Rolex and Tudor.






Contents


1 Early Life

2 1905: Founding Wilsdorf & Davis
3 1908: Founding Rolex
4 World War I
5 1927: The Rolex Oyster
6 1931: The Rolex Perpetual
7 World War II
8 1945: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
9 1945: The Rolex Datejust
10 1946: Founding Tudor
11 1954: The Rolex Submariner
12 1954: The Rolex GMT-Master
13 1955: The Rolex Day-Date
14 1956: The Rolex Milgauss
15 1960: Death & Legacy
16 References


Early Life

Hans Wilsdorf was born in Kulmbach, Germany, to Protestant parents, Anna and Johan Daniel Ferdinand Wilsdorf and was the second son of a family of three children.






The photo above shows Hans Wilsdorf (front row right) standing in front of his father, with his mother sitting down between sister and brother.


His mother died when he was a boy and he became an orphan when his father died soon-after when Hans was twelve years old.




Hans's fate was placed in the hands of his uncles who sold the prosperous family business which had belonged to his grandfather, and later to his father. Hans and his brother and sister were sent to excellent boarding schools where they received superb educations.




Hans Wilsdorf published his autobiography in 1946 as part of a four volume set of books named Rolex Jubilee Vade Mecum. In his autobiography Hans stated:




"Our uncles were not indifferent to our fate; nevertheless, the way in which they made me become self-reliant very early in life made me acquire the habit of looking after my possessions and, looking back, I believe that it is to this that much of my success is due."




Hans Wilsdorf excelled in mathematics and languages, which inspired him to travel and work in foreign countries. Hans began his career as an apprentice with a highly influential international pearl exporting company. The valuable experience Hans gained played a crucial role in all of his future dealings.




In 1900 Hans began his career in Swiss watchmaking when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to work as an English correspondent and clerk with the influential watch firm of Messrs. Cuno Korten, ru Leoppold Robert, where he was paid a salary of 80 Swiss Francs. At the time, Cuno Korten exported around one million francs worth of pocket watches on an annual basis. Cuno Korten worked with all grades of watches, and manufactured a small number of watches from the ground up.




Hans Wilsdorf was responsible for winding hundreds of pocket watches everyday in his role with Cuno Korten, as well as making certain all watches were keeping accurate time. Hans Wilsdorf gained tremendous insight into watchmaking during his time with Cuno Korten, where he gained valuable knowledge about how all types of watches were produced around the world.




1905: Founding Wilsdorf & Davis

In 1903 Hans Wilsdorf moved to London, England where he went to work for another high-quality watchmaking company. In 1905—with a modest amount of money—Hans set up a business with Alfred Davis named Wilsdorf & Davis, located at 83 Hatton Gardens in London, England. The goal of Wilsdorf & Davis was to provide high-quality timepieces at affordable prices.





Wilsdorf-and-Davis Placard from 1905


1908: Founding Rolex

On Rolex's 50th anniversary, in 1958, Hans Wilsdorf shared the story of how he originally conceived the 'Rolex' name in 1908:



"I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave some hundred names, but none of them felt quite right. It was one morning when I was sitting on the upper level of a double-decker powered at that time by horses, driving along Cheapside in London, that a good genie whispered in my ear: "Rolex." A few days after this fruitful journey, the Rolex brand was filed, and then officially registered in Switzerland by Wilsdorf & Davis."







Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex Founder pictured above in 1908 in London England riding Omnibus


During the first decade of the 1900s pocket watches were ubiquitous, and wrist watches, referred to at the time as a "wristlet" were frowned upon. Hans Wilsdorf was an early believer in the potential of the wrist watch, and made it his mission in life to popularize them.




Hans Wilsdorf had become aware in 1902, during his stay at La Chaux-de-Fonds of Hermann Aegler who was based in Bienne, Switzerland, who had begun producing 'ebauches', which are rough movements for high-quality, small lever escapement watch movements.




In 1905, Hans traveled to Bienne, Switzerland and placed an order with Hermann Aegler, which resulted in the largest order ever made for wristlet watches. This began a long-standing partnership between Aegler and Rolex, until Rolex bought out Aegler a century later.










World War I

In 1914, a decade after Wilsdorf moved to London, World War I broke out, at which time Wilsdorf changed the name of Wilsdorf & Davis to The Rolex Watch Company Ltd. Fourteen days before World War I began, On July 14, 1914, Rolex was the first wristwatch in history to be awarded a Class "A" certificate from the famous Kew Observatory. Rolex had grown quickly; in 1914 they had more than 40 employees on their payroll.



In 1914, Hans Wilsdorf wrote:




"My personal opinion ... is that pocket watches will almost completely disappear and that wrist watches will replace them definitively! I am not mistaken in this opinion and you will see that I am right."




In 1915 the British government implemented a 33% customs duty that prompted Rolex to move its international headquarters from London to Bienne, Switzerland. In 1919 Rolex moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains to this day.




1927: The Rolex Oyster

In 1927 Rolex patented and launched the first commercially viable waterproof watch which was known as "The Rolex Oyster". Rolex also selected watch dealers in each town to act as exclusive dealers, and provided each of them with special window displays that consisted of an aquarium with plants and goldfish, along with a Rolex 'Oyster' wristwatch. People passing by would be shocked to see a watch functioning properly while being submerged in water!



Hans Wilsdorf realized the advent of the Rolex Oyster was a major innovation in the history of horology, and invested a great deal of resources in advertising. His first Rolex brand ambassador was a female swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze who swam the English channel while wearing a Rolex Oyster around her neck.




After Mercedes Gleitze, Hans Wilsdorf turned to land speed king Sir Malcolm Campbell to represent Rolex as a brand ambassador. Malcolm Campbell set new land-speed records nine times between 1924 and 1935.




1931: The Rolex Perpetual

In 1931 Rolex launched an automatic wristwatch with a design much improved over the automatics of the day which they dubbed "The Rolex Perpetual". The Rolex Perpetual would automatically wind its movement by harnessing energy captured from the rotation of a bi-directional rotor inside the Rolex watch.



World War II

By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches. However, when captured and sent to POW camps, their watches were confiscated. When Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until the end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf personally oversaw this effort.



1945: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation

Hans Wilsdorf and his first wife, Florence Frances May Wilsdorf-Crotty, never had any children, and she died from an illness in 1944. In 1945 Hans Wilsdorf set up the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, to which in 1960 he handed over his 100% ownership stake in Rolex. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation owns and controls Rolex to this day, and donates a great deal of its income to charity and social causes in Geneva, Switzerland.



1945: The Rolex Datejust

In 1945 Rolex set another horological precedent when they introduced the first wrist watch to feature an aperture window that automatically showed the date by using a date-wheel. The Rolex Datejust was another game-changing first in the world of horology, and ended up on the wrist of many famous world leaders including Sir Winston Churchill and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.



1946: Founding Tudor

Wilsdorf also established the high-quality lower-priced watch brand Tudor, a subsidiary company of Rolex, in 1946. On March 6, 1946, Hans Wilsdorf made the following statement regarding the Tudor brand:



"For some years now I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous, I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company."


1954: The Rolex Submariner

In 1954 Rolex launched their first specialized diving watch known as "The Rolex Submariner." Rolex worked with legendary French explorer and aquanaut Jacques-Yves Cousteau to test early prototype Rolex Submariner watches. The Submariner became commercially available after it was introduced at the Basel Fair Show in 1954.



1954: The Rolex GMT-Master

In 1954 Rolex introduced another radical, avant-garde "tool watch" known as the GMT-Master. The GMT-Master had all the usual Rolex features including a watertight Oyster case, Perpetual movement, and luminous hands and markers, but added a 24-hour hand designed to keep time in a second timezone. Also, it features a rotatable 24-hour bezel which was luminous. The GMT-Master was originally designed for Pan American Airways pilots and navigators and for world travelers.



1955: The Rolex Day-Date

Rolex introduced the Day-Date model in 1955, which was the first wrist watch to feature both a day-of-the-week aperture window and a date aperture window. The Day-Date was somewhat similar to the Rolex Datejust at 36mm in diameter, but featured a slightly thicker case.



1956: The Rolex Milgauss

The Rolex Milgauss was introduced in 1956 with a Reference Number of 6541. This watch was designed with special anti-magnetic features for scientists who worked in research labs, power plants, or medical facilities whose watches could be affected by magnetism. The original Rolex Milgauss featured a second hand that looked like a lightning bolt, and in many ways looked like the Rolex Submariner.



1960: Death & Legacy

Hans Wilsdorf died in Geneva, Switzerland on July 6, 1960. He was buried in Kings Cemetery in Geneva beside his first and second wife.






Tomb of Hans Wilsdorf. Kings Cemetery, Geneva.


Hans Wilsdorf's legacy and contribution is unparalleled in the world of Horology. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which was set up in 1945 still owns and controls Rolex. Despite the fact Hans Wilsdorf passed away in 1960, his foundation and Rolex have adhered strictly and successfully to executing his original timeless vision



The worldwide name of Rolex represents quality, style, precision recognized by everybody everywhere, however his creator; Hans Wilsdorf forever linked to the Watchmaking industry to whom he established the importance of a brand and its founder is not easily recognized by who carried a Rolex wristwatch.
This history is the history of the first wristwatch Oyster created by Rolex and its founder; Hans Wilsdorf. This history is a tribute to a unique personality and its contribution and creation of Rolex. The pioneering watchmaking achievements and revolutionary human adventure.
Launched in 1926, the Oyster has become the precursor of legendary watches.

From Bavaria, Germany to La-Chaux-de Fonds

Hans Wilsdorf (1881-1960) came from Bavaria, Germany, and a career in watchmaking at La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A man ahead of his time, a visionary genius, he established all fields of the company’s activities and the creation that started with the name of “Rolex.” In a time when nobody ever thought about the concept and importance of a name, Hans Wilsdorf looked for a name that had only five letters, was easy to pronounce in any language, had a pleasant sound, and was easy to remember – and could be inscribed elegantly on the dial of a watch. and logo on the rolesor.

The 1900s, the beginning of Rolex history

In 1919, Hans Wilsdorf left England to settle in Geneva, where he founded Montres Rolex SA in 1920. The intention was to be closer to his supplier in Bienne. Geneva had an international reputation and watchmaking tradition. This crucial decision demonstrated Wilsdorf’s “strategic thinking.” He was an active personality unrestricted by borders.

The pocket watches to the wristwatch watches, a new era

Hans Wilsdorf foresaw the wristwatch as being an everyday necessity of the future with a particular appeal to women.
Back to 1905 when living in London, Hans Wilsdorf and his partner had founded the company Wilsdorf & Davis, which specialized in the distribution of wristwatches throughout Great Britain and the British Empire. Swiss partners produced some of the components, and among them was Maison Aegler in the city of Bienne, which later became Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA. At the time, they were the only manufacturers capable of producing the small, precise movements needed for his wristwatches. After incredible success and public acceptance, Rolex was granted the first certificate to produce such a watch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne. Four years later, the prestigious Kew Observatory in England gave its first “Class A”—a distinction hitherto reserved for marine chronometers, thus fueling the realization that wristwatches and chronometric precision could go hand in hand.

The challenge of waterproofing

The invention in 1926 of the “Oyster,” the first waterproof wristwatch in the world, proved entirely successful thanks to a case equipped with an ingenious system consisting of a screw-down bezel, case back, and winding crown.
With the “Oyster” and its innovative waterproof case, Rolex firmly established its name into the watchmaking history.

Besides his technical knowledge, Hans proved to be a marketing man

Hans Wilsdorf, in 1927, decided to prove the merits of the waterproof Rolex Oyster and to promote and make Rolex known worldwide. For that, Rolex hired Mercedes Gleitze, an Englishwoman who swam the English Channel for more than ten hours. To “hit” the world, Hans published a full-page advertisement in the front page of the Daily Mail, referencing the success of the watch with the title, “The Triumphant March of the Rolex Oyster Around the World.” The Testimony concept, a tool extensively used today in marketing started by this visionary men.
Ever since the testimonies and concept of famous VIP people are associated with Rolex and its events in a variety of social, cultural, and sports fields between the brand and who is well-known by trust, quality, and surpassed accomplishments.
Besides the chronometric precision and waterproofness, Hans created the self-winding mechanism, and in 1931 Rolex invented the first wristwatch self-winding system with a free rotor named the perpetual rotor, and the precursor of contemporary self-winding systems.

Rolex Identity, the crown

In 1930, Rolex created the logo “crown” registered trademark on 1930. The same logo in the 1950’s was to identify the winding crown.
After that, Rolex created watches of high prestige that were worn by influential people, which rapidly become classics of the Oyster Collection followed by the birth of Oyster Perpetual Datejust. Due to its creator, Rolex established itself one step ahead of this industry. It was a brand that partnered with athletes, racing cars, yacht races, and expeditions in the constant evolution of quality, style, and precision.

The Professional Watches

Rolex’s creativity and close relationship to the new era started to develop, and Rolex designed watches for specific professionals, such as watches for pilots, divers, and scientists, to mention few.

The Consolidation of Rolex

When Hans Wilsdorf died in 1960, Rolex was well-known for its quality, style, and innovation. One step ahead of his time, this visionary man created in 1945 the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which became the owner of the Rolex company.
The Rolex creator’s legacy, his spirit of enterprise, his vision, and his dedication to pioneering conquered for Rolex an endless space in the watchmaking industry.

Rolex’s Approach to Sponsorship and Philanthropy

Between the 1960s and 1970s, Rolex pioneered and partnered with institutions and world-famous artists.
The company’s robust sponsorship culture, its philosophy, and its guidelines have always improved and maintained the leadership of Rolex. More than a company, Rolex represents the traditions established by its creator, Hans Wilsdorf, a man ahead of his time.


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