Rolex, the pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking. Its timepieces with their crowns are the envy of men and women of all ages. In Japan, people tend to focus only on its high status, but Rolex is filled with anecdotes and charms that are worthy of recognition. For those who are considering purchasing a Rolex, those who already own a Rolex, and even for those who are anti-Rolex (?), this issue of “Rolex in Japan” is a collection of unknown Rolex stories and charms. In this issue, we will introduce the unknown charms and classic models of Rolex!
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What is Rolex?
Rolex is a Swiss watch brand established in 1905. Rolex pioneered new possibilities for wristwatches by developing the world’s first waterproof watches, automatic movements, and calendar functions. Combined with numerous episodes and legends proving its performance, Rolex has established the highest position in the watch industry. The brand is one of the best known in the world, including Japan. In addition to its popularity and status, the company produces many watches that combine practicality and luxury, such as the Daytona and Submariner.
Rolex originated as a watch trading company founded by its founder
The origin of Rolex is the 24-year-old Hans Wilsdorf who, together with his brother-in-law Davis, founded the watch trading company ” Wilsdorf & Davis ” at 86 Hatton Garden, London, in 1905. At the time, the performance of wristwatches was not very good. However, Wilsdorf was one of the first to see the potential of the wristwatch and foresaw that it would become not only elegant but also practical.
Origin of the brand name “ROLEX
Shortly after the company’s founding, Hans Wilsdorf saw the potential in wristwatches and began importing Jean Egler machines to manufacture watches. He wanted to give the movements and dials of his watches a brand name that would look beautiful when engraved. He devised hundreds of candidates, combining all the letters of the alphabet so that the name would be pronounced the same no matter where in Europe it was read. Finally, he registered the five letters ” ROLEX ” as a trademark on July 2, 1908, which is said to have been inspired by a revelation in a horse-drawn carriage driving through the City of London.
Rolex emerged as a leader in the development of high-precision movements
In 1910, Rolex became the first wristwatch to receive an official chronometer certificate from the Swiss Chronometer Time Authority, and in 1914, the first wristwatch to receive a Class A certificate from Kew Observatory in England, making Rolex synonymous with precision wristwatches. Rolex became synonymous with precision wristwatches. Finally, in 1919, Rolex moved to Geneva, Switzerland, the center of watchmaking.
Class A certificate from the Kew Observatory. At the time, this certificate was only given to nautical chronometers (1914).
Rolex invented a series of functions essential to today’s wristwatches
In 1926, Rolex completed the world’s first completely waterproof case, the “Oyster”; in 1931, Rolex developed the “Vervetual,” an automatic winding mechanism with a 360-degree rotor; and in 1945, the “Datejust,” which instantly changes the date, thereby contributing to a dramatic increase in the practicality of wristwatches.
Reigning as the premier brand of practical luxury wristwatches
From the 1950s onward, the company developed iconic models that continue to the present day. Explorer” with its highly robust superalloy 904L stainless steel case and 24-hour bezel; “Submariner,” a diver’s watch with a highly visible luminescent dial and water resistance to 300 meters; “Cosmograph” with a chronograph that can measure up to 1/8th of a second and a power reserve of approximately 72 hours Daytona” and other practical functions that have evolved remarkably over the past few years. Rolex is the world’s premier practical watch brand.
The appeal of Rolex: ” Pioneering new possibilities for wristwatches
Rolex’s greatest achievements include the development of the ” Oyster Case,” the ” Perpetual Mechanism,” and the ” Datejust. Without these three major inventions, today’s wristwatches would be something completely different.
The “Oyster case” that is completely waterproof
The water-resistance of wristwatches is now taken for granted, but Rolex was the first company in the world to develop this feature. 1926 saw the introduction of the ” Oyster ” watch, which featured a completely sealed case that perfectly protected the movement and provided water and dust resistance. It was a major step forward in wristwatch manufacturing.
Perpetual mechanism” that realized automatic wristwatches
The Perpetual Rotor, the world’s first self-winding mechanism, revolutionized the world of wristwatches in 1931, when manual winding was the norm, and is the origin of all self-winding watches today. The Perpetual is now fitted in all Oyster models. Incidentally, when it was first developed, some ” Oyster Perpetual ” models were retrofitted with a self-winding rotor on top of the hand-wound movement. The back of the watch was therefore called a “bubble back” because of the bubbles that appeared on the back cover. The watches made from the 1930s to the late 1950s, including those with bubble backs, are sought after by enthusiasts as antique Rolexes, and it is not unusual for them to fetch higher prices than current models on the second-hand market.
Datejust” calendar display
Rolex was the first to display the date automatically in a small window on the dial. Although date display functions such as a scale had already existed, the small window at 3 o’clock on the dial of the Datejust introduced in 1945 became the standard for today’s wristwatches in terms of legibility and design.
Attraction of Rolex ” Anecdotes that prove its performance
Rolex’s worldwide reputation is not only due to its innovative inventions. People are attracted to Rolex not only because of its innovative inventions, but also because of the many challenges and adventures it has undertaken to prove that its new functions are not just theoretical theories.
Crossing the Straits of Dover in 1927 to prove water resistance
In 1927, the year after the Oyster was launched, the English swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam across the Straits of Dover, and despite being underwater for over 10 hours, the Oyster on her wrist continued to run perfectly.
Sir Malcolm Campbell’s record (1935), which showed the potential of racing watches.
Malcolm Campbell, the world’s fastest driver in the 1930s, set a new earthly speed record of 300 miles per hour ( 485 km/h) at the wheel of his Bluebird on September 4, 1935, wearing a Rolex watch. In a letter to Rolex, the speed champion wrote, “I have been using Rolex watches for a long time, and they continue to run perfectly even under rather extreme conditions.”
Rolex accompanies first ascent of Everest (1953)
In 1953, Edmont Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are credited with becoming the first humans to successfully climb Mount Everest. They were accompanied on their arduous journey by their Oyster Perpetual watches. Inspired by this amazing adventure in the history of mankind, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer becomes an iconic Rolex model.
Director James Cameron proves the water resistance of the Rolex (2012)
In 1960, the submersible Trieste successfully dived into the Mariana Trench, known as the deepest part of the ocean. The Trieste achieved a feat that raised the bar for deep-sea exploration. The prototype Rolex Deep Sea Special attached to the outside of the boat was also in perfect working order. More than 50 years later, on March 26, 2012, filmmaker James Cameron will attempt his latest solo dive. Rolex watches accompanied him on his first solo dive in the Mariana Trench.
The appeal of Rolex: “Watchmaking at its finest
Rolex, a pioneer in wristwatch development, does all of its development in-house. A truly integrated watchmaking company, Rolex employs an elite group of more than 6,000 people in four facilities to design and manufacture movements, cases, dials, and bracelets. The Bienne facility, where movements are made, employs more than 2,000 people and is staffed by skilled watchmakers and operators who produce movements with a precision down to a few microns.
Movements, dials, and other components made at other facilities are transported to Rolex’s headquarters in Geneva-Acacia. All final component assembly and quality control takes place here. In addition to manufacturing, it is also the central organization where new product design and research and development take place.
The Evolution of Oyster Case Performance
The Oyster case, which marked a major turning point in the history of wristwatches, is now guaranteed to be water resistant to a minimum depth of 100 meters, and up to 3,900 meters for the Rolex Deep Sea, a top-end diver’s watch.
The Rolex crown combines a beautiful appearance with a high degree of robustness.
The crown, decorated with a crown of glory, is composed of approximately 10 parts. The crown, which is the culmination of advanced technology, is screwed firmly into the watch case and completely seals the case, ensuring a safe internal environment. This ensures a safe internal environment.
Perpetual Movement with Attention to Formation of Invisible Parts
Perpetual movements are equipped in Oyster models. All Perpetual movements are chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute ( COSC ) and meet strict requirements for accuracy, reliability, and durability. Even though these parts are never seen by the wearer, all corners are chamfered, screw heads are mirror-polished, and plates and gears are specially finished. The fact that Rolex does not cut any corners, even in parts that are invisible to the eye, is the reason why Rolex is the pinnacle of watchmaking.
The charm of a Rolex ” overhaul and after-sales service are generous
Among luxury watch brands, Rolex’s authorized overhauls have a reputation for excellent cost performance. The basic fee for the standard models ” Explorer II ” and ” Submariner ” is 45,000 yen. The most expensive model, the ” Daytona ” costs 60,000 yen. This price tag for Rolex is quite inexpensive, as overhauls for models with in-house movements are usually expensive (IWC, Breitling, Cartier, and others charge around 60,000 yen for a general-purpose movement).
Furthermore, while “finishing” is generally an optional extra, in the case of Rolex, finishing is included in the basic price. In the case of Rolex, however, finishing is included in the basic price. It is quite attractive that an authorized overhaul using genuine parts can be done at a reasonable price. Another nice feature is the five-year warranty period.
Introducing Rolex’s standard models
Rolex ” Oyster Perpetual
The Oyster Perpetual embodies the origin of Rolex with its universal design. The simple, unobtrusive face is popular among businessmen who seek quality, not status.
Rolex “Submariner
The Submariner quickly established itself as a Rolex icon with its powerful and functional design. The rotating bezel is made of ceramic, which gives it a sense of luxury and durability, and the scale is coated with platinum. The Submariner is the epitome of a diver’s watch.
Rolex “Explorer 1
Developed for explorers, the Explorer is a robust and highly sophisticated sports model. Its simple and timeless design is popular among suit-style businessmen.
Rolex “Cosmograph Daytona
The Cosmograph Daytona was created in 1963. The luxurious bezel is not only a design feature, but also enables the watch to accurately measure the average speed of professional car racers. The ultimate chronograph with the highest performance.
Rolex “Datejust
The Datejust is the epitome of a modern watch, combining functionality and timeless design. 1945 saw the birth of the first self-winding, water-resistant chronometer wristwatch with a date display in a small window at 3 o’clock, from which the model takes its name.
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