Hans Wilsdorf and his brother in law Alfred Davis can be credited with founding Rolex-a leading name in luxury watches. Rolex is absolutely the largest watch producer in the world, with production of 2000 state of the art watches. In 2003, revenues soared to as high as $3billion. The distinguishable feature of Rolex is not only the unique watches, but the incorporation of sophisticated technology in their manufacture as well.
Technical Innovations
Rolex proudly claims for inventing hi-tech features, which further enhances the quality of its watches.
o In 1931, Rolex introduced the first self-winding wrist watch-in which the wearer’s motion runs the mainspring, insuring that the time shown, would be more accurate than before
o In 1945, introduced Rolex Date;-the first watch to automatically change date on its dial
o In 1953, started the manufacture of Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner-the first water proof watch series of its kind
o In 1954, released Rolex GMT Master-holds the honor of showcasing two time zones instantly
o The first watch manufacturing brand on whom a Chronometer Certificate was bestowed
Apart from these, Rolex introduced other features in watch making, such as making water proof watches. The interesting thing about these watches was the field test that the inventor Hans Wilsdrof put them against. The watches were attached to Trieste Bathyscaphe Submarine, which dived deep into the Mariana trench. The test was successful beyond expectations. The Rolex team got a telegram full of appraise, which stated “Am happy to confirm that even at 11,000 meters your watch is as precise as on the surface. Best regards, Jacques Piccard”.
Rolex also included Quartz crystals in their watches. This had to be done by the hard work of 16 Swiss watch makers, who jointly created the beta 21 mechanism. Rolex further worked for 5 years, refining the design process, and came out with “clean slate” mechanism, used in the Oyster Quartz collection.
Features of Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller Deepsea
This is often thought to be one of the best models of Rolex. Its salient features are
* The casing is built of a strong titanium alloy that is not only resistant to corrosion, but is also flexible distorting slightly under stress and retaining original shape upon removal of force.
* The sapphire crystals, present in it, are thicker as compared to any other model
* The performance ring is made up of a nitrogen alloy that withstands high water pressures with ease
* The helium valve, present, prevents dangerous gases from diver’s coffer to damage the watch
Be vary of Copy cats
Owing to the success of copy cats, it is not a surprising fact that many fake Rolex are now present in the market. To identify the fake ones, you should check the following things
* If there is a slight spelling mistake e.g. “Rollex”, there is no need to check further
* Genuine Rolex have a Hologram sticker on the backside (which is transparent). It also reflects colors when viewed from different angles. The fake Rolex cannot have the same pattern.
* The feel of a true Rolex is hardy and heavy, while fake Rolex feel light and rough.
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