Hans Wilsdorf Rolex Founder Story

Hans Wilsdorf was the second son of a family of three children. He was born in Germany. All three children, Hans, his brother and sister, were sent to the best boarding schools where they were given a superior education.

As a result of his mathematical and language abilities, Hans Wilsdorf traveled and worked in foreign countries. When he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1900, Hans began his watchmaking career at an influential watch firm of Cuno Korten. Each day Hans Wilsdorf had to wind hundreds of pocket watches, as well as ensure all watches kept accurate time.

In the process, he learned how all kinds of watches are manufactured all over the world. At Cuno Korten, all kinds of watches were made, and a small number of them were entirely handcrafted in-house. Around one million swiss francs worth of pocket watches were exported annually by the watch company. During his time in Switzerland, Hans Wilsdorf gained a great amount of insight into watchmaking.

Hans Wilsdorf moved to London in 1903. Alfred Davis and Wilsdorf set up a business together called Wilsdorf & Davis in 1905. Wilsdorf & Davis aimed to offer affordable watches with exceptional quality. In London's center, the company could be found in Hatton Garden.

Precision wrist watches vs pocket watches

As an early believer in the potential of the wristwatch, Hans Wilsdorf made it his life's mission to popularize them. In Bienne, Switzerland, Hans Wilsdorf went to buy wristwatches from Hermann Aegler. It was the largest order ever placed for wristwatches.The trip would lay the groundwork for a long-running partnership between Aegler and Rolex.

During the First World War in 1915, the British government imposed a 33% import tax. Hans Wilsdorf had to relocate its headquarters from the United Kingdom to Switzerland. Rolex moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland in 1919, where it remains today.

At the time pocket watches and novelty wristwatches were fragile, fairly inaccurate and definetly not water resistant. After years of working on the problem, Wilsdorf developed a Hermetic watch.

The History of the Oyster case

He developed an original screw-down cap that sealed off the entire movement and the winding crown. The first system was somewhat successful, however it still meant having to opening the watch to adjust the time and wind up the movement.

The new system utilized a crown that screwed into a threaded tube inside the hermetically sealed watch case. Wilsdorf called it the Oyster case. In 1926 the name 'Oyster' became a Rolex trademark.

In 1927, the Rolex company patented and launched the world’s first commercially viable watertight watch, now known as the 'Rolex Oyster'. It was a financial success for the Rolex company.

Throughout his career, he devoted a great deal of time and energy to advertisement.

Wilsdorf recognized that the advent of the Rolex Oyster represented a major innovation in the history of horology. The company provided each of Rolex watch dealers with special window displays: an aquarium with plants and goldfish with a running Rolex Oyster wristwatch inside.

It would suprise people passing by to see a watch working properly while submerged in water.

His first Rolex brand ambassador was a female swimmer named. Wilsdorf seized an marketing opportunity by sponsoring a female swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze who swam the across English Channel bettween France and England.

Rolex reached out to Mercedes only after her first successful crossings to inquire if she would like to test and promote their new Oyster model. For the second crossing on October 21, 1927, she worn a gold Rolex Oyster hung on a chain around her neck.

This second crossing was a failure due to the freezing water, but the Oyster watch submerge for 10 hours in icy cold water was intact and kept it time accurate.

Wilsdorf took a the from page of the Daily Mirror to advertise the success of their new 'waterproof' oyster watch.

Opportunistic Wilsdorf continue to adverstise his Rolex watches at the time in history where many explorers where pushing the limit of exploration. In 1947, Wilsdorf gave Winston Churchill a Rolex of significant importance the 100,000th chronometer certified watch, a gold Rolex Jubilee Datejust.

As Churchill began wearing his Rolex, many more significant people started wearing a Rolex as well. Such a brilliant move by Wilsdorf. It was a brillant move from Wilsdorf the marketing genius.

Even though Wilsdorf passed away in 1960, his foundation and Rolex have remained committed to fulfilling his original vision.

Hans Wilsdorf's legacy and contribution is unparalleled in the world of watchmaking.

External References

• Hans Wilsdorf | Wikipeadia.org
• Hans Wilsdorf Quotes | azquotes.com
• The man behind the crown | Rolex.com
• Hans Wilsdorf, Founder Of Rolex Interview 1959 | Youtube.com
• Hans Wilsdorf | Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie | hautehorlogerie.org
• Hans Wilsdorf - Swiss watchmaker and businessman | Britannica.com

Who is the owners of Rolex ?

Rolex watch company is owned by the Wilsdorf Foundation.

Hans Wilsdorf the founder of Rolex established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in 1945, to which he entrusted his 100% ownership stake in Rolex in 1960. Hans Wilsdord Foundation donates a significant amount of its income to charity and social causes.

Rolex history: What time is the founding of the brand?

The company owning the brand Rolex was founded in 1905. The company Rolex SA was incorporated in 1920, in Geneva, Switzerland. Before that Rolex was the name of a watch sold by Wilsdorf and Davis.

Here is the bried history of the name Rolex :

Alfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf started Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905 in London, England. Later, it would become Rolex S.A.

The trademark 'Rolex' was registered by Hans Wilsdorf in 1908, which became a brand name for watches from Wilsdorf and Davis.

In 1919, Hans Wilsdorf moved the company from England to Geneva, Switzerland. Montres Rolex S.A. was registered in Geneva in 1920.

Is Rolex publicly traded?

No, Rolex SA is not a publicly traded company. The swiss watch company is owned by the Wilsdorf Foundation. Because of it status, Rolex SA is not required to published its accounts. As a result, financial results, volume of production and profits are not information available to the public.

Where are perpetual movements made?

Rolex watches are made exclusively in Switzerland by Rolex SA. The company has 4 factories in based in Switzerland.

While they have a small handful of suppliers that send them steel (Rolex still works the steel in-house to make all the parts), all the gold and platinum is made in-house.

The gold Rolex uses is crafted by the company itself. The 24k gold that comes into Rolex is converted into the white, yellow, or the Everose 18k gold.

There are only a few steel suppliers who provide Rolex with steel. However Rolex still works the steel it uses in-house to manufacture all of the parts. Today, Rolex watches are made with componenents design and manufacture by Rolex SA. The company has its own research labs.

Rolex mostly makes mechanical movements, the only expection was the Rolex OysterQuartz that use a swiss made quartz movement. The Oysterquartz was discountinued in 2000.

What is Hans wilsdorf's philosophy

Rolex manufacturing philosophy is pragmatism : if a human is better at doing it, then let a person do it, and if a machine is better at doing it, then let a machine take it over. This philosophy match the founder of Rolex Hans Wilsdorf. A man who was primeraly a businessman and a talented marketer.

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