A watch maker incorporating visions, market strategies and promition talent

ROLEX may not have had such a tremendous success if the founder of the company had not created brilliant marketing strategies right from the start. He did created a lifetime achievement that can be nowadays compared to those who are exceptional talents in Silicon Valley. The life of the ROLEX founder Hans Wilsdorf is like a fairy tale story: Leaving his little home town located in Upper Franconia, Germany in order to find his fortune in either Switzerland or London, he was completely on his own and courageous enough to start his own business. Throughout his life he had always been a pioneer: In a period when people were rather skeptical towards wristwatches, the self-made business man established the brand ROLEX already in 1908. The name of the brand can be referred to the expression Horlogerie exquisiteand also clarifies that ROLEX is top player in the upper segment. In former times, wearing a watch on one’s wrist, instead of keeping it in your waistcoat pocket, was considered unmanly and dubious.

The brand’s history is shaped by technical and fundamental innovations. The strong message of ROLEX as an outstanding label with its expressive crown logo reflects the kind of brand strategy that was pursued by Hans Wilsdorf. Another strategic feat was the certification of each model. Due to his immense intuition for promotion effects, already in the mid 1920’s, he convinced many famous extreme athletes, for instance long-distance swimmer Mercedes Gleitze who was a valuable brand ambassador. As she attempted to conquer the British Channel she was wearing the first water resistant Rolex timepiece around her neck. The ice cold water did not harm the Oyster Submariner at all, thus Wilsdorf created buzz in the most important London newspapers. Sir Edmund Hilary climbed the Mount Everest with a ROLEX Explorer in 1953 and in 1960 the extreme diver Jacques Piccard discovered the 11 km deep canyon of the Mariana Trench with a special edition model.

A classic with charisma that is immortal and timeless

It is not all about the functionality of a ROLEX: The ROLEX is indeed a very good looking watch. Perfect technology. Multifunctional. Mature and exceptional. Timeless, because of its design that has always been profoundly loved by everybody regardless of age. ROLEX never really had to reinvent itself and never changed. Steady innovations and mature technology have helped optimizing the models. But the brand’s character has always been untouched. The exceptional quality and material standards are an everyday philosophy in each department of the ROLEX factory in Biel, especially when the models are tested under the hardest conditions. The selection of special materials is another factor. ROLEX is the only watch manufacturer in the world to use the 904L steel, that is subjected to extremely tough tests before it will be processed.

Welcome to the world of Rolex

From the beginning ROLEX has always been “close to the water”, as a sports watch or a smart timepiece and an elegant accessory. The ROLEX Datejust is seen by many people to be THE luxury wristwatch. It was the first model to have the brand’s name and the five-pointed crown. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust has been the first manual wind wristwatch including a water resistant chronometer function and a 2.5x magnifying cyclone, it represents the pioneer among dive watches. The ROLEX Submariner was an upgrade to the Oyster as it featured for that time an outstanding water resistance of 300m, after that the SeaDweller could go down to a depth of nearly 4,000m. The reputation of the ROLEX Yachtmaster is very much influenced by prominent fans, who feel home on their luxury yacht. In 1992 the model conquered the market, made of 18-karat gold. Seven years later it was made of a unique Rolesium material (combination of steel and platinum) that was actually developed by ROLEX itself. It seems that it was impossible to increase this success. The Yachtmaster II having a Bi-Colour frame in white and yellow gold and decorated with diamonds eventually overtook the pre-model.

In contrast to this precious piece, the ROELX GMT, SkyDweller and SeaDweller are comrades. They are characterized by their unique functionality without lacking style and extravagance. The SeaDweller represents the company’s flagship. Besides, the material and the size are outstanding. The titanium alloy can handle each amount of pressure and provides optimal accuracy as well. The helium overpressure valve ensures security while cutting the surface and the clock face can be perfectly read in the darkest deepest ocean. The GMT Master II (e.g. reference 116710LN) is the perfect accessory for long-distance flights. With this model it seems that the brand intends to show its passion for bling-bling on the highest level. The SkyDweller is a constant companion of frequent flyers and world travelers; the model indicates two different time zones, has an integrated Saros-annual calendar and includes many more unique features.