NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Rolex

Rolex SA is a Swiss manufacturer of mostly mechanical wristwatches and accessories renowned for their dependability, prestige, and cost (from a few thousand to more than one hundred thousand U.S. dollars). Rolex watches are considered status symbols by many. Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand by far, with estimated revenues of around US$ 3 billion (2003).^[1]. BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex #71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most important global brands, top among all watchmakers.^[2] Image File history File links Rolex_logo. ... The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different waysâ€”first, referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations; and second, referring to ownership of the companys stock by a relatively small number of holders who do not trade the stock publicly. ... Hans Wilsdorf (March 22, 1881 - July 6, 1960) was a German watchmaker, and the founder of Rolex. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... This article is about portable clocks. ... Look up revenue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Look up slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... This page is about timekeeping devices. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

History

Rolex SA was founded in 1905 by the German Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis. Contrary to popular belief, Hans Wilsdorf was neither Swiss, nor a watchmaker. Wilsdorf & Davis was the original name of what later became the Rolex Watch Company. They originally imported Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placed them in quality cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were then sold to jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from the firm of Wilsdorf and Davis are usually marked "W&D"—inside the caseback only. Image File history File links P1010380. ... Image File history File links P1010380. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Hans Wilsdorf (March 22, 1881 - July 6, 1960) was a German watchmaker, and the founder of Rolex. ... // Assembly comprising all the main parts of a watch, also used in building many forms of apparatus such as mechanical or electrical counters, switching-devices, bells and, in general, all small portable appliances whose functions are dependent on the division of time. ... Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ...

Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark name "Rolex" in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1908. The word was made up, and its origin is obscure. One story, which was never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the word "Rolex" came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning exquisite clockwork. Another is that the name was chosen to indicate movement when spoken in English. Location within Switzerland La Chaux-de-Fonds is a city located in the Jura mountains in Switzerland. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The Wilsdorf & Davis company moved out of the United Kingdom in 1912. Wilsdorf wanted his watches to be affordable,^{[citation needed]} but taxes and export duties on the case metals (silver and gold) were driving costs up. From that time to the present, Rolex has been headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, though the company owns facilities in other cities (Biel/Bienne, etc) and continents (North America, Asia, Australia, etc). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 558 pixelsFull resolution (806 Ã— 562 pixels, file size: 46 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Rolex Daytona Cosmograph 6263 circa 1980 I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 558 pixelsFull resolution (806 Ã— 562 pixels, file size: 46 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Rolex Daytona Cosmograph 6263 circa 1980 I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Coat of arms of the Canton of Geneva Coat of arms of the City of Geneva Geneva (French: Genève, German: Genf, Italian: Ginevra, Romansh Genevra, Spanish: Ginebra) is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zurich), located where Lake Geneva (French: Lac de Genève or Lac L... Biel/Bienne is a city in the canton of Berne in Switzerland. ...

The company name Rolex was officially registered on 15 November 1915. It is thought this change was part of a drive to popularize wristwatches, which at the time were still considered a novelty largely for women (pocket watches were more common). Wilsdorf was said to desire his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. The company name was officially changed to the Rolex Watch Company during 1919. It was later changed to Montres Rolex, SA; and finally Rolex, SA. is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Rolex SA is a corporation initiated and originally funded by Hans Wilsdorf and the Aegler family. According to corporate documentation, the Rolex SA company can never be sold, nor can shares in it be traded on any stock market.

Other innovations

Among the company's innovations are the first waterproof watch case; the first wristwatch with a date on the dial; the first watch to show two timezones at once; and most importantly the first watchmakers to earn the coveted chronometer certification for a wristwatch.^[3] To date, Rolex still holds the record for the most certified chronometer movements in the category of wristwatches. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1947 KB) I am the creator. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1947 KB) I am the creator. ... The Rolex Submariner is an icon of the Rolex professional range . ... A chronometer watch is a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards. ...

Another little known fact is that Rolex participated in the development of the original quartz watch movements. Although Rolex has made very few quartz models for its Oyster line, the company's engineers were instrumental in design and implementation of the technology during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, Rolex collaborated with a consortium of 16 Swiss watch manufacturers to develop the Beta 21 quartz movement used in their Rolex Quartz Date 5100.^[4] Consequently, after five years of research, design, and development, Rolex engineering efforts finally culminated in the "clean-slate" 5035/5055 movement that would eventually power the Rolex Oysterquartz - arguably the finest quartz movement that has ever been made.^[5] A quartz clock. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

The first self-winding Rolex watch was offered to the public in 1931, preceded to the market by Harwood which patented the design in 1923 and produced the first self-winding watch in 1928, powered by an internal mechanism that used the movement of the wearer's arm. This not only made watch-winding unnecessary, but eliminated the problem of over-winding a watch and harming its mechanism. Rolex was also the first watch company to create a truly waterproof watch — another milestone from novelty to functional timepiece. Wilsdorf even went so far as to have a specially made Rolex watch attached to the side of the Trieste bathyscaphe, which went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The watch survived and tested as having kept perfect time during its descent and ascent. This was confirmed by a telegram sent to Rolex the following day saying "Am happy to confirm that even at 11,000 metres your watch is as precise as on the surface. Best regards, Jacques Piccard". The underside view of an automatic watch with a transparent case back. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Waterproof fabrics are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated to or coated in some sort of permanently waterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, and wax. ... The bathyscaphe Trieste Trieste was a Swiss designed deep-diving research bathyscaphe (deep boat) with a crew of two people, which reached a record-breaking depth of about 10,900 m (about 35,760 ft), in the deepest part of the oceans, the Challenger Deep, in 1960. ... Typical internal arrangement A bathyscape, bathyscaphe, or bathyscaph is a free-diving self-propelled deep-sea diving submersible, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a bathysphere suspended below a float (rather than from a surface cable, as in the classic bathysphere design) Bathyscaphe Trieste, before dive into Marianas Trench... This article is about the geographical feature. ... Jacques Piccard (born July 28, 1922) is a Belgian explorer and engineer, known for having developed underwater vehicles for studying ocean currents. ...

Rolex has also made a reputation in watches suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving, aviation and mountain climbing. Early sports models included the Rolex submariner, Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller 2000 (in 1971). This watch featured a helium release valve, co-invented with Swiss watchmaker Doxa, to release helium gas build-up during decompression. Another sports model is the Rolex GMT Master II, originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways, to assist pilots in transcontinental flights. The Explorer and Explorer II were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain — such as the world famous Everest Expeditions. Early ideas of autonomous under-water systems appear in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Scuba Diving is swimming (or occasionally walking) underwater wearing a breathing set designed to be used underwater at depth. ... Aviation encompasses all the activities relating to airborne devices created by human ingenuity, generally known as aircraft. ... Mountaineering is an umbrella term that can variously be used to describe the actions of climbing, hillwalking and scrambling. ... The Rolex Submariner is an icon of the Rolex professional range . ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Doxa S.A. is a well known Swiss company, founded in 1889, that manufactures watches. ... Doxa S.A. is a well known Swiss company, founded in 1889, that manufactures watches. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... The Everest entry redirects here. ...

Rolex on Culture

On the more glamorous side, Ian Fleming's James Bond character wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in the series of spy novels. In the early EON production Bond films, Commander Bond wore a Rolex Submariner. However, for the Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan and the film with Daniel Craig, James Bond's standard issue watch is an Omega Seamaster. This is due in part to Omega being open to jointly promote their association with the films' producers. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908 â€“ August 12, 1964) was a British author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander. ... 007 redirects here. ... The Rolex Submariner is an icon of the Rolex professional range . ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE [1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... Daniel Wroughton Craig[1] (born 2 March 1968[2]) is a BAFTA-nominated English actor best known as the sixth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series from EON Productions. ... Omega SA is a watch company based in Biel/Bienne Switzerland and is one of the more prestigious brands in timepieces. ...

In a famous murder case the Rolex that a victim wore on his wrist eventually led to the arrest of his murderer. When a body was found in the English channel in 1996 by a fisherman who caught the body, and the 4.5 kg anchor attached to it through the victim's belt, in his net about 10 km from the English coast,^[6] a Rolex wristwatch was the only identifiable object on the body.^[6]^[7] Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex, and Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder. In addition British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error.^[8]^[6] For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... The British police are a group of similar but independent police services which operate in the United Kingdom. ...

Watch models

Rolex SA has three watch lines: Oyster Perpetual, Professional and Cellini. Among modern Rolex Oyster watch models are the: Image File history File linksMetadata RolexDaytona. ... Image File history File linksMetadata RolexDaytona. ... Model number 6263 stainless steel Rolex Daytona. ...

The stainless steel Daytona has become one of the most sought after watches of all time. Dealer waiting lists can run from three to seven years and there are reports of collectors paying up to $15,000 for the privilege of owning this exclusive watch, though it is not uncommon for jewellers to rake up the profits themselves by buying the watches and selling it on, hence it is rumored that Rolex has dropped the infamous waiting list. Rolex DateJust is the name of a watch notable for, in 1945, becoming the first wristwatch with a date function. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Rolex Submariner is an icon of the Rolex professional range . ... The Rolex Sea Dweller is a line of divers watches manufactured by Rolex, capable of withstanding water pressure at a depth of 1220 meters (4000 feet). ... The Rolex Daytona Rolex was not among the chronograph pioneers, choosing to focus their energies on the Oyster and the Perpetual. ...

The primary bracelets for the Rolex Oyster line are named Jubilee, Oyster and the President. Rolex "dressy" watches are from their Cellini line. The third brand in the Rolex empire is the less expensive, but high quality, Tudor brand. It was established by Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf, in 1946. While still sold in Europe and the Far East, the Tudor line was discontinued in the United States as of 2004. Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rolex is the largest manufacturer of Swiss made certified chronometers. In 2005 more than half the annual production of COSC certified watches were Rolex.^[9] Swiss Made label on a TAG Heuer chronograph Swiss Made is a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland. ... COSC a/k/a C.O.S.C. is the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. ...

Rolex counterfeits

Like many high-priced, brand-name accessories, Rolex watches are one of the most counterfeited brands of watches and illegally sold on the street and the internet. These fakes are mainly produced in Mexico and mainland China (EU figures show that 54% of fakes seized in 2004 originated in China),^[10] and retail anywhere from $5 upwards to $1000 -- for high end replicas fabricated in solid gold. By some accounts, over 75% of all replica watches produced annually are copies of Rolex Oyster Perpetual designs. These fake watches have been nicknamed "Folex" or "Fauxlex", or "Trolex" in Spain (trola means fake in Spanish)^[11] A low quality counterfeit watch bought on the streets in New York City. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1465 KB) Summary Notice the all the letter Os are repaced with Qs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1465 KB) Summary Notice the all the letter Os are repaced with Qs. ... For other uses, see Counterfeit (disambiguation). ... ...

Cited references

^ Rolex Business Report: What makes Rolex tick?
^ The 100 Top Brands., BusinessWeek magazine, 2007-08-06, Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
^ Rolex official website. Follow menu path: World of Rolex/Timeline/1910: In Switzerland Rolex obtains the first official chronometer certification ever awarded to a wristwatch
^ The Quartz Date 5100, Oysterquartz.net, Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
^ The 5035 movement, Oysterquartz.net, Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c thecanadianencyclopedia.com: Walker Money Hunt from Maclean's Magazine
^ Stolen lives
^ Discovery Channel Documentary on Ronald Platt's murder
^ Rolex production news from Swiss Watch News 2005
^ Cost of Piracy, manufacturingtalk.com, 2007-02-06, Retrieved 2007-02-27.
^ Case Studies, Fake Rolex Facts, Retrieved on 2007-05-12.

BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Company

By 2007 Rolex had their United States headquarters in New York and select direct point of sales in New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, and Miami. This article is about the state. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Dallas redirects here. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ...

In Australia Rolex's head office is located in Melbourne on Colins Street on the Melbourne Skyline. The service department is also found here. The important figures in this office are: This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ...

CEO : Patrick Heiniger, Head of Service : Michael Phillips, Head of distribution: Masie Ball, Head of Employees: Thomas Collins, Marketing Executive: Leslie Goodard, Finance Executive : Masie Ball, Inventory Demmand Manager: Thomas Karadimos, Head of Business Management: Mary Sumpton, Startegic Sourcing Manager: George Henry-Smith. Names used under Rolex SA. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ...

Contents

History

Other innovations

Rolex on Culture

Watch models

Rolex counterfeits

Cited references

References

Company

See also

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Other innovations

Rolex on Culture

Watch models

Rolex counterfeits

Cited references

References

Company

See also

External links

History