Как правильно пишется часы ролекс

Дорогие аксессуары считаются символом достатка и чувства стиля. Особенно высоко ценятся часы марки Rolex, что стало причиной появления на рынке обширного количества поддельных экземпляров. Для поклонников престижных аксессуаров остро стоит вопрос – как отличить оригинал часов Ролекс от подделки?

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Сложность задачи состоит в том, что большинство подделок выполняется на хорошем уровне, и неспециалистам трудно распознать происхождение изделий. Однако, даже профессионально выполненная, искусная копия не способна повторить мельчайшие нюансы брендового изготовления. Производители Rolex постарались защитить репутацию компании и внесли в дизайн множество тонкостей, работающих как подпись бренда. Давайте рассмотрим характерные признаки оригинальных швейцарских часов.

Основные признаки подделки

Для того чтобы не попасться на уловки мошенников, надо знать критерии, по которым можно отличить настоящий Rolex.

Надежным способом проверки считается тест на водонепроницаемость, но в случае имитации изделие будет испорчено и его невозможно будет вернуть продавцу. Поэтому данный способ не практикуется. Используются другие, безопасные, методы проверки:

• Тип механизма – швейцарские изделия, которые поступают в продажу, оснащены механическим механизмом. Кварцевые Ролекс выпускались в ограниченном количестве и сейчас не продаются.

• Модель часов – наличие предлагаемой модели можно проверить на сайте производителя, где представлена вся линейка изделий с фотографиями и описанием. Наиболее часто встречаются подделки бюджетных серий Rolex Datejust и Rolex Submariner.
• Серийный номер – он наносится на боковую поверхность, в месте крепления ремешка или браслета. Цифры должны быть написаны четкими и ровными линиями. Рядом с номером должна быть надпись «ORIG ROLEX DESIGN». На сайте производителя можно узнать дату изготовления данного экземпляра.

• Цена аксессуара – престижность и статусность бренда Ролекс отражена в стоимости продукции. Дешевым такой аксессуар быть не может. Диапазон цен на часы Rolex начинается с 4000 долларов. Отдельные изделия могут стоить больше миллиона долларов. Поддельные часы обычно продаются по цене от 25 до 200 долларов. Необходимо узнать у продавца, сколько стоит изделие, и соотнести озвученное число с информацией производителя.
• Место покупки – список сертифицированных дилеров часов Rolex можно узнать на сайте бренда. Следует избегать рискованных покупок в ломбардах и у сомнительных продавцов. При обращении в интернет-магазины также существует большая вероятность купить подделку.

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Отличия упаковки

Тщательность и безупречность продукции марки Ролекс касаются не только самого изделия, но и упаковки. Оригинальные часы продаются в прочной деревянной коробке.

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Изделие должно быть закреплено на подушечке специальными приспособлениями. В коробке должна находиться салфетка для чистки, гарантийный талон и инструкция по использованию.

Упаковки поддельных изделий изготавливаются из дешевого ДСП.

Серийный номер и номер модели

Серийные и модельные номера подлинного Rolex глубокие и отлично обозначены сплошными, очень тонкими линиями, которые будут светиться под углом, как кромка алмаза. И наоборот, цифры на многих фальшивых часах, как правило, состоят из слабых крошечных точек из-за низкого качества маркировки. Также эти цифры на некоторых контрафактных часах будут выглядеть как песочные от «кислотного травления», как показано на фото слева.

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Качество материалов

Часы бренда Ролекс изготавливаются из прочных, надежных материалов. Производитель использует:

1. Сталь «904L» с повышенными антикоррозийными свойствами.
2. Сплавы драгоценных металлов.
3. Сапфировое стекло.

При покупке надо не только осмотреть изделие, но и подержать его в руке или надеть на запястье. Признаком оригинала считается солидная тяжесть аксессуара в противовес легкости реплики. Разница в весе объясняется меньшим количеством и дешевизной материалов поддельного изделия.

Другие признаки:

• Сапфировое стекло устойчиво к повреждениям, поэтому на оригинальном изделии не может быть потертостей и царапин. На сапфировом стекле вода собирается в аккуратную каплю, а не растекается, как на стандартном стекле.
• В часах не должно быть деталей из пластика и дешевых тонких металлов, к примеру, алюминия. Ремешок тоже должен быть металлическим или сделанным из натуральной кожи.
• Задняя панель должна быть металлической, полностью закрытой. Признак подделки – стеклянная панель, через которую видно внутренний механизм.
• За исключением нескольких моделей женских часов Rolex Datejust, на задней крышке которых есть надпись «Stainless Steel» и «Registered Design», остальные изделия бренда должны иметь чистую и гладкую заднюю панель без маркировки логотипа, надписей и символов.
• Практически у всех моделей Ролекс в правой части циферблата можно увидеть указатель текущей даты. В брендовом изделии над ним расположено выпуклое увеличительное стекло, улучшающее читабельность цифр в 2,5 раза. Характерный нюанс – дата должна соответствовать размеру линзы. Если это условие не соблюдено, или производитель установил плоское стекло, то это говорит о поддельном изделии.

Циферблат

Покупать оригинальные часы рекомендуем здесь

Циферблат оригинала почти идеален внешне. Поэтому, если вы видите на часах неровные шрифты, несовместимые пробелы между надписями, пятна и / или орфографические ошибки, тогда в руках у вас явно подделка.

Линза

На настоящих часах линза выпуклая и увеличивает дату в 2,5 раза для удобства чтения. Если на часах, которые вы рассматриваете, линза плоская, а дата плохо различима, скорее всего, вы имеете дело с подделкой.

Корона

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Эмблемой и отличительным знаком бренда Rolex была выбрана корона. Логотип наносится в нескольких местах и помогает определить оригинал:

• Знак всегда должен быть в верхней части циферблата рядом с числом 12. Его надо рассмотреть под лупой. Только так можно заметить характерные признаки. Эмблема должна быть металлической с выпуклыми круговыми деталями. Контур короны – более блестящим, чем другие части логотипа.
• Головка для завода часов также маркируется рисунком короны. На ней должно быть обозначено число заводов в зависимости от материала изготовления.
• На изделиях, выпущенных после 2002 года, логотип в виде маленькой короны вытравливается непосредственно на сапфировом стекле под цифрой 6. Разглядеть ее на оригинале можно, только наклонив часы под определенным углом для правильного освещения. На подделках гравировка будет грубой и видимой при любом положении часов.

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Задняя крышка

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За исключением пары очень редких винтажных моделей, выпущенных в 1930-х годах, Rolex не оснащает свои часы прозрачными задними крышками, поэтому остерегайтесь часов, которые имеют на задней крышке окно с видом на часовой механизм.

Движение стрелок и тиканье

Механизм оригинальных изделий отличается безупречной работой и тщательной подгонкой деталей, недостижимой для подражателей. Поэтому надо внимательно рассмотреть движения секундной стрелки и послушать тиканье часов. На что следует обратить внимание?

Во-первых, ход секундной стрелки должен казаться плавным, неразличимым для взгляда, без подергиваний, ускорений и замедлений. На самом деле стрелки делают 8 движений в секунду. Это больше, чем в обычных часах, поэтому незаметно для невооруженного глаза. В реплике рывки стрелки будут хорошо видны.

Во-вторых, надо попытаться услышать тиканье работающего механизма. Признаком качества будет мягкость и бесшумность передвижения секундной стрелки. Подделки издают громкий звук с периодичностью 1 раз в секунду, характерный для кварцевых механизмов.

Покупать оригинальные часы рекомендуем здесь

В-третьих, надо попробовать установить предыдущую дату. Разница между оригиналом и фейком состоит в том, что в изделии бренда для этого понадобится 6 движений стрелок назад, а в подделке – 12.

Читайте также: оригинальное сапфировое стекло – как отличить от подделки?

Качество надписей

Надписи на циферблате надо изучить под увеличительным стеклом и оценить качество их нанесения. На оригинале Rolex не должно быть замечено никаких недостатков. Буквы и цифры тщательно выгравированы и расположены на одинаковом расстоянии друг от друга. Недопустимы орфографические ошибки, неровный шрифт, пробелы разной длины между символами, штамповка надписей. Даже небольшое отклонение от идеала считается признаком подделки.

Rolex маркирует изделия специально разработанной гравировкой, при которой получаются глубокие, непрерывные, очень тонкие линии, светящиеся под углом. Цифры на фальшивых часах наносятся маркировкой другого качества. Линии будут выглядеть, как песочные и напоминать скопление маленьких точек.

На циферблат некоторых мужских часов серии Oyster наносятся надписи, расположенные по кругу. Их качество должно соответствовать гравировке Ролекс. Если надписи нанесены способом штамповки, присутствуют дефекты и неровности, то это признак подделки.

Сейчас читают: как отличить оригинальные часы Tissot от поддельных

Оригинал	Подделка
Специальная гравировка	Орфографические ошибки
Непрерывные линии	Неровный шрифт
Качественная обработка метала	Пробелы разной длины
Внимание деталям	Штамповка надписей

Обращение к эксперту

Помощь профессионального оценщика может потребоваться в тех случаях, когда поддельный Ролекс очень похож на оригинал.

Покупать оригинальные часы рекомендуем здесь

Такие услуги оказывают продавцы в магазинах, торгующих дорогими часами, ювелиры, эксперты. Профессионалы способны заметить детали, неизвестные рядовым покупателям, и оградить клиентов от ошибки.

Читайте также: Браслет Пандора оригинал или подделка? Как определить за 5 мин

Что делать если продали подделку?

Coordinates: 46°11′34″N 6°08′01″E / 46.19284°N 6.13349°E

Rolex SA

Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
Formerly	Wilsdorf and Davis (1905–1919) Rolex Watch Co. Ltd (1919–1920) Montres Rolex SA (1920)
Type	Private
Industry	Watchmaking
Founded	1905; 118 years ago in London
Founders	Hans Wilsdorf Alfred Davis
Headquarters	Geneva , Switzerland
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jean-Frederic Dufour (CEO)
Products	Watches
Production output	1.05 million pieces (2021)[1]
Revenue	$13 billion (2021)[2]
Operating income	$0 (NPO)
Owner	Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
Number of employees	30,000
Subsidiaries	Montres Tudor SA
Website	rolex.com

Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland.^[3] Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered Rolex as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915.^[4][5][6][7] After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of the unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name (montre is French for wristwatch); it later became Rolex SA.^[3][5][8][9] Since 1960, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.^[6][10][11]

Rolex SA and its subsidiary Montres Tudor SA design, make, distribute, and service wristwatches sold under the Rolex and Tudor brands.

History

Early history

Alfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf and Davis, the company that would eventually become Rolex SA, in London in 1905.^[12] Wilsdorf and Davis’s main commercial activity at the time involved importing Hermann Aegler’s Swiss movements to England and placing them in watch cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were sold to many jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually hallmarked «W&D» inside the caseback.

In 1908, Wilsdorf registered the trademark «Rolex», which became the brand name of watches from Wilsdorf and Davis. He opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.^[5][12][13] Wilsdorf wanted the brand name to be easily pronounceable in any language, and short enough to fit on the face of a watch.^[4][14] He also thought that the name «Rolex» was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound.^[4][14]

In November 1915, the company changed its name to Rolex Watch Co. Ltd.^[7] In 1919, Hans Wilsdorf moved the company from England to Geneva, Switzerland, because of heavy post-war taxes levied on luxury imports and high export duties on the silver and gold used for the watch cases. In 1920 the company’s name was officially changed to Montres Rolex SA and later to Rolex SA^[9][11][12]

With administrative worries attended to, Wilsdorf turned the company’s attention to a marketing challenge: the infiltration of dust and moisture under the dial and crown, which damaged the movement. To address this problem, in 1926 a third-party casemaker produced a waterproof and dustproof wristwatch for Rolex, giving it the name «Oyster». The original patent attributed to Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret, that allowed the watch to be adjusted while maintaining protection from water ingress was purchased – not invented – by Rolex and heavily marketed.^[15] The watch featured a hermetically sealed case which provided optimal protection for the movement.^[16]

As a demonstration, Rolex submerged Oyster models in aquariums, which it displayed in the windows of its main points of sale. In 1927, British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam the English Channel with an Oyster on her necklace, becoming the first Rolex ambassador. To celebrate the feat, Rolex published a full-page advertisement on the front page of the Daily Mail for every issue for a whole month proclaiming the watch’s success during the ten hour plus swim.^[16]

In 1931, Rolex patented a self-winding mechanism called a Perpetual rotor, a semi-circular plate that relies on gravity to move freely. In turn, the Oyster watch became known as the Oyster Perpetual.^[16]

Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private trust, in which he left all of his Rolex shares, ensuring that some of the company’s income would go to charity. Wilsdorf died in 1960, and since then the trust has owned and run Rolex SA.^[11]

Recent development

The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which privately owns Rolex SA, is a registered Swiss charitable foundation and pays a lower tax rate.^[17] In 2011, a spokesman for Rolex declined to provide evidence regarding the amount of charitable donations made by the Wilsdorf Foundation, which brought up several scandals due to the lack of transparency.^[17] In Geneva where the company is based, it is said to have gifted, among many things, two housing buildings to social institutions of Geneva.^[18]

According to the 2017 Brand Z report, the brand value is estimated at $8.053 billion.^[5] Rolex watches continue to have a reputation as status symbols.^{[19][20][21][22]} The company produces more than 1,000,000 timepieces each year.^[23] It is said that «The power of the Crown is never more felt than when trying to negotiate space in a retail environment for the product of another brand».^[24]

Tudor SA

Rolex SA offers products under the Rolex and Tudor brands. Montres Tudor SA has designed, manufactured and marketed Tudor watches since 6 March 1946.^[25] Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf conceived Tudor to create a product for authorized Rolex dealers to sell that offered the reliability and dependability of a Rolex, but at a lower price.^[26] The number of Rolex watches was limited by the rate that they could produce in-house Rolex movements, thus Tudor watches were originally equipped with off-the-shelf movements while using similar quality cases and bracelets.^[27]

Historically, Tudor watches have been manufactured by Montres Tudor SA using movements supplied by ETA SA. Since 2015, Tudor has begun to manufacture watches with in-house movements. The first model introduced with an in-house movement was the Tudor North Flag. Following this, updated versions of the Tudor Pelagos and Tudor Heritage Black Bay have also been fitted with an in-house caliber.^[28][27]

Tudor watches are marketed and sold in most countries around the world. Montres Tudor SA discontinued sales of Tudor-branded watches in the United States in 2004, but Tudor returned to the United States market in the summer of 2013 and to the UK in 2014.^[29][30]

Watch manufacturing

While Rolex mostly produces mechanical watches, it also participated in 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 alongside other manufactures including the Omega Electroquartz watches.^[31] Within about five years of research, design, and development, Rolex created the «clean-slate» 5035/5055 movement that would eventually power the Rolex Oysterquartz.^[32]

Material-wise, Rolex first used its «Cerachrom» ceramic bezel on the GMT-Master II in 2005, and has since then implemented ceramic bezel inserts across the range of professional sports watches. They are available on the Submariner, Sea Dweller, Deepsea, GMT Master II, and Daytona models. In contrast to the aluminum bezel which it replaced, the ceramic bezel color does not wear out from exposure to UV-light and is scratch resistant.^[33]

Rolex uses 904L grade stainless-steel; in contrast, most Swiss watches are made with 316L grade steel. Rolex uses the higher grade, as it is more resistant to corrosion and when polished, leaves a more beautiful luster.^[33]

Rolex serial numbers

Each Rolex comes with a unique serial number, which can help indicate its approximate production period. Serial numbers were first introduced in 1926 and were issued sequentially, until 1954, when Rolex restarted from #999,999 to #0. In 1987, there was an addition of one letter to a 6-digit serial number and in 2010, to the present date Rolex introduced random serial numbers.^[34]

Notable inventions

Among the company’s innovations are:

• In 1910, the first watchmaker to earn chronometer certification for a small lady wristwatch.^[11]
• In 1926, produced the Oyster case, the first reliable waterproof wristwatch case that was based on a screw-down crown. To this end, Rolex acquired the Perragaux-Perret screw-down patent, added a clutch and combined the screw-down crown with a threaded case back and bezel.^[35] Wilsdorf even had a specially made Rolex watch (the watch was called the «DeepSea») attached to the side of Trieste, 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».^[11] Earlier waterproof watches such as the «Submarine Watch» by Tavannes used other means to seal the case.
• In 1931, released a wristwatch winding mechanism featuring a rotor, a full 360 degrees rotating weight to power the watch by the movement of the wearer’s arm.^[36] As well as making watch winding unnecessary, it also kept the power from the mainspring more consistent, resulting in more reliable timekeeping. Fully rotating weights later became part of the standard winding mechanism of self-winding wristwatches. A preceding self-winding mechanism by Harwood instead used a weight that moved in a 270 degrees arc hitting buffer springs on both sides.^[37]
• In 1945, introduced the first chronometer wristwatch with an automatically changing date on the dial (Rolex Datejust Ref. 4467).^[14] An earlier wristwatch with a date changing mechanism by Mimo was not chronometer certified.
• In 1953, released a case waterproof to 100 m (330 ft) (Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Ref.6204, 1953). Although this has been commonly publicized as the first diving watch, Omega made 21 years earlier, in 1932, the Marine, which could stand 135mts, 35mts more than the 1953 Rolex Submariner, and also Blancpain produced before Rolex their Fifty Fathoms in 1953, 10 months before Rolex.^[38]
• In 1954, produced a wristwatch which showed two time zones at once (Rolex GMT Master ref.6542, 1954).^[39] Yet again, it was not the first company to do so, as the Longines DualTime preceded the GMT by a full quarter of a century.
• In 1956, made a wristwatch with an automatically changing day and date on the dial (Rolex Day-Date, 1956).^[40]

Counterfeits

Rolex watches are frequently counterfeited and often illegally sold on the street and online. Counterfeit Rolex watches vary in quality: some use cheap movements, while others use automatic movements, and some use an ETA movement. O. J. Simpson wore a counterfeit Rolex during his 1994 murder trial.^[41][42]

Notable models

In general, Rolex has three watch lines: Oyster Perpetual, Professional and Cellini (the Cellini line is Rolex’s line of «dress» watches). The primary bracelets for the Oyster line are named Jubilee, Oyster, President, and Pearlmaster. The watch straps on the models are usually either stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold. In the United Kingdom, the retail price for the stainless steel ‘Pilots’ range (such as the GMT Master II) starts from GBP 5,600. Diamond inlay watches are more expensive. The book Vintage Wristwatches by Antiques Roadshow‘s Reyne Haines listed a price estimate of vintage Rolex watches that ranged between US$650 and US$75,000, while listing vintage Tudors between US$250 and US$9,000.^[43]

Most expensive pieces

• On October 26, 2017, a Rolex Daytona (Ref. 6239) wristwatch, manufactured in 1968, was sold by Phillips in its New York auction for US$17.75 million.^[44][45][46] The watch was originally purchased by Joanne Woodward in 1968 and was given by Joanne to her husband Paul Newman as a gift.^[47] The auction price set a record at $15.5 million, plus buyer’s premium of 12.5%, for a final price of $17,752,500 in New York City.^[48] As of 2018, it is the most expensive wristwatch and the second most expensive watch ever sold at auction.^[49][46][50] Notably, «[a]t the time that Newman gave the watch to James Cox [as a gift], the watch was selling for about $200.»^[51][52]
• On May 28, 2018, a Rolex Daytona «Unicorn» Ref. 6265 was sold in auction by Phillips for US$5.937 million in Geneva, making it the second most expensive Rolex timepiece ever sold at auction (as of 2018).^[53][54]
• The most expensive Rolex (in terms of retail price) ever produced by the Rolex factory was the GMT Ice reference 116769TBR with a retail price of US$485,350. A Forbes magazine article on the Swiss watch industry compared the retail value of Rolex to that of competing brands Corum, Universal Genève and IWC.^[55]

Air-Kings

Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created the Air — Prince line to honor RAF pilots of the Battle of Britain, releasing the first model in 1958. By 2007, the 1142XX iteration of the Air-King featured a COSC-certified movement in a 34mm case, considered by some a miniaturized variant of the 39mm Rolex Explorer as both watches featured very similar styling cues; the 34mm Air-King lineup was the least expensive series of Oyster Perpetual. In 2014 the Air-King was dropped, making the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39 the entry-level Rolex line. In 2016 Rolex reintroduced the Air-King, available as a single model (number 116900), largely similar to its predecessors but with a larger 40mm case, and a magnetic shield found on the Rolex Milgauss; indeed the new 40mm Air-King is slightly cheaper than the 39mm Explorer (the Explorer lacks the magnetic shield but its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers that are not found in the Air-King’s movement).^{[56][57][58][59][60]}

Oyster Perpetual

The name of the watch line in catalogs is often «Rolex Oyster ______» or «Rolex Oyster Perpetual ______»; Rolex Oyster and Oyster Perpetual are generic names and not specific product lines, except for the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39/41 and Oyster Perpetual Date 34. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is a direct descendant of the original watertight Rolex Oyster watch created in 1926.

Within the Oyster Perpetual lineup, there are three different movements; the 39 features the Calibre 3132 movement with the Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers (the Oyster Perpetual 39 is a variant of the Rolex Explorer 39mm, sharing the same case, bracelet and clasp, bezel, and movement, with a different dial and different hands), while the 34 and 36 models have the Caliber 3130 featuring the Parachrom hairspring, and the smallest 28 and 31 models have Calibre 2231.^[61][62] The Oyster Perpetual Date 34 (or simply Date 34) adds a date display and date movement, plus the options of a white gold fluted bezel and diamonds on the dial.

Certain models from the Date and Datejust ranges are almost identical, however the Datejust have 36 mm and 41 mm cases paired with a 20 mm bracelet, compared with the Date’s 34 mm case and 19 mm bracelet. Modern versions of the Oyster Perpetual Date and Datejust models share Rolex’s 3135 movement, with the most recent change to the 3135 movement being introduction of Rolex’s «parachrom bleu» hairspring, which provides increased accuracy. As the Date and Datejust share a movement, both have the ability to adjust the date forward one day at a time without adjusting the time; this feature is not confined to the Datejust. Compared with the Date, the Datejust has a much wider range of customization options, including other metals beyond stainless steel, various materials for the dial, and optional diamonds on the dial and bezel. The Datejust II, which was released in 2009, has a bigger case (41mm diameter) than the standard Datejust and features an updated movement, being only available in steel with white, yellow or rose gold on an Oyster bracelet.^[63] In 2016, Rolex released the Datejust 41, which has the same 41mm diameter case as the Datejust II, however the Datejust 41 has smaller indexes and a thinner bezel compared to the Datejust II.^[64]

Professional collections

Rolex produced specific models suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving, caving, mountain climbing, polar exploration, and aviation. Early professional models included the Rolex Submariner (1953) and the Rolex Sea Dweller (1967). The latter watch has a helium release valve, co-invented with Swiss watchmaker Doxa, to release helium gas build-up during decompression.

The Explorer (1953) and Explorer II (1971) were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain, such as the world-famous Mount Everest expeditions. Indeed, the Rolex Explorer was launched to celebrate the successful ascent of Everest in 1953 by the expeditionary team led by Sir John Hunt.

The 39 mm Rolex Explorer was designed as a «tool watch» for rugged use, hence its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers which give them higher shock resistance than other Rolex watches.^[60] The 42mm Rolex Explorer II has some significant differences from the 39mm Explorer; the Explorer II adds a date function, and an orange 24-hour hand which is paired with the fixed bezel’s black 24-hour markers^[65] for situations underground or around the poles where day cannot be distinguished from night.

Another iconic model is the Rolex GMT Master (1955), originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways to provide its crews with a dual-time watch that could be used to display local time and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which was the international time standard for aviation at that time (and still is in its modern variant of Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) or Zulu Time) and was needed for astronavigation (celestial navigation) during longer flights.^[11]

Historic events

POWs and the Great Escape

By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches; however, when captured and sent to prisoner of war (POW) camps, their watches were confiscated.^[14] When Hans Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until the end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf was in personal charge of the scheme.^[66][67] As a result of this, an estimated 3,000 Rolex watches were ordered by British officers in the officer camp Oflag VII-B in Bavaria alone.^[66] This had the effect of raising the morale among the allied POWs because it indicated that Wilsdorf did not believe that the Axis powers would win the war.^[66][68] American servicemen heard about this when stationed in Europe during WWII and this helped open up the American market to Rolex after the war.^[14]

On 10 March 1943, while still a prisoner of war, Corporal Clive James Nutting, one of the organizers of the Great Escape, ordered a stainless steel Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph (valued at a current equivalent of £1,200) by mail directly from Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva, intending to pay for it with money he saved working as a shoemaker at the camp.^[66][68][69] The watch (Rolex watch no. 185983)^[69][70] was delivered to Stalag Luft III on 10 July that year along with a note from Wilsdorf apologising for any delay in processing the order and explaining that an English gentleman such as Corporal Nutting «should not even think» about paying for the watch before the end of the war.^[66][68] Wilsdorf is reported to have been impressed with Nutting because, although not an officer, he had ordered the expensive Rolex 3525 Oyster chronograph while most other prisoners ordered the much cheaper Rolex Speed King model which was popular because of its small size.^[66] The watch is believed to have been ordered specifically to be used in the Great Escape when, as a chronograph, it could have been used to time patrols of prison guards or time the 76 ill-fated escapees through tunnel ‘Harry’ on 24 March 1944.^[66][68][71] Eventually, after the war, Nutting was sent an invoice of only £15 for the watch, because of currency export controls in England at the time.^[68] The watch and associated correspondence between Wilsdorf and Nutting were sold at an auction for £66,000 in May 2007, while at an earlier auction in September 2006 the same watch fetched A$54,000.^[68][70] Nutting served as a consultant for both the 1950 film The Wooden Horse and the 1963 film The Great Escape.^[66]

In a famous murder case, the Rolex on Ronald Platt’s wrist eventually led to the arrest of his murderer, Albert Johnson Walker—a financial planner who had fled from Canada when he was charged with 18 counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering. When the body was found in the English Channel in 1996 by a fisherman named John Coprik,^[72] a Rolex wristwatch was the only identifiable object on the body.^[72] 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 identified the owner of the watch as Ronald Platt. In addition, British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar. Since the Rolex movement was fully waterproof and had a reserve of two days of operation when inactive, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error.^[72][73]

Also, in Singapore, on 20 April 1998, Jonaris Badlishah, a 23-year-old Malaysian freelance photographer, wielded a hammer to attack 42-year-old beautician Sally Poh Bee Eng, and killed her by inflicting more than ten blows on her head, leaving behind several fatal skull fractures. After killing Poh, Jonaris stole her Rolex watch, which he later gifted to his Thai prostitute girlfriend as a birthday gift (this was also his motive for murdering Poh). The case, which became known as the «Rolex watch murder» made headlines and shocked the whole of Singapore. Jonaris was later arrested and after a 19-day trial, he was sentenced to death in December 1998 for murder, and later executed after losing his appeal.^[74]

Rolex sponsors several celebrities to wear and advertise their watches. Rolex is the top spender in advertising and marketing in the watch industry since 2000 after they overtook Timex for the number 1 spot.

Rolex has also been the official timekeeper to the Le Mans 24 Hours motor race since 2001.^[75] Former Formula 1 driver Jackie Stewart has advertised Rolex since 1968. Others who have done so for some years include Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Roger Penske, Jean-Claude Killy, and Kiri Te Kanawa.^[76] It is also the sponsor of the Rolex International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final competition.^[77]

Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh had a specially designed experimental Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deep-Sea Special strapped to the outside of their bathyscaphe during the 1960 Challenger Deep dive to a world-record depth of 10,916 metres (35,814 ft).^[78] When James Cameron conducted a similar dive in 2012, a specially designed and manufactured Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller Deep Sea Challenge watch was being «worn» by his submarine’s robotic arm.^[79]

Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to swim the English Channel on 7 October 1927. However, as John E. Brozek (author of The Rolex Report: An Unauthorized Reference Book for the Rolex Enthusiast) points out in his article «The Vindication Swim, Mercedes Gleitze and Rolex take the plunge», some doubts were cast on her achievement when a hoaxer claimed to have made a faster swim only four days later. Hence Gleitze attempted a repeat swim with extensive publicity on 21 October, dubbed the «Vindication Swim». For promotional purposes, Wilsdorf offered her one of the earliest Rolex Oysters if she would wear it during the attempt. After more than 10 hours, in water that was much colder than during her first swim, she was pulled from the sea semi-conscious seven miles short of her goal. Although she did not complete the second crossing, a journalist for The Times wrote, «Having regard to the general conditions, the endurance of Miss Gleitze surprised the doctors, journalists and experts who were present, for it seemed unlikely that she would be able to withstand the cold for so long. It was a good performance.» As she sat in the boat, the same journalist made a discovery and reported it as follows: «Hanging round her neck by a ribbon on this swim, Miss Gleitze carried a small gold watch, which was found this evening to have kept good time throughout.» When examined closely, the watch was found to be dry inside and in perfect condition. One month later, on 24 November 1927, Wilsdorf launched the Rolex Oyster watch in the United Kingdom with a full front page Rolex advertisement in the Daily Mail.

See also

• Boule de Genève
• List of watch manufacturers
• Rolex Tower

References

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 46°11′34″N 6°08′01″E / 46.19284°N 6.13349°E

Rolex SA

Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
Formerly	Wilsdorf and Davis (1905–1919) Rolex Watch Co. Ltd (1919–1920) Montres Rolex SA (1920)
Type	Private
Industry	Watchmaking
Founded	1905; 118 years ago in London
Founders	Hans Wilsdorf Alfred Davis
Headquarters	Geneva , Switzerland
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jean-Frederic Dufour (CEO)
Products	Watches
Production output	1.05 million pieces (2021)[1]
Revenue	$13 billion (2021)[2]
Operating income	$0 (NPO)
Owner	Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
Number of employees	30,000
Subsidiaries	Montres Tudor SA
Website	rolex.com

Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland.^[3] Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered Rolex as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915.^[4][5][6][7] After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of the unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name (montre is French for wristwatch); it later became Rolex SA.^[3][5][8][9] Since 1960, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.^[6][10][11]

Rolex SA and its subsidiary Montres Tudor SA design, make, distribute, and service wristwatches sold under the Rolex and Tudor brands.

History

Early history

Alfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf and Davis, the company that would eventually become Rolex SA, in London in 1905.^[12] Wilsdorf and Davis’s main commercial activity at the time involved importing Hermann Aegler’s Swiss movements to England and placing them in watch cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were sold to many jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually hallmarked «W&D» inside the caseback.

In 1908, Wilsdorf registered the trademark «Rolex», which became the brand name of watches from Wilsdorf and Davis. He opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.^[5][12][13] Wilsdorf wanted the brand name to be easily pronounceable in any language, and short enough to fit on the face of a watch.^[4][14] He also thought that the name «Rolex» was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound.^[4][14]

In November 1915, the company changed its name to Rolex Watch Co. Ltd.^[7] In 1919, Hans Wilsdorf moved the company from England to Geneva, Switzerland, because of heavy post-war taxes levied on luxury imports and high export duties on the silver and gold used for the watch cases. In 1920 the company’s name was officially changed to Montres Rolex SA and later to Rolex SA^[9][11][12]

With administrative worries attended to, Wilsdorf turned the company’s attention to a marketing challenge: the infiltration of dust and moisture under the dial and crown, which damaged the movement. To address this problem, in 1926 a third-party casemaker produced a waterproof and dustproof wristwatch for Rolex, giving it the name «Oyster». The original patent attributed to Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret, that allowed the watch to be adjusted while maintaining protection from water ingress was purchased – not invented – by Rolex and heavily marketed.^[15] The watch featured a hermetically sealed case which provided optimal protection for the movement.^[16]

As a demonstration, Rolex submerged Oyster models in aquariums, which it displayed in the windows of its main points of sale. In 1927, British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam the English Channel with an Oyster on her necklace, becoming the first Rolex ambassador. To celebrate the feat, Rolex published a full-page advertisement on the front page of the Daily Mail for every issue for a whole month proclaiming the watch’s success during the ten hour plus swim.^[16]

In 1931, Rolex patented a self-winding mechanism called a Perpetual rotor, a semi-circular plate that relies on gravity to move freely. In turn, the Oyster watch became known as the Oyster Perpetual.^[16]

Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private trust, in which he left all of his Rolex shares, ensuring that some of the company’s income would go to charity. Wilsdorf died in 1960, and since then the trust has owned and run Rolex SA.^[11]

Recent development

The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which privately owns Rolex SA, is a registered Swiss charitable foundation and pays a lower tax rate.^[17] In 2011, a spokesman for Rolex declined to provide evidence regarding the amount of charitable donations made by the Wilsdorf Foundation, which brought up several scandals due to the lack of transparency.^[17] In Geneva where the company is based, it is said to have gifted, among many things, two housing buildings to social institutions of Geneva.^[18]

According to the 2017 Brand Z report, the brand value is estimated at $8.053 billion.^[5] Rolex watches continue to have a reputation as status symbols.^{[19][20][21][22]} The company produces more than 1,000,000 timepieces each year.^[23] It is said that «The power of the Crown is never more felt than when trying to negotiate space in a retail environment for the product of another brand».^[24]

Tudor SA

Rolex SA offers products under the Rolex and Tudor brands. Montres Tudor SA has designed, manufactured and marketed Tudor watches since 6 March 1946.^[25] Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf conceived Tudor to create a product for authorized Rolex dealers to sell that offered the reliability and dependability of a Rolex, but at a lower price.^[26] The number of Rolex watches was limited by the rate that they could produce in-house Rolex movements, thus Tudor watches were originally equipped with off-the-shelf movements while using similar quality cases and bracelets.^[27]

Historically, Tudor watches have been manufactured by Montres Tudor SA using movements supplied by ETA SA. Since 2015, Tudor has begun to manufacture watches with in-house movements. The first model introduced with an in-house movement was the Tudor North Flag. Following this, updated versions of the Tudor Pelagos and Tudor Heritage Black Bay have also been fitted with an in-house caliber.^[28][27]

Tudor watches are marketed and sold in most countries around the world. Montres Tudor SA discontinued sales of Tudor-branded watches in the United States in 2004, but Tudor returned to the United States market in the summer of 2013 and to the UK in 2014.^[29][30]

Watch manufacturing

While Rolex mostly produces mechanical watches, it also participated in 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 alongside other manufactures including the Omega Electroquartz watches.^[31] Within about five years of research, design, and development, Rolex created the «clean-slate» 5035/5055 movement that would eventually power the Rolex Oysterquartz.^[32]

Material-wise, Rolex first used its «Cerachrom» ceramic bezel on the GMT-Master II in 2005, and has since then implemented ceramic bezel inserts across the range of professional sports watches. They are available on the Submariner, Sea Dweller, Deepsea, GMT Master II, and Daytona models. In contrast to the aluminum bezel which it replaced, the ceramic bezel color does not wear out from exposure to UV-light and is scratch resistant.^[33]

Rolex uses 904L grade stainless-steel; in contrast, most Swiss watches are made with 316L grade steel. Rolex uses the higher grade, as it is more resistant to corrosion and when polished, leaves a more beautiful luster.^[33]

Rolex serial numbers

Each Rolex comes with a unique serial number, which can help indicate its approximate production period. Serial numbers were first introduced in 1926 and were issued sequentially, until 1954, when Rolex restarted from #999,999 to #0. In 1987, there was an addition of one letter to a 6-digit serial number and in 2010, to the present date Rolex introduced random serial numbers.^[34]

Notable inventions

Among the company’s innovations are:

• In 1910, the first watchmaker to earn chronometer certification for a small lady wristwatch.^[11]
• In 1926, produced the Oyster case, the first reliable waterproof wristwatch case that was based on a screw-down crown. To this end, Rolex acquired the Perragaux-Perret screw-down patent, added a clutch and combined the screw-down crown with a threaded case back and bezel.^[35] Wilsdorf even had a specially made Rolex watch (the watch was called the «DeepSea») attached to the side of Trieste, 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».^[11] Earlier waterproof watches such as the «Submarine Watch» by Tavannes used other means to seal the case.
• In 1931, released a wristwatch winding mechanism featuring a rotor, a full 360 degrees rotating weight to power the watch by the movement of the wearer’s arm.^[36] As well as making watch winding unnecessary, it also kept the power from the mainspring more consistent, resulting in more reliable timekeeping. Fully rotating weights later became part of the standard winding mechanism of self-winding wristwatches. A preceding self-winding mechanism by Harwood instead used a weight that moved in a 270 degrees arc hitting buffer springs on both sides.^[37]
• In 1945, introduced the first chronometer wristwatch with an automatically changing date on the dial (Rolex Datejust Ref. 4467).^[14] An earlier wristwatch with a date changing mechanism by Mimo was not chronometer certified.
• In 1953, released a case waterproof to 100 m (330 ft) (Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Ref.6204, 1953). Although this has been commonly publicized as the first diving watch, Omega made 21 years earlier, in 1932, the Marine, which could stand 135mts, 35mts more than the 1953 Rolex Submariner, and also Blancpain produced before Rolex their Fifty Fathoms in 1953, 10 months before Rolex.^[38]
• In 1954, produced a wristwatch which showed two time zones at once (Rolex GMT Master ref.6542, 1954).^[39] Yet again, it was not the first company to do so, as the Longines DualTime preceded the GMT by a full quarter of a century.
• In 1956, made a wristwatch with an automatically changing day and date on the dial (Rolex Day-Date, 1956).^[40]

Counterfeits

Rolex watches are frequently counterfeited and often illegally sold on the street and online. Counterfeit Rolex watches vary in quality: some use cheap movements, while others use automatic movements, and some use an ETA movement. O. J. Simpson wore a counterfeit Rolex during his 1994 murder trial.^[41][42]

Notable models

In general, Rolex has three watch lines: Oyster Perpetual, Professional and Cellini (the Cellini line is Rolex’s line of «dress» watches). The primary bracelets for the Oyster line are named Jubilee, Oyster, President, and Pearlmaster. The watch straps on the models are usually either stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold. In the United Kingdom, the retail price for the stainless steel ‘Pilots’ range (such as the GMT Master II) starts from GBP 5,600. Diamond inlay watches are more expensive. The book Vintage Wristwatches by Antiques Roadshow‘s Reyne Haines listed a price estimate of vintage Rolex watches that ranged between US$650 and US$75,000, while listing vintage Tudors between US$250 and US$9,000.^[43]

Most expensive pieces

• On October 26, 2017, a Rolex Daytona (Ref. 6239) wristwatch, manufactured in 1968, was sold by Phillips in its New York auction for US$17.75 million.^[44][45][46] The watch was originally purchased by Joanne Woodward in 1968 and was given by Joanne to her husband Paul Newman as a gift.^[47] The auction price set a record at $15.5 million, plus buyer’s premium of 12.5%, for a final price of $17,752,500 in New York City.^[48] As of 2018, it is the most expensive wristwatch and the second most expensive watch ever sold at auction.^[49][46][50] Notably, «[a]t the time that Newman gave the watch to James Cox [as a gift], the watch was selling for about $200.»^[51][52]
• On May 28, 2018, a Rolex Daytona «Unicorn» Ref. 6265 was sold in auction by Phillips for US$5.937 million in Geneva, making it the second most expensive Rolex timepiece ever sold at auction (as of 2018).^[53][54]
• The most expensive Rolex (in terms of retail price) ever produced by the Rolex factory was the GMT Ice reference 116769TBR with a retail price of US$485,350. A Forbes magazine article on the Swiss watch industry compared the retail value of Rolex to that of competing brands Corum, Universal Genève and IWC.^[55]

Air-Kings

Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created the Air — Prince line to honor RAF pilots of the Battle of Britain, releasing the first model in 1958. By 2007, the 1142XX iteration of the Air-King featured a COSC-certified movement in a 34mm case, considered by some a miniaturized variant of the 39mm Rolex Explorer as both watches featured very similar styling cues; the 34mm Air-King lineup was the least expensive series of Oyster Perpetual. In 2014 the Air-King was dropped, making the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39 the entry-level Rolex line. In 2016 Rolex reintroduced the Air-King, available as a single model (number 116900), largely similar to its predecessors but with a larger 40mm case, and a magnetic shield found on the Rolex Milgauss; indeed the new 40mm Air-King is slightly cheaper than the 39mm Explorer (the Explorer lacks the magnetic shield but its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers that are not found in the Air-King’s movement).^{[56][57][58][59][60]}

Oyster Perpetual

The name of the watch line in catalogs is often «Rolex Oyster ______» or «Rolex Oyster Perpetual ______»; Rolex Oyster and Oyster Perpetual are generic names and not specific product lines, except for the Oyster Perpetual 26/31/34/36/39/41 and Oyster Perpetual Date 34. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is a direct descendant of the original watertight Rolex Oyster watch created in 1926.

Within the Oyster Perpetual lineup, there are three different movements; the 39 features the Calibre 3132 movement with the Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers (the Oyster Perpetual 39 is a variant of the Rolex Explorer 39mm, sharing the same case, bracelet and clasp, bezel, and movement, with a different dial and different hands), while the 34 and 36 models have the Caliber 3130 featuring the Parachrom hairspring, and the smallest 28 and 31 models have Calibre 2231.^[61][62] The Oyster Perpetual Date 34 (or simply Date 34) adds a date display and date movement, plus the options of a white gold fluted bezel and diamonds on the dial.

Certain models from the Date and Datejust ranges are almost identical, however the Datejust have 36 mm and 41 mm cases paired with a 20 mm bracelet, compared with the Date’s 34 mm case and 19 mm bracelet. Modern versions of the Oyster Perpetual Date and Datejust models share Rolex’s 3135 movement, with the most recent change to the 3135 movement being introduction of Rolex’s «parachrom bleu» hairspring, which provides increased accuracy. As the Date and Datejust share a movement, both have the ability to adjust the date forward one day at a time without adjusting the time; this feature is not confined to the Datejust. Compared with the Date, the Datejust has a much wider range of customization options, including other metals beyond stainless steel, various materials for the dial, and optional diamonds on the dial and bezel. The Datejust II, which was released in 2009, has a bigger case (41mm diameter) than the standard Datejust and features an updated movement, being only available in steel with white, yellow or rose gold on an Oyster bracelet.^[63] In 2016, Rolex released the Datejust 41, which has the same 41mm diameter case as the Datejust II, however the Datejust 41 has smaller indexes and a thinner bezel compared to the Datejust II.^[64]

Professional collections

Rolex produced specific models suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving, caving, mountain climbing, polar exploration, and aviation. Early professional models included the Rolex Submariner (1953) and the Rolex Sea Dweller (1967). The latter watch has a helium release valve, co-invented with Swiss watchmaker Doxa, to release helium gas build-up during decompression.

The Explorer (1953) and Explorer II (1971) were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain, such as the world-famous Mount Everest expeditions. Indeed, the Rolex Explorer was launched to celebrate the successful ascent of Everest in 1953 by the expeditionary team led by Sir John Hunt.

The 39 mm Rolex Explorer was designed as a «tool watch» for rugged use, hence its movement has Paraflex shock absorbers which give them higher shock resistance than other Rolex watches.^[60] The 42mm Rolex Explorer II has some significant differences from the 39mm Explorer; the Explorer II adds a date function, and an orange 24-hour hand which is paired with the fixed bezel’s black 24-hour markers^[65] for situations underground or around the poles where day cannot be distinguished from night.

Another iconic model is the Rolex GMT Master (1955), originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways to provide its crews with a dual-time watch that could be used to display local time and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which was the international time standard for aviation at that time (and still is in its modern variant of Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) or Zulu Time) and was needed for astronavigation (celestial navigation) during longer flights.^[11]

Historic events

POWs and the Great Escape

By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches; however, when captured and sent to prisoner of war (POW) camps, their watches were confiscated.^[14] When Hans Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until the end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf was in personal charge of the scheme.^[66][67] As a result of this, an estimated 3,000 Rolex watches were ordered by British officers in the officer camp Oflag VII-B in Bavaria alone.^[66] This had the effect of raising the morale among the allied POWs because it indicated that Wilsdorf did not believe that the Axis powers would win the war.^[66][68] American servicemen heard about this when stationed in Europe during WWII and this helped open up the American market to Rolex after the war.^[14]

On 10 March 1943, while still a prisoner of war, Corporal Clive James Nutting, one of the organizers of the Great Escape, ordered a stainless steel Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph (valued at a current equivalent of £1,200) by mail directly from Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva, intending to pay for it with money he saved working as a shoemaker at the camp.^[66][68][69] The watch (Rolex watch no. 185983)^[69][70] was delivered to Stalag Luft III on 10 July that year along with a note from Wilsdorf apologising for any delay in processing the order and explaining that an English gentleman such as Corporal Nutting «should not even think» about paying for the watch before the end of the war.^[66][68] Wilsdorf is reported to have been impressed with Nutting because, although not an officer, he had ordered the expensive Rolex 3525 Oyster chronograph while most other prisoners ordered the much cheaper Rolex Speed King model which was popular because of its small size.^[66] The watch is believed to have been ordered specifically to be used in the Great Escape when, as a chronograph, it could have been used to time patrols of prison guards or time the 76 ill-fated escapees through tunnel ‘Harry’ on 24 March 1944.^[66][68][71] Eventually, after the war, Nutting was sent an invoice of only £15 for the watch, because of currency export controls in England at the time.^[68] The watch and associated correspondence between Wilsdorf and Nutting were sold at an auction for £66,000 in May 2007, while at an earlier auction in September 2006 the same watch fetched A$54,000.^[68][70] Nutting served as a consultant for both the 1950 film The Wooden Horse and the 1963 film The Great Escape.^[66]

In a famous murder case, the Rolex on Ronald Platt’s wrist eventually led to the arrest of his murderer, Albert Johnson Walker—a financial planner who had fled from Canada when he was charged with 18 counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering. When the body was found in the English Channel in 1996 by a fisherman named John Coprik,^[72] a Rolex wristwatch was the only identifiable object on the body.^[72] 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 identified the owner of the watch as Ronald Platt. In addition, British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar. Since the Rolex movement was fully waterproof and had a reserve of two days of operation when inactive, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error.^[72][73]

Also, in Singapore, on 20 April 1998, Jonaris Badlishah, a 23-year-old Malaysian freelance photographer, wielded a hammer to attack 42-year-old beautician Sally Poh Bee Eng, and killed her by inflicting more than ten blows on her head, leaving behind several fatal skull fractures. After killing Poh, Jonaris stole her Rolex watch, which he later gifted to his Thai prostitute girlfriend as a birthday gift (this was also his motive for murdering Poh). The case, which became known as the «Rolex watch murder» made headlines and shocked the whole of Singapore. Jonaris was later arrested and after a 19-day trial, he was sentenced to death in December 1998 for murder, and later executed after losing his appeal.^[74]

Rolex sponsors several celebrities to wear and advertise their watches. Rolex is the top spender in advertising and marketing in the watch industry since 2000 after they overtook Timex for the number 1 spot.

Rolex has also been the official timekeeper to the Le Mans 24 Hours motor race since 2001.^[75] Former Formula 1 driver Jackie Stewart has advertised Rolex since 1968. Others who have done so for some years include Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Roger Penske, Jean-Claude Killy, and Kiri Te Kanawa.^[76] It is also the sponsor of the Rolex International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final competition.^[77]

Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh had a specially designed experimental Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deep-Sea Special strapped to the outside of their bathyscaphe during the 1960 Challenger Deep dive to a world-record depth of 10,916 metres (35,814 ft).^[78] When James Cameron conducted a similar dive in 2012, a specially designed and manufactured Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller Deep Sea Challenge watch was being «worn» by his submarine’s robotic arm.^[79]

Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to swim the English Channel on 7 October 1927. However, as John E. Brozek (author of The Rolex Report: An Unauthorized Reference Book for the Rolex Enthusiast) points out in his article «The Vindication Swim, Mercedes Gleitze and Rolex take the plunge», some doubts were cast on her achievement when a hoaxer claimed to have made a faster swim only four days later. Hence Gleitze attempted a repeat swim with extensive publicity on 21 October, dubbed the «Vindication Swim». For promotional purposes, Wilsdorf offered her one of the earliest Rolex Oysters if she would wear it during the attempt. After more than 10 hours, in water that was much colder than during her first swim, she was pulled from the sea semi-conscious seven miles short of her goal. Although she did not complete the second crossing, a journalist for The Times wrote, «Having regard to the general conditions, the endurance of Miss Gleitze surprised the doctors, journalists and experts who were present, for it seemed unlikely that she would be able to withstand the cold for so long. It was a good performance.» As she sat in the boat, the same journalist made a discovery and reported it as follows: «Hanging round her neck by a ribbon on this swim, Miss Gleitze carried a small gold watch, which was found this evening to have kept good time throughout.» When examined closely, the watch was found to be dry inside and in perfect condition. One month later, on 24 November 1927, Wilsdorf launched the Rolex Oyster watch in the United Kingdom with a full front page Rolex advertisement in the Daily Mail.

See also

• Boule de Genève
• List of watch manufacturers
• Rolex Tower

References

External links

• Official website

Rolex SA
Тип	Частная компания
Год основания	1905
Основатели	Вильсдорф, Ганс
Расположение	Швейцария: Женева
Ключевые фигуры	Бруно Мейер (главный управляющий)
Отрасль	Машиностроение
Продукция	Часы, часовые механизмы
Оборот	$3 млрд (2003 год)
Число сотрудников	6 тыс. (2005 год)
Сайт	www.rolex.com

Rolex SA (произносится Ролекс ) — швейцарская часовая компания, выпускающая наручные часы и аксессуары под торговой маркой Ролекс. В год ROLEX выпускает от полумиллиона часов.

История

Компания основана в 1905 году немцем Гансом Вильсдорфом (Hans Wilsdorf) и его зятем Альфредом Дави (Alfred Davis).

Линии наручных часов

Линии Rolex SA

• Rolex (Ролекс), основная линия
• Cellini (Челлини)(в честь знаменитого скульптора эпохи Возрождения Челлини, Бенвенуто)
• Tudor (Тюдор), менее дорогая линия, продажи прекращены в США в 2004, но продолжаются в Европе и на Дальнем Востоке

Линия Rolex Oyster

• Air-King
• Datejust
• Rolex GMT Master II
• Explorer
• Explorer II
• Rolex Submariner
• Sea-Dweller
• Daytona Cosmograph
• Day-Date
• Deepsea Challenge — выпущена в честь знаменитого одиночного погружения 26 марта 2012 г. режиссёра Джеймса Кэмерона в Марианскую впадину 10 898 метров. Эти часы были закреплены на роботизированной руке батискафа.
• Oyster Perpetual
• Yacht-Master
• Millgauss

Браслеты для линии Rolex Oyster

• Jubilee (Юбилей)
• Oyster (Устрица)
• President (Президент)

Подделка Rolex

Подделки по качеству очень сильно отличаются от оригинала, тогда как внешний вид хорошей подделки может быть неотличим без внимательного рассмотрения, а в подделках самого высокого класса — и без вскрытия часов.

Критика

Некоторые авторы считают Ролекс одним из основных топиков спамa ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}, хотя значительная часть этого спама связана с рекламой реплик, сделанных другими компаниями^[6].

См. также

• Награды Rolex

Примечания

Литература

• Дж. М.Доулинг, Дж. П.Гесс, Наручные часы Rolex — лучшие во все времена: неофициальная история, Schiffer Publishing Limited, 1996, ISBN 0-7643-0011-3
• Дж. Е.Брожек, Отчёт о деятельности Rolex, InfoQuest Publishing, Inc, 2004, ISBN 0-9723133-0-3
• Т. Ч. Жарман, Справочное руководство Rolex. 4-ое издание, Leap Enterprises, 2003, ISBN 0-9709514-2-6
• Р.Браун, Отчёт о подделках Rolex, Lulu Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1-4116-1402-X

Ссылки

• Официальный сайт компании Rolex (англ.)

Об этой статье

Была ли эта статья полезной?

Часы от бренда Rolex считаются аксессуаром для уверенного, состоятельного, человека. В связи с всемирной популярностью, продукцию компании постоянно подделывают, создают похожие реплики. Главным фальсификатором является Китай. Как отличить подделку Rolex? Подделки отличаются плохим качеством, низкой ценой (от 25 до 200 долларов). С годами качество выполнения растет. Даже экспертам все сложнее отличить от фирменных швейцарских часов.

Внешний вид оригинальных часов Rolex

Корпус

У линейки есть часы с корпусом из стекла, но нет моделей с полностью прозрачной панелью. Этот прием использовался компанией давно, еще в 30-х годах при производстве своей продукции. Раритетные старинные модели с прозрачной задней крышкой можно увидеть в частных коллекциях. Сейчас часы Rolex надежно защищены от повреждений закрытой задней крышкой.

При примерке покупатель должен почувствовать вес металла, стекла из сапфира. Если вещь слишком легкая, значит, для их производства были взяты дешевые материалы. Скорей всего аксессуар при проверке окажется фальсификатом.

Корона

У настоящих часов около цифры «12» есть небольшая корона — логотип бренда. Она имеет маленький размер. Внимательно рассмотреть ее получится с помощью лупы. На краях короны есть выпуклые круги. Если логотип выполнен кустарно, неаккуратно. Его контур не отливает блеском, значит, перед покупателем подделка.

Линза подлинных Rolex

На большинстве часов фирмы можно встретить указатель даты в правом углу около цифры «3». Над ним располагается линза-лупа. На китайских подделках воссоздать эту деталь не удается и ставится обычное стекло. Если при наведении на цифры линза не увеличивает изображение, значит, от покупки нужно отказаться.

У оригинала в линзу входит вся дата. Важный момент: фирменные часы оснащены увеличительным стеклом, делающим цифры в 2,5 раза больше. На качественных репликах тоже встречаются увеличительные стекла. Они увеличивают изображение меньше, чем оригинал.

Циферблат часов

На нем все надписи и цифры выгравированы четко с одинаковым интервалом между символами. Если расстояние «гуляет» или написано с ошибками, значит, делали часы кустарным путем.

Материал

Купленная модель служит долго и подойдет к любому стилю одежды. Для производства корпуса бренд используется сталь марки «904L», которую не берет ржавчина. Компания Rolex сама занимается плавкой драгоценных сплавов для исключительной прочности механизма.

Покупателю при покупке нужно осматривать каждую деталь: замок, корпус, циферблат и стрелки. Если что-то покажется дешевым, хрупким, хлипким на вид лучше модель не покупать. Компания тщательно следит за качеством товара и не допустит продажи бракованных часов.

Стекло

Rolex использует для производства своих часов твердые сапфировые стекла. Они не царапаются. Если на поверхности есть потертости, остались следы механических повреждений, значит, продавец пытается навязать подделку. Еще один способ проверить нужное ли здесь стекло капнуть на него немного воды. На настоящем сапфировом стекле вся вода соберется в одну крупную каплю, а на обычном растечется по всей поверхности.

Маркировка и гравировка

Маркировку наносят в месте крепления браслета (ремешка) под штифтом. Здесь должен быть прописан номер серии модели. При производстве часов в этом месте наносится надпись ORIG ROLEX DESIGN. Гравируют буквы и цифры глубоко, интервал между символами не меняется. При этом нанесение имеет: шрифт довольно тонкий, если повернуть часы под углом, то надпись будет переливаться, как ограненный алмаз.

Еще один момент, на котором «срезаются» дешевые китайские подделки — наличие гравировки на тыльной стороне часов. Rolex не гравирует надписи, рисунки, логотип на тыльной стороне изделия, за исключением нескольких моделей. Поверхность задней крышки гладкая. Гравировка есть на ранних женских часах, выпущенных в 90-е годы и на модели Sea-Dweller. На репликах и китайских подделках она делается не специальным оборудованием, а способом травления. Если рассмотреть под лупой, то буквы словно состоят из мелких точек-песчинок.

Ход настоящих часов Rolex

Если посмотреть на обычные кухонные часы, то человек четко видит резкие рывки секундной стрелки и слышит тиканье. Изделия Rolex практически не тикают. Этот звук можно услышать, если сильно прислушаться. Часовые бренды, производящие дорогие модели, стараются, чтобы движение секундной стрелки происходило без рывков и очень плавно. Если магазинные часы, продаются, как Rolex, и громко тикают — это реплика или фейковая модель низкого качества.

У оригинала стрелка, обозначающая секунды, не дергается, а бежит по циферблату плавно. Она не замедляет свой ход, не ускоряется, не дергается. На самом деле стрелка брендовых часов тоже делает маленькие рывковые движения, но их количество достигает восьми раз в секунду. Это человеческий глаз распознает, как плавный ход.

Голограммы

Оригинальные часы Rolex после изготовления запечатываются специальной голографической 3D наклейкой. На ней изображается логотип бренда — корона. Если покрутить часы под разным углом, то корона начнет переливаться на свету.

Недобросовестные компании не могут воспроизвести технологию изготовления голограммы и просто печатают наклейку. Картинка при изменении угла наклона меняться не будет. Корона появилась уже на часах, выпускаемых после 2002 года. В последнее время Rolex и вовсе отказался от защиты своей продукции голограммой, но на более ранних часах она еще встречается.

Тройная корона

При изготовлении ряда известных моделей (Submariner, Sea-Dweller и Daytona) используется тройная коронка Triplock. Если ее механизм открыть, то можно увидеть внутри кольцо из каучука. У подделок на этом месте стоит обычная резьба для закручивания. На репликах уже встречаются такие каучуковые кольца, но они обычно для внешней красоты и не несут особых функций. У оригинальной вещи на поверхности коронки стоят три точки внутри логотипа.

Стрелки

В настоящих часах Yacht-Master используются стрелки большей толщины, чем в изделия спортивной линейки. Недобросовестные компании не знают эту особенность. Стараясь сэкономить, они ставят в них стрелки из другой модели (Submariner). Легче всего понять, где оригинал, а где фальсификат, держа двое часов в разных руках и сравнивая их.

В репликах низкого качества и китайских фейковых моделях производитель часто ставит стрелки с неверной длиной или формой. Такие фирмы закупают запчасти и комплектующие в стоковых магазинах, где дешевле, а при изготовлении не учитывают много тонкостей. Например, у оригинальных часов Daytona минутная стрелка достает до внешней шкалы, а у реплики она более короткая. На настоящем изделии стрелки имеют скругленные края, а в фальшивые ставят любые детали, которые подойдут.

Регистры Daytona

На модели Rolex Daytona можно заметить, что на ее циферблате есть мини-регистры хронографа. У фальсификата также можно встретить наличие этого прибора. Он будет отражать дату, дни недели и другие параметры, но функционирует не всегда верно или выдает некорректные данные.

В сравнении с оригинальной продукцией Rolex, на подделке регистры устанавливаются неправильно. Интервал между ними больше, а сами регистры имеют меньший размер, чем на фирменных часах. Они должны почти касаться часовых маркеров под цифрами «3», «6», «9». Как правило, на подделках они смещены.

Водонепроницаемость

Многие покупатели наслышаны о водонепроницаемости часов и твердости сапфирового стекла. Они пытаются отличить фальсификат от оригинала, действуя экстремальными способами.

После экспериментов их невозможно будет вернуть продавцу. Тем не менее, некоторые коллекционеры опускали часы в воду, а потом замораживали их в морозильной камере, чтобы быть уверенными, что корпус герметичен, а механизм выполнен качественно. Чем закончились такие эксперименты доподлинно неизвестно. Выдержали ли фирменные часы, пройденные испытания без вреда не ясно.