Born in 1881 in Bavaria, Hans Wilsdorf grew up in an era where the pocket watch was the order of the day. While there were wristwatches then, they were mostly imprecise, fragile, cumbersome and regarded more as jewellery pieces than a reliable timepiece. But Wilsdorf saw immense potential in them. To him, the wristwatch was an emblem of the modern era, an object befitting of the 20th century. He envisioned a wristwatch that would be capable of keeping up with the movements of individual wearers and the vagaries of their increasingly active daily life. This dream would ultimately lead Wilsdorf to revolutionise the world of watchmaking.
In 1905, he started to work with a small Swiss watch manufacturer in Bienne that was producing unusually compact watch movements. He then took these to London, where he had them fitted into cases. Within the year, he founded a company in London specialising in the distribution of timepieces. Wilsdorf was just 24 then. Three years later, the Rolex trademark was officially registered in Switzerland.
Wilsdorf was confident that his brand's superior watchmaking would benefit wearers by guaranteeing performance and reliability for as long as possible. In 1910, he received the first certificate for chronometric precision to be given for a wristwatch by the Official Watch Rating Centre at Bienne, Switzerland. International recognition soon followed in 1914. A new Rolex wristwatch boasted such outstanding timekeeping that the Observatory at Kew in London awarded it a Class A precision certificate a distinction previously reserved for marine chronometers, the most accurate timepieces of the era.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Prestige Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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GLAMOUR AND BEYOND
PRESTIGE'S BEYOND THE HORIZON BALL PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS.
RACING BULL
Lamborghini's breakthrough plug-in hybrid, the Revuelto, might be the supercar it needs to pull ahead in the electrification space race.
SYMPHONY OF THE SENSES
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Tapestry of the Heart
Jaipur Rugs, which recently launched in Singapore, is one of India's largest manufacturers of hand-knotted rugs. Its secret commitment to a social mission of equality and empathy.
FJORDS, FREEDOM AND FINE FOOD
Oceania Cruises' Riviera will make its debut voyage to Alaska in 2025, bringing guests deep into the wilderness of America's northernmost state while delivering The Finest Cuisine at Sea.
LESSONS FROM THE LONG ROAD
An extended cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo proves that to go further and deeper, you sometimes have to slow down.
Checks and Balance
Louis Vuitton's latest fine jewellery range, Le Damier de Louis Vuitton, is inspired by the house's Damier check. Artistic director for watches and jewellery FRANCESCA AMFITHEATROF takes us through the process.
IN DAZZLING FORM
Powered by a new movement, the Asia Pacific exclusive editions of the Round Skeleton Baguette 31 editions by Franck Muller sparkle with baguette-cut diamonds or coloured precious gemstones.
A TIME FOR SQUARE
In October, Patek Philippe unveiled its first wholly new collection of timepieces in 25 years. Prestige Singapore was among the first in the world to see the Cubitus trio of timepieces and find out how they were created.
STILL THE ONE
With a distinctive design including an off-centre dial, outsize date and an asymmetrical layout, the Lange 1 stood out from the horological pack when it was launched in 1994. It continues to do so even today, three decades on.
