A Manufacture At The Service Of Excellence

SUPERIOR WATCHMAKING ACCORDING TO ROLEX

Since 1905, Rolex has maintained the founding vision of its creator, Hans Wilsdorf, who saw the wristwatch as an object of the future, emblematic of the modern era. At a time when standard timepieces were pocket watches, which by their very nature always remain in the same position, he decided to develop a wristwatch capable of keeping up with the movements of its wearers and the vagaries of their increasingly active daily life.

In the early 20th century, wristwatches were imprecise, fragile and cumbersome, regarded more as jewellery than reliable timepieces. Hans Wilsdorf revolutionised watchmaking by overcoming three major challenges and turned wristwatches into instruments for everyday use.

The first was to be able to produce small movements as precise as marine chronometers, the absolute references of the period. The second was to develop a robust and waterproof case to protect the movements from dust, moisture, splashes and perspiration. And the third, to fit the watch with a self-winding system that offered the wearer greater convenience on a daily basis.

For Hans Wilsdorf, there was no doubt that his brand's superior watchmaking would benefit the wearer by guaranteeing the performance and reliability of every watch for as long as possible.

INTEGRATING ALL AREAS OF EXPERTISE

This desire to always push beyond the limits could not be achieved without the guarantee of total industrial independence. By integrating and developing all areas of watchmaking expertise, Rolex is able to impose its own rules and perpetuate its quest for excellence. The choice of autonomy has shaped the identity of a brand at the crossroads of pure tradition and state-of-the-art technology, and is expressed at its four production sites, all located in Switzerland.

PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE