Timekeeping, History, and Intrigue: A Few Less Known Facts about Rolex

Rolex is one of the premier watchmakers in our present time, but it has also held that position among other elites of the European watchmaking industry for well over a century now.As should be expected from a company that has been making timepieces for more than 115 years at this point, Rolex is associated with multiple intriguing facts and trivia. Some of these are related to the company’s less known original roots, while others inform us about how intricately Rolex wasconnected to the Second World War – and even astronauts!

British Soldiers Relied Heavily on Rolex Watches During World War II

Since this was a time before the digital world came into being, watches were not just accessories but considered a timekeeping tool of immense importance. Unfortunately, British air force pilots did not always receive the best pieces, despite the importance of timekeeping to their duties. Rolex watches quickly became a popular choice for British pilots in the middle of the Second World War since these proved to be far more accurate and durable, compared to the standard–issuewatches provided to all British Air Force pilots back then.

German Soldiers Confiscated Over 3,000 Rolex Watches

German soldiers had already heard about the quality of Rolex watches, which meant that if a pilot was caught as a prisoner of war by the Germans, they would steal the Rolex from the captured pilot immediately after. In a show of unprecedented goodwill, Wilsdorf announced and later followed through on his promise to replace every one of the Rolex watches for freethat German soldiers had confiscated from the captured Royal Air Force pilots. Morale was boosted and Rolex was not forgotten by the British soldiers, or any other nation in the Alliance post-war.

Today, Rolex is more than a status symbol, or just an expensive fashion accessory, as the brand itself is associated with global respect that goes above and beyond just good watchmaking. Leaders like Winston Churchill and even brave astronauts who were on the Apollo Missions all wore a Rolex on some of their most crucial days. With so much history behind the Rolex brand, the collection has to be special, and you will find exactly that on CHRONEXT. They have an impressive collection of exclusive Rolex watches which were released throughout the many decades, along with the more recent and revised designs from the Swiss brand as well.

Rolex is Not Swiss?

Both technically and practically, Rolex is very much a Swiss company that started in Geneva, Switzerland (1919). However, Rolex has an origin story in London that predates the company’s move to Geneva by 14 years. Apparently, Rolex was a British watch assembling business for manyyears, following its initial establishment in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis.

Once the company became large enough to manufacture its own brand of watches, the two founders shifted Rolex to Geneva, Switzerland soon after. It made the most sense at that time to Wilsdorf and Davis because Switzerland have always had the best watchmakers back then, as they still do today.