Rolex Philosophy
Journey to the heart of Rolex philosophy
Hans Wilsdorf was intimately convinced of the human capacity to innovate with excellence as a goal. More than one hundred years after the creation of the brand, the founder’s spirit is more present than ever, both in terms of watchmaking and Rolex’s commitments around the world.
Commitment to excellence
Since its origins, the history of Rolex has been marked by a yearning for perfection and a desire to always go beyond.
“On first impression the difficulties seemed insurmountable.”
At the beginning of the last century, a visionary entrepreneur, then based in London, is on the verge of success with only his will as a banner. What is his commitment? To make known to the watchmaking world of the time a firm still ignored: Rolex. An unprecedented name, invented in 1908, which in a few decades would become one of the most famous brands in the world. “At first glance the difficulties seemed insurmountable”: with these words Hans Wilsdorf recalled in his memoirs the origins of his company. At that time, as a businessman he did not have many assets, but as a man he possessed some invaluable qualities: vision, perseverance and an uncommon capacity for hard work. Orphaned at the age of 12, with nothing to fall back on but his determination to overcome all obstacles, Hans Wilsdorf invented the world’s first hermetically sealed self-winding Perpetual rotor wristwatch. A watch that, to this day, is a reference in terms of quality and prestige.
“Too complicated, too fragile, too out of place,” he had been told ad nauseam. Thanks to his deep convictions, Hans Wilsdorf succeeded, with his audacity and in spite of everything, in imposing the Rolex watch – the Oyster Perpetual – as the archetype of the hermetic, precise and robust watch, capable of resisting any situation. But he was not only the visionary who gave Rolex watches their fundamental technical and aesthetic characteristics. His constant quest for perfection was coupled with great generosity and an unwavering faith in the potential of human beings.
The sum of multiple know-how
As an independent, vertical manufacturer, Rolex has an industrial apparatus that brings together unquantifiable know-how. Watchmakers, engineers, designers and other specialists work closely together to conceive and then manufacture the watches.
The company’s culture is based first and foremost on human values that place know-how and social relations at the heart of its various activities.
Rolex represents many different professions, embodied by men and women who are specialists in their respective fields. The brand controls all the essential components… from the casting of the gold alloys to the assembly of the elements of the movement, case, dial and bracelet, through machining, finishing and gem-setting. In addition, it makes its various know-how available to the entire world thanks to an exceptional network and after-sales service.
And to ensure that this know-how never disappears, Rolex has its own Training Center, the only one of its kind. This Geneva-based center, dedicated to developing new talent and training its employees, offers continuous training to all its employees and company managers and ensures the training of apprentices. A space where knowledge and experiences are shared, its mission is to ensure the succession for tomorrow in accordance with the brand’s values.
A watch that is unlike any other
The Oyster Perpetual collection is built on the success of the original Oyster model, patented by Rolex and introduced in 1926.
The Oyster, the world’s first watertight wristwatch, played a pioneering role in the evolution of the modern wristwatch. Over the years, it incorporated many other innovations – for example, automatic winding by Perpetual rotor (1931) – that have defined the identity of the models in the collection and have forged Rolex’s reputation for excellence, which, among other things, is based on the chronometric precision of its watches and their reliability.
The Oyster has gradually added new features and innovative technologies to its collection. The fundamentals of this watchmaking archetype are found in all models, which share a visual identity. The collection has twelve ranges divided into two categories: Classic watches such as the Datejust and the Day Date, and Professional watches such as the Explorer and the GMT Master II.
As the pioneer brand of the wristwatch, Rolex is at the origin of many important breakthroughs in watchmaking and has registered more than 500 patents in the course of its history.
As an Official Rolex Retailer, we are authorized to sell Rolex watches. Thanks to our expertise and know-how, we will help you make a decision that will last a lifetime.