Rolex watches have long been viewed as the cream of the crop. Their iconic status has made them desirable around the world. If someone comes into a bit of money, one of the first things they want to buy is a Rolex watch! These watches have also become common gifts for special moments as well, such as graduations. But, did you know these incredible facts about Rolex watches…?
Rolex has been to the deepest point in the ocean
You may be surprised to learn that Rolex has gone even deeper than the bathyscaphe mission! Eight years ago, in a deepsea challenge mission, James Cameron descended into the Mariana Trench. During this challenge, he sported a Rolex Deepsea Challenge. This model was designed to offer assured waterproof to the depth of 39,370 feet. Did it work? You bet it did! The Rolex kept the time to perfection throughout the entire seven-hour journey.
Rolex has its own team of gemologists
At Rolex, they have their own team of gemologists. They are working to make sure the highest quality of gemstones are used in Rolex watches. These team members will purchase, test, arrange, and set diamonds, as well as any other type of precious stone that is used in Rolex watches.
Roled do not use IV on its Roman numeral dials
If you have ever seen a Rolex watch that has a Roman numeral dial, you may have noticed that it does not use IV, and instead, it uses IIII. The reason for this is because IIII is considered the Clockmaker’s four. The reason for this is because of the symmetrical balance and aesthetics.
There is higher security a Rolex’s headquarters than a high-level security prison
There are many reasons why this is the case. However, one of the main reasons is that the headquarters is home to bars of Everose gold, which is worth $1,000,000. You can expect unmarked armoured trucks, iris scanners, bank vault doors, and employee fingerprint scanners at the headquarters. Is there anything else that’s looked after as much as a Rolex watch?
Rolex makes all of its gold in-house
Not only does Rolex have a team of their own gemologists, but they also make all of their gold in-house. This fact alone shows that Rolex never compromises on quality. As Rolex creates their own gold, they can control the machining and production of it. This also means that they are able to guarantee the look of the material, as well as a level of quality. Rolex is actually the only watch business in the world that has its own real in-house foundry and makes its own gold.
The most expensive Rolex watch sold for $17,752,500 in 2017
This record was previously held by another watch. In 2017, a Rolex watch that was first auctioned for $235,00 in 2002 then sold for $5,060,427 in 2017. However, this record was quickly broken. In the same year, a Rolex Daytona sold for more than three times this amount, fetching in a monumental $17,752,500. The sale of this watch broke all records, making it the most expensive wristwatch to be sold at auction.
Rolex is a charity
You may be surprised to learn that Rolex is actually a charity. After the death of his wife, Hans Wilsdorf founded the Hans Wilsdorf foundation back in 1944. Rolex’s ownership is now subject to the foundation. There are clear guidelines that have been set-up regarding how the finances should be handled. As Swiss law states that private charities do not need to disclose details regarding their respective charities, you won’t be able to find out information about any of the donations made to the Rolex foundation.
Rolex relocated to Geneva in 1919
For a brand that is known as the top luxury Swiss watchmaker, you may be surprised to learn that the business did not actually start out in Switzerland. Plus, the founders were not Swiss. Nevertheless, in 1919, the story of Rolex being a Swiss watchmaker started. This is when the business moved to Geneva. The reason for this was because of the wartime taxes that were levied on luxury imports, especially gold and silver.
Rolex did not start out making watches
You may also be surprised to learn that Rolex did not begin making watches. In fact, they were first a company that assembled watches. The company purchased Swiss movements from Germann Aegler, and they put the movement into Dennison cases, as well as cases from a number of other manufacturers. They then went on to sell the watches to jewellers.
It takes about a year to make a Rolex watch
This may not come as too much as a surprise to you if you have seen one of the Rolex adverts about this. It takes around a year for all of the different parts to be manufactured that go into a Rolex. Once the parts have been made, though, it takes around four hours to put the pieces together.
All Rolex watches are photographed with the same time on the watch
Last but not least, if you take a look at all of the official photos of Rolex watches, you will notice that they all display the same time; they are set to 10 minutes past 10, and the second hand is always at 31 seconds. This is known as the official Rolex time. If there is a day and date function on the watch, it will always be set to Monday, and the date is always going to be the 28th.
So there you have it: some of the most incredible facts about Rolex and Rolex watches. Did you learn something new? If you are lucky enough to have a Rolex watch or you’re thinking about buying one, make sure you take out insurance policy cover. After all, the last thing you want is to lose your watch or have it stolen and then not be in a position to replace it.
