Rolex is unquestionably one of the most luxurious watches of current times. Not only has it established itself as the most popular luxury watch but has also become a mark of class, panache, and luxury.
While Rolex is commonly known for its timeless yet futuristic design and features, even some of the most passionate watch connoisseurs miss out on some of its facts. Here are some interesting facts about the USA’s no.1 luxury watch, Rolex-
It’s All in the Name
While most watch brands name themselves after their founders, Rolex has a different story. As the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, never went into too much detail regarding what Rolex means and how it came about, many experts have come up with theories.
One theory is that Hans was looking for a name that was easily pronounceable in practically any language. He was also keen on finalizing a short name that was easy to remember and sounded good for a watch company.
Another popular theory is that the name derives from the French word for “Horlogerie exquise” which means exquisite clockwork. Here, the letter H is silent, thereby the name ‘ROlogical EXcellence’.
All Rolex Watches are Made & Assembled by Hand
All Rolex watches are handmade and meticulously assembled by skilled watchmakers. To meet the high standards set by the brand, everything required to make the watch is made in-house.
It is an incredibly complex and lengthy process that the watchmaker goes through to assemble the advanced features of a Rolex watch. To further verify its quality, all the watches go through independent testing.
About 800,000 to 1 million watches are produced every year
Because each of its watches is handmade, one would expect Rolex to churn out fewer watches every year. However, it is estimated that Rolex produces nearly 2000 watches a day.
As Rolex never reveals the actual figures, estimates suggest that the brand produces nearly 1 million watches annually.
10 past 10
Have you noticed how every Rolex watch is photographed at a set time of 10 past 10? This is known as the official “Rolex Time”. If the model has a date feature, it is always set to the 28th, whereas if it has a day function, it is always set to Monday.
These are the iconic traits of Rolex watches that set them apart from their competitors. Not only does it serve as a trademark but also gives the watches an aesthetically pleasing look. The minute and hour hands are positioned to appear symmetrical, whilst perfectly framing the logo which is always at 12.
Charity First
After his wife passed away in 1994, Hans Wilsdorf founded the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. Shortly after this, the ownership of Rolex was subject to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation.
As Swiss law suggests private charities need not disclose their charities or donations, the Rolex foundation has kept the same under wraps. To date, there hasn’t been any official information on who the foundation has helped or how much it has donated so far.
The Most Expensive Rolex Watch was sold for $17,752,500
The most expensive wristwatch to have ever been sold at an auction was a 1968 Rolex of Reference 6239 Daytona. It was sold at Phillip’s Inaugral watch auction in New York City in October 2017.
The anonymous buyer of the watch bought it for a staggering $17.7m, on phone.
The “Day” Wheel on the Rolex watch is available in 26 languages
The “Day” Wheel on the Rolex Day-Date models is available in about 26 languages that include-
- English
- Arabic
- German
- Danish
- Spanish
- Italian
- Basque
- Chinese
- Ethiopian
- French
- Greek
- Dutch
- Finnish
- Hebrew
- Indonesian
- Latin
- Japanese
- Swedish
- Turkish
- Polish
- Farsi
- Norwegian
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Moroccan
Just by reading these facts, it’s hard to not be truly impressed by the brand. It is also clear that Rolex believes in evolution more than revolution, the primary reason why it continues the world of luxury watches.