Rolex — A timeless invention
How It Came About and Why It Matters So Much
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Hans Eberhard Wilhelm Wilsdorf was born on 22 March 1881, in Bavaria.
At the tender age of 12, his father dies and he becomes an orphan.
He and his siblings were thankfully saved by their uncles, whom had sold the family tool business and sent the children to elite boarding schools.
His first job was at Cuno Korten, where he had to wind up hundreds of watches daily.
In 1903, at 22, he moves to London and founds Wilsdorf & Davis two years later after meeting his business partner, Davis.
In 1908, he trademarked the name Rolex.
“I tried combining the letters of the alphabet in every possible way. This gave me some hundred names, but none of them felt quite right. One morning, while riding on the upper deck of a horse-drawn omnibus along Cheapside in the City of London, a genie whispered ‘Rolex’ in my ear.” — Hans Wilsdorf
Soon, a Rolex became the first ever swiss certified wristwatch that had chronometric precision.
Later on, in 1926, the Rolex Oyster was launched. It had a hermetically sealed case that prevented the entrance of both water and dust. It was named ‘the world’s first waterproof watch’. Watches would be kept in fish tanks in shop windows to lure customers in. (what a sight!)
The rest, as they say, is history.
With more than $10 billion revenue in 2023 alone, Rolex is today one of the most prestigious and revered brands in the world.
One Lesson from Hans Wilsdorf
Take Risks
Everything about Rolex carries the stamp of its founder.
During his time, wristwatches were unreliable and regarded as women’s jewellery. People did not believe a man would need one, so no one paid attention to that market. But Hans Wilsdorf did.
He took a risk. And it paid off. Big time.
He wanted his watch to be a symbol of achievement — not one of status. It was always priced a bit out of the ordinary people’s budget just to illustrate that point.
You don’t buy a Rolex. You earn one for a significant achievement in your life. That’s what gives it meaning. We do.