9/27/2023 0 Comments Countdown timer clock for obamaSpring/Mainspring – A coil of metal that powers the watch. Lume – glow-in-the-dark paint applied to hands and numerals. Movement/caliber – the type of mechanics inside the watch.Ĭomplication – any function on a timepiece that does more than telling time (displaying hours, minutes, and seconds) – such as the extra dials on a chronograph. Model – the outer design of the watch each Rolex model has a reference number that will tell you the year and version as well as the caliber. Lugs – the protruding edges of the watch itself that attach it to the bracelet. A Rolex bracelet often comes with a concealed ‘Crownclasp’ that makes the bracelet look endless. Many Rolexes have a fluted bezel – first used to screw the bezel onto the case, then for rotatable bezels, and now also just as a distinctive decoration.īracelet – a metal band that you use to wear the watch on your wrist. Since the 70s, Rolex has been using a synthetic sapphire to make their crystals.īezel – the round outer ring that seals the case. A Rolex crown is marked with a crown logo and screwed hermetically onto the case, making it waterproof.Ĭrystal – the transparent, convex crystal that covers the face of the watch. Notably, almost all Rolex watches have solid, screw-down casebacks, which sets them apart from more common snap-on casebacks or those with external screws.Ĭrown – the knob on the side that’s used to wind and stop the watch and/or adjust the time and date. Basic Watch TerminologyĬase – the ‘body’ of the watch, which houses the internal moving parts. Rolex keeps making mechanical watches, markets itself on heritage and craftsmanship, and becomes the prestige brand for yuppies in the 1980s. I own this one! Click here to read my Rolex Explorer review and history.ġ960: A specially designed Rolex is also carried to the LOWEST point on earth, Challenger Deep – 10,911 meters underwater.ġ963: Rolex invents the first racing chronograph – the Cosmograph Daytona.ġ970s: The ‘Quartz Crisis’ decimates the Swiss watch industry – the market is flooded with cheap Asian quartz watches. ![]() Geneva has been the heart of the luxury watch industry since the 16th century, when a Calvinist ban on jewelry drove out-of-work jewelers to team up with watchmakers.ġ926: Rolex invents the first waterproof watch, the Rolex Oyster – endorsed by Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English channel. He later says, “A good genie whispered in my ear: ‘ Rolex.' “ġ919: Rolex moves to Geneva, Switzerland, where its headquarters remain to this day. Brief Rolex Watch Historyġ905: Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis start a watchmaking company in London, calling it ‘Wilsdorf & Davis'.ġ908: Hans Wilsdorf decides they need a translatable and attractive brand name – so he makes one up. When you buy a Rolex, you're buying a timepiece with a heritage that stretches back through time. It has its own gold refinery and makes alloys that can’t be copied by anyone else. Rolex is one of the only watchmakers in the world to make almost every component “in-house,” including the metals it uses. Plus they test the cased-up watch to +2/-2 seconds' deviation per day. Today all Rolex movements have chronometer certification. Rolex is an industry leader in precision, and was the first in the world to receive a Chronometric Precision certificate. For example, all Oyster Perpetual models are tested under water pressure 10% higher than their rated depth, and dive watches are tested at pressure 25% higher. Rolex built a reputation for being the most reliable watch, especially for dive watches – the Submariner (1953) was the first watch waterproof to 100 meters. ![]() ReputationĪ 2019 study by the Reputation Institute ranks Rolex as the world’s most reputable company.īefore watches were luxury items they were tools. ![]() Even non- watch geeks recognize them and know the clout they signal.Ī survey of wealthy Americans (household income over $100,000) by investment bank RBC Capital Markets found that 12.3% want to buy a Rolex in 2019 – no other watch came close. They’re the most instantly recognizable watches in the world thanks to their standard case designs and limited bracelet selections. Rolex is THE name in status-symbol watches.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |