Rolex SA
Company History
Rolex History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1905 in London, United Kingdom
When was Rolex founded?
Rolex was founded in 1905 in London, United Kingdom by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, making it 121 years old.
- Founded
- 1905
- Founding place
- London, United Kingdom
- Founders
- Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis
- Headquarters today
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Milestones documented
- 13 (1905–2023)
- Current CEO
- Jean-Frédéric Dufour
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1905 | Founded |
| 1919 | Moved to Geneva |
| 1926 | Oyster Launch |
| 1931 | Perpetual Rotor |
| 1953 | Submariner Launch |
| 1960 | Deep Sea Special |
| 1963 | Daytona Launch |
| 1967 | Sea-Dweller Launch |
| 1971 | Explorer II |
| 1992 | Pearlmaster Launch |
| 2012 | Sky-Dweller |
| 2020 | Submariner Refresh |
| 2023 | Bucherer acquisition |
- Where was Rolex founded?
- Rolex was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1905. wikidata.org
- Who founded Rolex?
- Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis.
- When did Rolex start?
- Rolex was founded in 1905.
- How old is Rolex?
- Rolex is 121 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1905 most men carried pocket watches, and wristwatches were seen as fragile jewellery. Hans Wilsdorf, then 24, set up Wilsdorf & Davis in London to sell accurate wristwatches. He registered the Rolex name in 1908, a short word that read the same in many languages. In 1926 the company introduced the waterproof Oyster case, and in 1927 swimmer Mercedes Gleitze wore one during an English Channel swim attempt, which Rolex publicised in a front-page Daily Mail advertisement.
Founders
Hans Wilsdorf
Hans Wilsdorf (1881-1960) was a German-born entrepreneur who founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with Alfred Davis to sell wristwatches with Swiss movements. He registered the Rolex name in 1908, moved the business to Geneva after the First World War, and drove key innovations such as the waterproof Oyster case (1926) and the Perpetual self-winding rotor (1931). He also founded Tudor in 1926. After his wife's death he set up the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in 1945, and on his death in 1960 it became the owner of Rolex. Hans Wilsdorf was born in 1881.
Alfred Davis
Alfred Davis was Hans Wilsdorf's brother-in-law and co-founder of Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905. The firm imported movements from Hermann Aegler in Bienne and fitted them in cases for sale through jewellers, with early casebacks stamped 'W&D'. Alfred Davis was born in 1882.
Key Milestones
Deep Sea Special
The bathyscaphe Trieste descended to the Mariana Trench carrying an experimental Rolex Deep Sea Special.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMajor Acquisitions
Bucherer AG
2023Rolex agreed in August 2023 to buy Bucherer, the Lucerne-based watch and jewellery retailer, after owner Jörg G. Bucherer, who had no heirs, decided to sell. Bucherer operated more than 100 stores, including the Tourneau stores in the US.
Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA (Aegler, Bienne)
2004Rolex bought the Bienne movement maker, descended from Aegler, which had supplied Rolex movements since the company's early years.
Bucherer
2023Luxury watch and jewelry retailer, ensuring company future and retail distribution.
Keep researching Rolex
Rolex Company History FAQ
When and where was Rolex originally founded?
Rolex was founded in 1905 in London, England, by 24-year-old German-born entrepreneur Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis under the original company name "Wilsdorf & Davis".
How was the brand name "Rolex" created and when was it registered?
Hans Wilsdorf wanted a short, easily pronounceable name in any European language that looked elegant on a watch dial. After trying hundreds of letter combinations, he claimed a whisper in his ear suggested "Rolex" while riding an omnibus in London; the trademark was officially registered on July 2, 1908.
Why did Rolex relocate its headquarters from London to Geneva, Switzerland?
In 1919, following World War I, the British government imposed a punitive 33.3% import duty on luxury goods including silver and gold watch cases. To remain financially viable, Wilsdorf relocated the entire company to Geneva, Switzerland, formally incorporating "Montres Rolex SA" in 1920.
What was the revolutionary "Rolex Oyster" and when was it invented?
Introduced in 1926, the Rolex Oyster was the world's first hermetically sealed waterproof and dustproof wristwatch, featuring a screw-down case back, screw-down bezel, and a patented twinlock screw-down winding crown.
How did Mercedes Gleitze prove the waterproof capability of the Rolex Oyster in 1927?
In October 1927, British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam the freezing English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster around her neck. After more than 10 hours in salt water, the watch emerged in perfect working order, prompting Wilsdorf to publish a famous front-page endorsement in the Daily Mail.
What was the "Perpetual Rotor" invented by Rolex in 1931?
In 1931, Rolex patented the "Perpetual" self-winding mechanism, featuring a free-swinging weighted rotor that rewound the mainspring with the natural motion of the wearer's wrist, establishing the mechanical architecture used in all modern automatic watches.
When was the iconic Rolex Datejust introduced?
The Rolex Datejust was launched in 1945 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company. It was the first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to automatically display the date in a small window at 3 o'clock on the dial, paired with the Jubilee bracelet.
How was the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation established and why does it own Rolex?
Following the sudden death of his beloved wife Florence in 1944, Hans Wilsdorf transferred 100% of his shares in Rolex to the newly created Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in 1945, ensuring Rolex would never be sold, taken public, or subjected to corporate takeovers, directing profits to charitable causes.
When were the legendary professional tool watches Submariner, GMT-Master, and Daytona launched?
Rolex launched the Submariner dive watch (waterproof to 100m) in 1953, the GMT-Master (developed for Pan American World Airways pilots) in 1954, the Day-Date ("President") in 1956, and the Cosmograph Daytona racing chronograph in 1963.
How did Rolex survive the 1970s and 1980s "Quartz Crisis"?
While many Swiss watchmakers collapsed trying to compete with cheap Japanese quartz watches, Rolex elevated its mechanical timepieces from functional measuring tools into ultimate symbols of luxury prestige, craftsmanship, and timeless investment value.
What was the landmark acquisition of Bucherer in August 2023?
In August 2023, Rolex announced the historic acquisition of Bucherer AG, the world's largest luxury watch retailer with over 100 stores across Switzerland, the US, UK, and Europe, following 87-year-old Jörg Bucherer's decision to sell his family business in the absence of direct heirs.
When was the certified pre-owned (CPO) program launched by Rolex?
In December 2022, Rolex officially launched the "Rolex Certified Pre-Owned" program, allowing authorized jewelers to sell authenticated, guaranteed second-hand Rolex watches accompanied by an official two-year international warranty card.
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