[TALKING WATCHES] Rolex History and Listing of Technical Achievement

[TALKING WATCHES]

Rolex History and Listing of Technical Achievement

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You can find how historically and horologically privileged the Rolex can be. Rolex has been paved the horological path in many aspects. Why don't you be an enthusiast of Rolex with us?  

Rolex History and Listing of Technical Achievement

1905	Founding of “Wilsdorf & Davis.” A distribution company of watchcases and other horological items headquartered in London.
1908	Hans Wilsdorf registers the Rolex trademark located at La Chaux-de Fonds, later moving to Bienne.
1910	Rolex obtains the first Official Swiss Chronometer certificate
1914	Rolex obtains a Class “A” certificate, Kew Observatory in English as the first wristwatch to outperform a pocket watch.
1926	Rolex patents the screw-down crown, and creates the oyster case with a screw down caseback and bezel.
1927	Mercedes Gleitze swims across the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster. The swim lasted 15 ¼ hours.
1928	Rolex obtains a First Class Certificate from the Geneva Astronomical Observatory, the first ever awarded for a 6 ¾” wrist watch.
1939	Rolex introduces the fist chronograph with 30-minute and 12 hours totalizers.
1945	Rolex introduces the DateJust, the first automatic and water wristwatch chronometer.
1947	Rolex introduces the waterproof chronograph with 12-hour totalizer and triple date.
1947	Chuck Yeager breaks the “Sound Barrier” in a Bell X-1 wearing a Rolex Oyster, the same one he had worn throughout his deployment in WWII.
1950	Rolex introduces the Turn-O-Graph, the first Rolex with a rotating bezel and the precursor to the Submariner.
1953	Rolex introduces the Submariner, the first automatic diver’s wristwatch water-resistant to 100 meters.
1953	On May 29, Rolex rose to 29,035 ft above sea level on the wrist of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
1954	Rolex introduces the Submariner Ref. 6200, water-resistant to 200 meters.
1954	Rolex introduces the GMT-Master, an automatic chronometer with a 24 hour hand for aircraft pilots.
1956	Rolex introduces the Day-Date model, first wristwatch to spell the day of the week as well as the numeric date.
1957	Rolex patents a new Microstella regulated balance in Beryllium.
1959	Rolex introduces the Submariner Ref 5512 water resistant to 200 meters.
1960	Rolex straps a specially designed Deep Sea to the bathyscaphe Trieste which descended 10,916 meters to the bottom of the Mariana Trench being the first watch to reach such a depth.
1960	Hans Wilsdorf passes away on July 6, leaving Rolex to appointees stated in the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation.
1963	Rolex launches the first Oyster Cosmograph series ref. 6239.
1963	Andre J. Heiniger leads Rolex to 1992, when his son Patrick takes over.
1964	Rolex patents a pressure-proof screw-down push button for chronographs.
1967	Rolex, in conjunction with Comex , a French diving company, releases the Sea Dweller guaranteed water-resistant to a depth of 610 meters.
1967	Pete Knight breaks Mach 6.72 (4,534 MPH) in an X-15 aircraft wearing a GMT-Master; a record that still stands today.
1969	Rolex releases a Submariner with date and water resistant to 200 meters.
1970	Rolex starts using synthetic sapphire crystals with the introduction of the all gold Oysterquartz beta ref 5100. Rolex started rolling out sapphire crystals throughout the 70’s and 80’s. By 1989, they fit all Rolex watches with sapphire crystals.
1971	Rolex releases Reference 1655, the first Explorer II with the solid steel 24 hour bezel famous orange 24 hour hand.
1978	Conquest of Mt. Everest without oxygen by Reinhold Messner, who wore an Oysterquartz
1982	Rolex redesigns the GMT Master II and allows timing in three different time zones rather than two by allowing an independently set 12-hour hand.
1984	Rolex updates the Explorer II to reference number 16550 to resemble other successful selling models, the Submariner and GMT II.
1985	Rolex surpasses more than 4 million movements officially awarded the “Chronometer” title.
1986	Guided by only a sextant and their Rolex chronometers, Will Steger and Paul Schurke lead the first expedition without resupply to reach the North Pole.
1988	Rolex redesigns and releases the new Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Chronometer “Daytona.”.
1988	Rolex purchases its watchband supplier – Gay Frères.
1992	Patrick Heiniger takes the reins from his father leading Rolex until December 17, 2008.
2000	Roles launches the new Oyster Perpetual Chronometer Cosmograph “Daytona” with Rolex’s in-house movement.
2005	Launch of the new GMT-Master II, with a new 3186 movement, Paracrom hairspring, and ceramic bezel.
2007	Rolex re-releases the Milgauss, a newly redesigned watch from a old classic that is resistant to magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss;
2008	Rolex introduces the new Deep Sea SeaDweller water resistant to 3,900 meters.
2011	Rolex names a new CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini, formerly Rolex Italy SpA’s chief.
2012	On March 26, Rolex revisits the Mariana Trench with an experimental DeepSea Challenge watch strapped to the outside of James Cameron’s vessel.

source : beckertime

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