1940's AUTHENTIC FIJO UPDOWN CHRONOGRAPH GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND: VERY RARE VINTAGE UP DOWN CHRONOGRAPHE FIJO CHRONOGRAPH GENTS WRISTWATCH

MADE IN: SWISS

CIRCA: 1950's

MODEL:  2 REGISTERS TOP DOWN CHRONOGRAPH

CRYSTAL: ACRYLIC CRYSTAL

MOVEMENT: VERY RARE SWISS VALJOUX CAL.77 CHRONOGRAPH 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT.

DIAL COLOR: CHAMPAGNE DIAL

FUNCTION: 2 REGISTERS CHRONOGRAPH 30 MINUTES COUNTER AT 12:00

HANDS:  BLUE STEEL STICK HANDS

MARKERS: BLACK ARABIC MARKERS

CASING :  TOP CHROME PLATED BEZEL & STAINLESS STEEL BACK

LUGS: 18mm

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 35mm DIAMETER EXCLUDING CROWN and 46mm LUG TO LUG

BACK CASE ENGRAVING: NONE

BEZEL: CHROME PLATED

CROWN: CHROME PLATED CROWN AND CHROME PUSHERS

STRAP: GENUINE BLACK LEATHER BAND

SIZE STRAP: 7.5"

EXCELLENT CONDITION, CHRONO FULLY WORKING AND RESET TO ZERO, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL.

PRICE/HARGA: PERSONAL COLLECTION (WILLING TO LET GO FOR RM3,500 NEGOTIABLE)

VERY RARE MILITARY OMEGA BROAD ARROW GENT WRISTWATCH

BRAND: RARER! AUTHENTIC OMEGA BROAD ARROW MILITARY GENTS WRISTWATCH

MADE IN: SWISS

CIRCA: 1944 (SERIAL NO. 10,xxx,xxx)

MODEL: MILITARY BROAD ARROW

CRYSTAL: ACRYLIC

MOVEMENT: OMEGA 17 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT CAL 30T2 - RARE

DIAL COLOR: MILITARY BLACK BROAD ARROW

FUNCTION: HOUR, MINUTE, SUB SECOND

HANDS: SS LUMINOUS

MARKERS: ARABIC LUMINOUS

CASING : STAINLESS STEEL

HINGING LUGS: 18mm

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 34mm DIAMETER EXCLUDING CROWN and 45mm LUG TO LUG

BACK CASE INSCRIPTION: - W.W.W. Y10598 - 10674797

CROWN:  LARGE SS CROWN

STRAP: NATO BLACK TEXTILE MILITARY 

SIZE STRAP/SAIZ TALI: 8.5"

EXCELLENT CONDITION, WORKING, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL, VERY RARE AND VERY HARD TO FIND

PRICE: SOLD;TO PETER FROM OMEGA

SOLD : SOLD

History of Omega Watch Co

The History of a Successful Company Omega was founded by Louis Brandt at La Chaux – de – Fonds, Switzerland in 1848 as a assembly workshop. In 1879, after his death, his two sons Louis Paul and César started the in-house manufacturing so they started having total production control. One year later, Omega moved into a small factory that became a huge one when 12 months later they bought the entire building. In 1903, they both died leaving the company in 24 years old, Paul Emile Brandt’s hands. Because of the crisis that the Second World War left, he had to work really hard in order to face the economic difficulties. He merged Omega with Tissot calling the new company SSIH. The SSIH group continued to grow and multiply under his leadership and, by the seventies, it had become Switzerland’s number one producer of finished watches and number three in the world.

In 1985, the holding company was taken over by a group of private investors under Nicolas Hayek leadership. It was immediately renamed SMH (Société suisse de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie). SMH had a rapid growth and success becoming today's top watch producer in the world. Named Swatch Group in 1998, it now includes Blancpain and Breguet.

Jaeger LeCoultre-FavreLueba Cal.885 Manual Wind Gents Wristwatch

Price: USD1200 (NEGOTIABLE) 

Historically speaking, the two Jaeger and LeCoultre entities were consolidated in 1927 under a holding company called SAPIC (Société Anonyme de Participations Industrielles et Commerciales), HQ'd in Lausanne.

In 1934, SAPIC bought SH (Spécialités Horlogères, the distribution company that was selling the Jaeger and LeCoultre products since 1931 - the year of the REVERSO, SH being renamed 'Jaeger-LeCoultre' in 1938).

Therefore, as of 1934, SAPIC was a holding controlling both production and distribution subsidiaries of Jaeger LeCoultre watches.
HQ'd in Geneve at that time.

In 1938, SAPIC bought a significant shareholding in both Vacheron & Constantin and Audemars Piguet  (hence the massive use of JLC calibres in V&C and AP watches from that day onwards).
So, from 1938, SAPIC was JLC +share of V&C +share of AP   (6 years earlier, LeCoultre has had a go at buying a financially distressed PP - which ultimately was bought by the Sterns, so this 'group' logic was not something new).

in 1964, V&C exited the SAPIC group.

in 1969, Favre Leuba (Georges Favre) bought Jaeger LeCoultre / SAPIC, renaming it SAPHIR Group, HQ'd in Zoug  (Société Anonyme de Participations Horlogères et Industrielles Réunies). 
Georges Favre took the reins of the group. Therefore, in 1969, Jaeger LeCoultre and Favre Leuba actually became sister companies, owned by George Favre / Favre Leuba.

This is evidenced by shared distribution, as illustrated below on this store display:

and again in this brochure from 1973 showing both JLC and FL 'extreme' watches  (the Bathy 50 is afairly unique watch and a very rare bird indeed) 

This was also the time when Favre Leuba did use some of JLC trademark concepts (which it owned the rights to market obviously), such as the first recreation of the Reverso under the Favre Leuba name  (model name: sandow), years before the Reverso was actually reborn under its Jaeger LeCoultre name in the late 1980's:

or a true 70's memovox, dubbed Memoraider, housing an evolution of the JLC calibre 916  (exclusive to Favre Leuba: JLC 917):

in 1978, George Favre sold Jaeger LeCoultre to the VDO group, later becoming Mannesmann then Vodaphone-VDO, which in turn sold its horology division (then called LMH -Les Manufactures Horlogers) to Richemont in 2000.

And the rest is history....

So, as you can see, the history of Favre Leuba and Jaeger LeCOultre is very intricate from 1969 to at least 1978  (not mentioning also the 1930's when Favre Leuba was a retailer of the original reverso, especially in India where FL was a prominent distributor of horology and jewellery).

It is therefore not abnormal to see the 2 names associated with the servicing of this Polaris in the early 1970's (since the 2 brands shared a common structure for sales and after-sales)

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE GRUEN PRECISION DIGITAL JUMP HOUR AUTOWIND GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND: AUTHENTIC VINTAGE GRUEN PRECISION  DIGITAL JUMP HOUR AUTOWIND GENTS WRISTWATCH

MADE IN: SWITZERLAND

CIRCA/TAHUN: 1970's

MODEL: DAYDATE PRECISION AUTOWIND DIGITAL JUMP HOUR

CRYSTAL: ACRYLIC

MOVEMENT: SWISS AEGLER GRUEN 17 JEWELS AUTOMATIC WINDING MOVEMENT CAL. 550 SS CD

DIAL COLOR: YELLOW AND BLACK

FUNCTION: HOUR, MINUTE, SECOND DIGITAL ROTATING DISC

HANDS:  NONE 

MARKERS: RNONE

CASING : GOLD PLATE BEZEL and STAINLESS STEEL BACK - 37mm without crown and 42mm lug to lug

LUGS:  19mm

CROWN:  GP UNSIGNED

BACK CASE INSCRIPTION: GRUEN, SWISS MADE, 16 KARAT GOLD ELECTROPLATE BEZEL, STAINLESS STEEL BACK

STRAP: NEW GENUINE STRETCH  FLEXI BAND

STRAP SIZE: 8.5"

WORKING CONDITION, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL & HARD TO FIND. Comes with original Gruen Wooden Box

PRICE:  USD275 (NEGOTIABLE)

Gruen Watch Company

On June 12, 1874 Dietrich Gruen applied for a patent on an improved safety pinion, which was granted on December 22. He was 27 years old.

In 1876 he formed the Columbus Watch Manufacturing Company in the basement of a downtown Columbus, Ohio bank building.

In his Columbus workshop, Dietrich modified, finished and cased raw movements that were imported from Switzerland. These new watches included his patented safety pinion. Dietrich introduced 16-size watches as an alternative to the heavy and thick 18-size and larger watches that were prevalent at the time. He also introduced the first stemwind watches sold in the U.S. market.

As the company grew, they moved to two floors in a commerical building a few blocks away.

In 1882, in collaboration with a number of new partners, the company was reorganized as the Columbus Watch Company and moved to a newly-constructed factory building located on Thurman Street, in the 'German Village' section of Columbus. Dietrich was President of the new corporation.

By 1888 production was about 45 watches per day; the company would grow to 300 employees and output to 150 watches per day. Although the company continued to issue stemwind watches, they also manufactured keywind movements for some of their less-expensive models.

After a series of disagreements with the other partners, Dietrich Gruen and his son Fred left the Columbus Watch Company in 1894, shortly before the business went bankrupt. Dietrich had lost his share of the company to the investors, and was faced with the prospect of staying on as a salaried employee at the company that he had founded. He chose to leave rather than bear this indignity. After the departure of the Gruens the firm was reorganized, refinanced and renamed "The New Columbus Watch Company."

The New Columbus Watch Company survived until 1903. The contents of the factory, including all the tooling and stocks of movements, were eventually purchased by the Studebaker family, moved to Indiana (along with many key employees) and used to start the South Bend Watch Company. Some early South Bend watches were sold with signed Columbus movements in them.

In 1894, Fred Gruen and Dietrich Gruen decided to try to start a new watch company. Using money borrowed from friends and relatives, Dietrich and Fred formed the partnership "D. Gruen and Son.".

These first Gruen watches are of very high quality and are beautifully made. Both 18 and 16 size versions were manufactured, each in both open face and hunter styles, and in 18- and 21-jewel versions. The earliest D. Gruen & Son serial numbers started around 62000. The Gruens dealt directly with individual jewelry stores; there were no wholesalers or jobbers involved in the distribution of their watches.

In 1898 George Gruen joined the firm as treasurer and financial officer. The company incorporated and its name changed to D. Gruen, Sons & Company.

In 1903 Gruen introduces its "VeriThin" line of watches.

In 1908 Gruen introduced both men's and women's wristwatches. These proved popular only with women. Gruen was one of a very few companies to take wristwatches seriously this early, seeing their potential in spite of disappointing early sales to male customers.

Gruen made both wrist and pocket watches for the military during World War I. Most had silver cases, which would tarnish but would not corrode under adverse conditions. To satisfy U.S. military regulations, these watches all have luminous dial markings and hands.

1911 Dietrich Gruen dies suddenly. Fred Gruen takes control of the company.

In 1913 the company purchased Nanny Goat Hill, a pasture just outside of Cincinnati, and renamed it Time Hill. Work began on a new building designed by architect Guy C. Burroughs at a construction cost estimated at $50,000 USD. The company moved to the new location in 1917.

1921: Gruen introduces The Cartouche wrist watch calling it "The logical wrist watch shape".

1922: Gruen introduces "The Pentagon" pocket watch. "the Croix de Guerre of American achievement"

Up until 1922 there had actually been three Gruen companies: D. Gruen, Sons & Company; The Gruen National Watch Case Company of Cincinnati; and The Gruen Watch Manufacturing Company of Biel, Switzerland. In 1922 all three businesses were merged to form the Gruen Watch Company, with Fred as President.

In 1924, Gruen released a special pocket watch in an edition of 600 to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The watch cost $500 at the time.

In 1925, Gruen introduced the men's Quadron. These were rectangular watches containing very high-quality 15-j or 17-j tonneau-shaped movements.

In 1928 Gruen releases The Techni-Quadron. The famous Techni-Quadron "doctor's watches" are so-called because the large seconds dial was handy for timing a patient's pulse.

In 1935 Fred Gruen, now 63 years old, became Chairman of the Board and Benjamin S. Katz was brought in as President of the Gruen Watch Company. In 1935, Gruen was about $1.8 million USD (roughly $36 million USD today) in debt; nervous stockholders and investors were behind the change. Fred would retire in 1940, but continued to sit on the board for the rest of his life.

In 1935 Gruen introduces the most famous Gruen wristwatch- "The Curvex". These watches are one of the greatest examples of 1930s streamlined design.

1937: Gruen introduces "The Ristside" or "driver's" watches.

In 1938, continuing the success of their VeriThin pocket watches, Gruen also launched a series of Veri-Thin wristwatches. Contemporary Curvex and Veri-Thin movements often are closely related, and can share many parts. By the 1940s, most Gruen wristwatches were either Veri-Thin or Curvex models.

Although Gruen did not manufacture watches for the U.S. military, they offered the public a collection of eight military-style watches, to be used as personal watches.

In 1949, the company introduced their first watches made entirely in the U.S., a line of 21-jewel men's models called the "Gruen 21". The movements are marked "Cincinnati" or "US" instead of the usual "Switzerland."

Fred Gruen retired in 1940 and died in 1945, and his brother George died in 1952. In 1953 the Gruen family sold their interest in the company. The same year, Gruen president Benjamin Katz was forced into retirement after a scandal, and in 1954 the company bought out his shares for $2 million USD.

In 1953, the Gruen Watch Company had its highest sales in its entire history.Gruen, Rolex and Aegler

One of the most deeply-held myths about Gruen is that Gruen and Rolex at one time manufactured movements for each other's watches. Both firms did use some of the same movements—the best known examples are the Gruen Techi-Quadron and its twin, the Rolex Prince. In reality, these movements were manufactured by a third company, Aegler, who was a very close neighbor to the Gruen Precision Factory. They were Aegler's biggest customers, and were both large shareholders as well—the full company name at one time was, Aegler, Societe Anonyme, Fabrique des Montres Rolex & Gruen Guild A. Gruen and Rolex both occasionally showed pictures of the huge Aegler factory in their advertising, making the implication that this was a Gruen- or Rolex-owned facility, although ownership at the time was divided among Gruen, Rolex and Aegler itself. Gruen sold their Aegler shares in the 1930s, after they moved all production to the Precision Factory. After this time, Aegler became increasingly tied to Rolex through the sale of stock. Today, the main Rolex building in Biel is the old Aegler factory, and though it is now owned by Rolex, it is still run by the Aegler family.

This article taken from Complete Price Guide to Watches, American Wriswatches, Rolex Wristwatches: Best of Time and Gruen Master Book

EXTREMELY RARE 10K GOLD FILLED GRUEN LARGE MILITARY ARTDECO GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND: EXTREMELY RARE 10K GOLD FILLED GRUEN LARGE MILITARY ARTDECO GENTS WRISTWATCH

MADE IN: SWISS

CIRCA: 1950 based on style no 707 stamped on the caseback

MODEL: ARTDECO

CRYSTAL: ACRYLIC

MOVEMENT: SWISS AGLEAR GRUEN GUILD 15 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT CAL. 707

DIAL COLOR: SILVER - NICE PATINA

FUNCTION: HOUR, MINUTE AND SUB SECOND DIAL AT 6:00

HANDS: BLUE METAL

MARKERS: BLACK ARABIC MILITARY

CASING : 10K GOLD FILLED - 33mm with crown and 38mm lug to lug

LUGS: 16mm UNIQUE DESIGN HARD TO FIND

CROWN: LARGE 10K GOLD FILLED

BACK CASE INSCRIPTION: GRUEN

STRAP: NEW GENUINE BROWN LEATHER BAND

STRAP SIZE: 8.5"

WORKING CONDITION, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL & HARD TO FIND

PRICE: USD400 (NEGOTIABLE)

Gruen Watch Company

On June 12, 1874 Dietrich Gruen applied for a patent on an improved safety pinion, which was granted on December 22. He was 27 years old.

In 1876 he formed the Columbus Watch Manufacturing Company in the basement of a downtown Columbus, Ohio bank building.

In his Columbus workshop, Dietrich modified, finished and cased raw movements that were imported from Switzerland. These new watches included his patented safety pinion. Dietrich introduced 16-size watches as an alternative to the heavy and thick 18-size and larger watches that were prevalent at the time. He also introduced the first stemwind watches sold in the U.S. market.

As the company grew, they moved to two floors in a commerical building a few blocks away.

In 1882, in collaboration with a number of new partners, the company was reorganized as the Columbus Watch Company and moved to a newly-constructed factory building located on Thurman Street, in the 'German Village' section of Columbus. Dietrich was President of the new corporation.

By 1888 production was about 45 watches per day; the company would grow to 300 employees and output to 150 watches per day. Although the company continued to issue stemwind watches, they also manufactured keywind movements for some of their less-expensive models.

After a series of disagreements with the other partners, Dietrich Gruen and his son Fred left the Columbus Watch Company in 1894, shortly before the business went bankrupt. Dietrich had lost his share of the company to the investors, and was faced with the prospect of staying on as a salaried employee at the company that he had founded. He chose to leave rather than bear this indignity. After the departure of the Gruens the firm was reorganized, refinanced and renamed "The New Columbus Watch Company."

The New Columbus Watch Company survived until 1903. The contents of the factory, including all the tooling and stocks of movements, were eventually purchased by the Studebaker family, moved to Indiana (along with many key employees) and used to start the South Bend Watch Company. Some early South Bend watches were sold with signed Columbus movements in them.

In 1894, Fred Gruen and Dietrich Gruen decided to try to start a new watch company. Using money borrowed from friends and relatives, Dietrich and Fred formed the partnership "D. Gruen and Son.".

These first Gruen watches are of very high quality and are beautifully made. Both 18 and 16 size versions were manufactured, each in both open face and hunter styles, and in 18- and 21-jewel versions. The earliest D. Gruen & Son serial numbers started around 62000. The Gruens dealt directly with individual jewelry stores; there were no wholesalers or jobbers involved in the distribution of their watches.

In 1898 George Gruen joined the firm as treasurer and financial officer. The company incorporated and its name changed to D. Gruen, Sons & Company.

In 1903 Gruen introduces its "VeriThin" line of watches.

In 1908 Gruen introduced both men's and women's wristwatches. These proved popular only with women. Gruen was one of a very few companies to take wristwatches seriously this early, seeing their potential in spite of disappointing early sales to male customers.

Gruen made both wrist and pocket watches for the military during World War I. Most had silver cases, which would tarnish but would not corrode under adverse conditions. To satisfy U.S. military regulations, these watches all have luminous dial markings and hands.

1911 Dietrich Gruen dies suddenly. Fred Gruen takes control of the company.

In 1913 the company purchased Nanny Goat Hill, a pasture just outside of Cincinnati, and renamed it Time Hill. Work began on a new building designed by architect Guy C. Burroughs at a construction cost estimated at $50,000 USD. The company moved to the new location in 1917.

1921: Gruen introduces The Cartouche wrist watch calling it "The logical wrist watch shape".

1922: Gruen introduces "The Pentagon" pocket watch. "the Croix de Guerre of American achievement"

Up until 1922 there had actually been three Gruen companies: D. Gruen, Sons & Company; The Gruen National Watch Case Company of Cincinnati; and The Gruen Watch Manufacturing Company of Biel, Switzerland. In 1922 all three businesses were merged to form the Gruen Watch Company, with Fred as President.

In 1924, Gruen released a special pocket watch in an edition of 600 to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The watch cost $500 at the time.

In 1925, Gruen introduced the men's Quadron. These were rectangular watches containing very high-quality 15-j or 17-j tonneau-shaped movements.

In 1928 Gruen releases The Techni-Quadron. The famous Techni-Quadron "doctor's watches" are so-called because the large seconds dial was handy for timing a patient's pulse.

In 1935 Fred Gruen, now 63 years old, became Chairman of the Board and Benjamin S. Katz was brought in as President of the Gruen Watch Company. In 1935, Gruen was about $1.8 million USD (roughly $36 million USD today) in debt; nervous stockholders and investors were behind the change. Fred would retire in 1940, but continued to sit on the board for the rest of his life.

In 1935 Gruen introduces the most famous Gruen wristwatch- "The Curvex". These watches are one of the greatest examples of 1930s streamlined design.

1937: Gruen introduces "The Ristside" or "driver's" watches.

In 1938, continuing the success of their VeriThin pocket watches, Gruen also launched a series of Veri-Thin wristwatches. Contemporary Curvex and Veri-Thin movements often are closely related, and can share many parts. By the 1940s, most Gruen wristwatches were either Veri-Thin or Curvex models.

Although Gruen did not manufacture watches for the U.S. military, they offered the public a collection of eight military-style watches, to be used as personal watches.

In 1949, the company introduced their first watches made entirely in the U.S., a line of 21-jewel men's models called the "Gruen 21". The movements are marked "Cincinnati" or "US" instead of the usual "Switzerland."

Fred Gruen retired in 1940 and died in 1945, and his brother George died in 1952. In 1953 the Gruen family sold their interest in the company. The same year, Gruen president Benjamin Katz was forced into retirement after a scandal, and in 1954 the company bought out his shares for $2 million USD.

In 1953, the Gruen Watch Company had its highest sales in its entire history.Gruen, Rolex and Aegler

One of the most deeply-held myths about Gruen is that Gruen and Rolex at one time manufactured movements for each other's watches. Both firms did use some of the same movements—the best known examples are the Gruen Techi-Quadron and its twin, the Rolex Prince. In reality, these movements were manufactured by a third company, Aegler, who was a very close neighbor to the Gruen Precision Factory. They were Aegler's biggest customers, and were both large shareholders as well—the full company name at one time was, Aegler, Societe Anonyme, Fabrique des Montres Rolex & Gruen Guild A. Gruen and Rolex both occasionally showed pictures of the huge Aegler factory in their advertising, making the implication that this was a Gruen- or Rolex-owned facility, although ownership at the time was divided among Gruen, Rolex and Aegler itself. Gruen sold their Aegler shares in the 1930s, after they moved all production to the Precision Factory. After this time, Aegler became increasingly tied to Rolex through the sale of stock. Today, the main Rolex building in Biel is the old Aegler factory, and though it is now owned by Rolex, it is still run by the Aegler family.

This article taken from Complete Price Guide to Watches, American Wriswatches, Rolex Wristwatches: Best of Time and Gruen Master Book

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE ROLEX PORCELAIN CUSHION GENTS WRISTWATCH

BRAND: VINTAGE ROLEX (RWC) PORCELAIN  CUSHION GENTS WRISTWATCH

CIRCA: 1920's

MODEL: PORCELAIN MILITARY

CRYSTAL: CLEAN

MOVEMENT: SWISS 15 JEWELS MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT

DIAL: WHITE PORCELAIN DIAL WITH ARABIC MILITARY DIAL WITH SUB-SECONDS DIAL AT 6:00

HANDS: BLACK METAL BREGUET HANDS 

MARKERS: BLACK ARABIC MILITARY MARKERS

CASING : SOLID STAINLESS STEEL

MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 29mm DIAMETER w/O CROWN (31mm with Crown) and 33mm LUG TO LUG

CROWN: ORIGINAL ONION CROWN

STRAP: NEW BLACK LEATHER FIXED LUGS STRAP FULL LENGTH

DISCONTINUED MODEL... VERY RARE AND HARD TO FIND!

WORKING CONDITION, KEEPING TIME AND RECENTLY SERVICED

PRICE : RM3,000.00 (NEGOTIABLE) RM1,500

THIS HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE ROLEX PORCELAIN MILITARY

A History of Rolex Watches

Hans Wilsdorf founded the company we now know as Rolex in 1905. Born in Kulmbach, Germany in 1881, the company, Wilsdorf & Davies, was based in London. By 1908 it had become one of the leading watch companies in the UK. It was in this year that he coined the name Rolex.

Official Chronometer Certification was awarded to Rolex in 1910 from the "Bureau Officiel" in Switzerland, the first time this had ever been given to a wristwatch. This was to be the first of many accolades awarded to the watch, including the Class A Precision from the Kew Observatory in 1914.

In 1926 the Rolex Oyster was released. It was the first wristwatch to be considered waterproof, proven a year later when the watch was worn by the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze in his successful bid to cross the English Channel. This was beneficial to Wilsdorf whom had sponsored the event and gained considerable exposure for his new Oyster Watch. Wilsdorf recognized the importance of advertising and marketing his creation in order to gain publicity and prestige. 1931 saw the creation of the Perpetual Rotor, a mechanism now seen as the basis for self-winding movements. In the following years Rolex released the first Oyster Perpetual Lady-date (1954) the GMT Master with dual time zone function (1955) and the first Day-Date (1956).

Andre Heiniger took over the company following the death of Hans Wildorf on 06 July 1960. Rolex continued to invent and innovate in terms of technical skill and style throughout the 2nd half of the century. The Sea-dweller (1967) was certified as reaching depths of up to 1,220 meters making it the choice for Professional Divers - a point that was quickly adopted in advertising the model. The Explorer II (1978) and Cosmograph Daytona (1988) were also released to international waiting lists securing Rolex as one of the worlds most prestigious watch brands.

Rolex Dateline

• 1905 - Hans Wildorf establishes a London firm specialising in the distribution of watches.
• 1908 - Wildorf coins a brand name in which to sign his creations: Rolex.
• 1910 - In Switzerland, Rolex obtains the first official chronometer certification ever awarded to a wristwatch.
• 1914 - The Kew Observatory in Great Britain awards the Rolex wristwatch a CLASS A precision certificate.
• 1926 - Rolex develops and patents the first airtight, dustproof and waterproof watch - named the Oyster.
• 1927 - The Rolex Oyster crosses the English Channel unscathed.
• 1931 - Birth of the Perpetual Rotor, a self winding mechanism later found in every modern automatic watch.
• 1945 - The Oyster Datejust is invented. The first watch to display the date automatically.
• 1953 - Rolex has created the diving watch of reference - the Submariner.
• 1954 - The Oyster Perpetual Ladydate is introduced.
• 1955 - The Oyster GMT Master is designed making it possible to read the time in any two time zones.
• 1956 - The Oyster Day-Date is created.
• 1960 - The so called Bathyscaphe is created and plunges 35,787 feet into the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
• 1967 - The Oyster Sea-Dweller is invented - waterproof to a depth of 610 m / 2001 ft.
• 1971 - The Oyster Explorer II is designed.
• 1978 - The Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller is tested waterproof to a depth of 1220 m / 4003 ft.
• 1988 - The first Cosmograph Daytona is fitted with a perpetual rotor.
• 1992 - A new model is added to the Professioanl range - the Yacht-Master.
• 2004 - Submariner celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Rolex celebrates with a special commemorative model with a green bezel and unique black dial.