Rolex’s spirit exudes precision above all things. Since its inception, its visionary founder concentrated all efforts on the quality of the watch movements. His incessant search for chronometric precision would soon be rewarded. Specifically, in 1910, when a Rolex watch received the first official Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision granted to a wristwatch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland.
A mere four years later, in 1914, the Kew Observatory of Great Britain awarded the Rolex wristwatch a class “A” precision certificate. This was unusual because until then, it had been reserved for marine chronometers only. Since then, the Rolex wristwatch has been synonymous with precision, something it has carefully perpetuated over the years, as it is the hallmark of the luxury Swiss brand.
Precision, according to Rolex
Beyond wristwatches, for Rolex, precision is a philosophy of life, the only way it can envisage the tasks involved in any activity. Hans Wilsdorf was absolutely convinced that humans had the ability to innovate with excellence and perseverance as their goal. So, guided by his intuition and this conviction, thanks to his vision and his willingness to break through barriers —of which there were more than a few— he was able to make the Oyster Perpetual watch the archetype of a hermetic, precise and robust timepiece, capable of withstanding any situation.
In 1927, it was precisely the Oyster Perpetual watch that accompanied English swimmer Mercedes Gleitze as she swam across the English Channel. After 10 hours underwater, the watch was still in perfect working order.
So it’s no coincidence that the Rolex Oyster’s dials are called “Perpetual” because its watches are designed to last, to recall a glorious past, accompany us in the present and count the hours until the future. Based on its precision, Rolex aims for longevity, reliability and continuity of the stories behind each and every watch.
This constant search for precision and innovation has marked the history of Rolex, building a strong legacy of wristwatches so precise and effective that they have accompanied explorers and elite sportsmen in their feats, atop mountain peaks and on the high seas, through polar ice and torrid deserts.
To ensure that this savoir-faire will never disappear and that the spirit of Hans Wilsdorf will endure for many years more, Rolex has its own one-of-a-kind Training Center in Geneva, which develops new talent and trains its employees, collaborators and managers.
This training center perpetuates Rolex’s precision philosophy by passing on the company’s heritage through development, knowledge and expertise. Its mission is to ensure that this prestigious inheritance is consistent with the brand’s values.