Rolex watches have been on the market since 1905 when a company founded by Alfred Davis and Hans Wilsdorf was setup in England. Three years later the main office moved to Switzerland and by 1914 Rolex was provided a Class A precision certificate for their beautiful pieces. You may have heard a lot about Rolexes. Today, they are status symbols for the rich and the famous. But they also hold the title for being ‘the only watch that matters.’ Here are some fascinating facts about Rolex watches that you might not be aware of.
- A Different Level Of Quality Control
You might think you have bought quality products before. The problem is that typically products are made through automated processes with very little human input at all. Quality checks do not typically mean testing each product individually, but Rolex watches are certainly the exception. Each watch is handcrafted down to the smallest piece to ensure that it matches the brand’s standards. Everything, even the base materials are created in-house in Switzerland.
Rolex watches are of course famous for being waterproof, and the company do not take this lightly. The watch is placed in a sensitive air pressure container. Using medical-grade tech, the watch is checked for water infiltration and condensation. If there is any sign of this, that product will be scrapped.
- More Secure Than Fort Knox
Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but they do have tech that rivals a max security prison. Of course, there’s a good reason for this because there are bars of gold there worth $1,000,000! Rolex doesn’t take any chances. If you’re lucky enough to get a tour of their main headquarters, you’ll need to pass through fingerprint scanners, iris scanners, and heavy bolt automated lock doors. As well as this, the company uses armored trucks to move around the parts for their products.
- They’ve Reached The Deepest Part Of The Ocean
Remember, we mentioned that these watches are waterproof. Well, that might be a slight understatement as the watch is very popular with deep-sea divers. In face, it’s the only watch in the world that has reached the deepest part of the ocean. One was worn by none other than James Cameron when he ventured into the Mariana Trench in 2012. The watch reportedly kept perfect time for seven hours during the journey to the bottom of the sea.
- Rolex Makes Their Own Gold
This is another example of the insane quality control checks that exist within the Rolex headquarters. The watchmaker has a foundry on-site for producing their own gold that they then use to make the watches.
- Rolex Doesn’t Mean What You Think
Finally, many people believe that the name Rolex is derived from the French term Horlogerie Exquise which translated means exquisite clockwork. However, according to the founder, the name was chosen because it was short, could be understood or spoken in multiple languages and he thought it sounded like the noise of a watching being wound.
