There is probably no other watch brand as well-known as Rolex and not many other watches are as prestigious, exclusively designed and well-deserved as a Rolex. But Rolex is also one of the most legendary brands in the world.
Rolex has consistently appeared on Forbes’ Most Valuable Brands list which ranks brands by corporate profits and position in their industry where Rolex has sales of approximately $4.6 billion. Some of the world’s top sportsmen and celebrities not only wear the watch, but also sign the quality and value of the watches. It is not uncommon to see a Rolex on the wrists of racing drivers, athletes, scientists, astronauts and other explorers due to the watch’s accuracy and endurance in the most extreme conditions. Buying a Rolex is not just buying a watch, it is an investment whose value only increases with time.
The most expensive watch ever sold at auction is a Rolex that belonged to the actor Paul Newman, who has become both an icon and the namesake of the world’s most popular fake Rolex watch: the Rolex Daytona.
But what really hides behind the elegant dials – apart from a precise movement? Rolex is known as a brand of the highest quality, precision and luxury, but Rolex is also a bit of a mystery. Here are some of the more mysterious aspects of the brand and fabled stories where a Rolex watch has figured.
The mystery surrounding the name
This is one of the most obscure parts of the brand’s history. The name rolls nicely on the tongue and evokes the very essence of luxury. But why replica Rolex? Where does it come from and what does it mean?
According to the brand’s own history, it was founder Hans Wilsdorf who was looking for a name that was short and easy to remember regardless of the language spoken. And of course something that looked good on dials. Wilsdorf tried to combine letters of the alphabet in every possible way, without succeeding in finding the perfect name. But one day, when he was traveling by horse and carriage through the streets of London, a spirit is said to have whispered “Rolex” in his ear.
But that’s not the only story behind the name. The watch expert Gene Stone says in his book The Watch that the name is an abbreviation of the French phrase “horlogerie exquise” which in Swedish means “exquisite timepiece” or “horological excellence”. Another rumor holds that Wilsdorf chose the name because it reminded him of the sound of a ticking clock, according to an essay in NYU’s Stern Business School Newsletter. The controversy over the origin of the name adds to the mystique surrounding the brand – and it’s just the beginning of a long line of mysterious stories.