In and around the watch industry, some see the emergence of female collectors as a modern trend. Yet history reveals that female patrons have long held important roles supporting watchmakers. After all, the very first wristwatches were designed for ladies as jewellery adornments that also served as timekeepers.
When Hans Wilsdorf first founded Rolex, it was with the intention to produce a wristwatch that was as robust as a pocket watch and met the needs of their customers, male or female. He wrote, “Rolex must strive to think and act differently from the rest.”
In 1926, Wilsdorf’s efforts to achieve waterproofness proved successful with the unveiling of the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch in the world. He decided on a truly bold endeavour to demonstrate the durability of the watch’s hermetic seal. He equipped the young English sportswoman, Mercedes Gleitze, with an Oyster watch for her swim across the English Channel. With her and the watch surviving cold open waters for 10 hours and more, Rolex took out an advertisement on the front page of the Daily Mail, proclaiming the triumph of Gleitze and the Rolex Oyster. This event marked the birth of the Testimonee concept and the beginning of a long and fruitful association between Rolex and exceptional personalities whose accomplishments bear witness to the excellence of Rolex watches.
The birth of an icon
Since the early 20th century, Rolex has designed
