Rolex is one of the most luxurious brands in the world, valued today at around 8 billion dollars. Its history dates back a century and began with an orphaned teenager whose inheritance was stolen from him. With nothing but determination to overcome his challenges, he ran away from his hometown and moved to another country. After working for a few years, he decided to follow his passion and opened a watchmaking business. Little did he know that this venture would lead him to pioneer modern wristwatches, change the entire industry, and build a billion-dollar empire.
Hans Wilsdorf was born in Kumbach, Germany, on March 22, 1881, to parents Anna and Johan Daniel Wilsdorf. He was the second of three children. His family ran a fairly successful business selling iron goods, placing them in the middle class. Unfortunately, his mother became ill and passed away in 1892. To make matters worse, his father died a year later, leaving Hans orphaned at the age of 12.
Now under the custody of his uncles, they sold his family business and used some of the money for the children’s education. Hans was sent to a prestigious boarding school called Ernestonem in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany. He hated this decision and became depressed. He was often teased by other boys because of his religion. To cope, he focused on his studies, and over time, he realized that although he disliked his uncles’ decision, it taught him self-reliance.
He once stated: “The way in which they made me become self-reliant very early in life made me acquire the habit of looking after my possessions, and looking back, I believe that it is to this that much of my success is due.” Hans enjoyed reading and excelled in mathematics and languages, learning French and English. He was fascinated by travel and understood the importance of languages, which later played a major role in his career.
During school, he became friends with a Swiss boy who told him stories of his hometown, La Chaux-de-Fonds, a city known for its watchmaking heritage. Intrigued, Hans eventually left boarding school and moved to Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 19. He got a job as an apprentice at an international pearl-exporting company. Although they didn’t manufacture anything, he noticed how profitable the business was and studied their strategies.
One day, he received a letter from his school friend offering him a job at Kuno Korten, a leading high-quality watchmaking company exporting watches worth around one million Swiss francs annually. In 1900, Hans moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds to work there as an English correspondent and clerk, earning 80 Swiss francs per month. He also wound hundreds of pocket watches daily and ensured their accuracy, gaining crucial knowledge about watch production.
After two years, he returned to Germany for mandatory military service. At 22, he moved to London and worked for another high-quality watch company in a larger role, increasing their sales. During this time, he met his future wife, Florence Francis May Crotty, and they soon married.
Hans shared his dream of starting his own watch business with his brother-in-law, Alfred James Davis. Impressed by his passion, Davis agreed to invest, and in 1905, they founded Wilsdorf & Davis Ltd, which would later become Rolex. They partnered with Swiss company Herman Aegler to import movements from Switzerland to England and opened an office in Biel, Switzerland. They specialized in providing quality timepieces at affordable prices.
Hans disliked pocket watches, finding them inconvenient. Wristwatches at the time were considered feminine and unreliable because of their small mechanisms. However, he believed they would eventually replace pocket watches. As he said in 1914, “My personal opinion is that pocket watches will almost completely disappear, and wristwatches will replace them definitively.”
He spent years traveling across Europe, meeting watchmakers and improving wristwatch reliability. By 1908, his company became one of the top firms in England. That same year, he created the name “Rolex,” which he wanted to be short, elegant, and easy to pronounce in any language. He registered the trademark in 1908.
During World War I, Rolex became more popular, especially among soldiers who preferred wristwatches for convenience and accuracy. By 1914, they employed 60 people in London and had gained the first-ever wristwatch chronometer rating from Switzerland, followed by a Class A precision certificate from London’s Kew Observatory.
However, in 1914, the British imposed a 33% tax on companies exporting goods internationally. Coupled with growing anti-German sentiment, Hans moved Rolex’s headquarters to Biel, Switzerland, in 1915 and changed the company name to The Rolex Watch Corporation. In 1919, the company moved to Geneva, where it remains today.
In 1926, Rolex released the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch. In 1927, London swimmer Mercedes Gleitze attempted to swim across the English Channel wearing the Rolex Oyster around her neck. Although she did not complete the swim, the watch remained fully functional. This groundbreaking moment led to major newspaper publicity and skyrocketed Rolex’s reputation.
Hans promoted the watch in store displays inside fishbowls to prove its waterproof capabilities. In 1931, Rolex introduced the Oyster Perpetual, the first waterproof and self-winding watch. They continued to gain credibility through extreme performance demonstrations, such as successful flights over Mount Everest and land-speed records with driver Malcolm Campbell.
World War II slowed the company’s growth, and Hans’ wife passed away in 1944. In her memory, he founded the Wilsdorf Foundation, a charity organization. Shortly before his death, he transferred 100% ownership of Rolex to the foundation, which still controls the company today. As a result, Rolex will never go public or be sold and does not pay taxes due to its charitable status.
After the war, Rolex expanded rapidly. In 1945, they launched the Datejust, the first waterproof self-winding wristwatch showing the date. In 1955, they introduced the Day-Date, displaying both the day and date. In 1953, they released the legendary Submariner, the first wristwatch capable of diving 100 meters underwater.
Hans Wilsdorf died in 1960. After his passing, Rolex shifted its branding to focus more on exclusivity and luxury. In 1985, they began using 904L steel, an extremely durable and expensive metal, enhancing the watch’s value.
Today, Rolex is the most recognizable watch brand in the world. From an orphan with nothing to a visionary entrepreneur, Hans Wilsdorf revolutionized the watch industry. His passion for design and innovation created one of the most influential brands in history, and his legacy lives on in every Rolex worn today.