Rolex Vintage: Risk and Adventure

Ratskunk unearths a fascinating piece of Rolex history, sharing a full-page advertisement from 1956 that celebrated Hans Wilsdorf's 75th birthday. This historical document offers a unique glimpse into how Rolex positioned its founder and its core innovations during a pivotal era, providing valuable context for understanding the brand's enduring legacy.

The Swiss German-language newspaper Der Bund (enclosed) on March 22, 1956 featured a full-page Rolex advertisement (enclosed) in celebration of Hans Wilsdorf’s birthday (the advertisement also appeared in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper on the same day).

The advertisement begins…

 H.B. Once upon a time there was an orphan who grew up in a boarding school. At the same school desk, a young Welscher from La Chaux-de-Fonds  said  to the orphan: "Wilsdorf! If you  have the school stuff behind you, then come to us!  We export watches to half the world---you will see: you will like it!"

 The advertisement ends…

Much remains to be said about the Rolex and its pioneering spirit. But let us leave it at that, and let us  think  for a moment today about the man who gave so much impetus to the Swiss watch industry, showed it new territory, showed it new ways and built the three pillars on which its success is based: the precision-wristwatch, the waterproof-wristwatch and the automatic-wristwatch. H.  Wilsdorf is celebrating his  75th birthday these days; his life was full of work, adventures and ventures in the industrial and commercial  field. Let us rejoice that there are still companies with these pioneering qualities: they are the ones who take everything they claim to a higher level,  thus conjuring up work and prosperity for thousands!

 J. Walter Thompson (Rolex advertising agency) in a May, 1956 internal newsletter (enclosed) explains how the advertisement was created. My apologies: the enclosed international version (English) of the advertisement entitled “The Great Adventure” is quite blurry (The New York Times advertisement was not located).

Long text builds Rolex international prestige -- London-Zurich: In countries where J. Walter Thompson does not have offices---and there are not many!---the Company works harmoniously with a network of correspondents, in our clients' best interests. You'll remember the association of Thompson and the Philippine and Japan Advertising Associates, which became official offices of J. Walter Thompson last month.

A recent classic example of correspondent and Thompson teamwork is this unique full-page newspaper advertisement for Rolex. J. Walter Thompson serves Rolex, but not in Switzerland. When Thompson's correspondent there recently took on the Rolex account, one of the first assignments was this page, commemorating the 75^th birthday of Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex founder. Based in part on a number of Thompson London advertisements and booklets for Rolex, it also uses the artwork from Thompson's famous Everest Expedition campaign for the watchmakers. From this material, Hans Bolliger, Thompson I s Zurich correspondent, created the advertisement. First run in Swiss papers, the success of it merited its incorporation in London Office's Rolex international series, for the NEW YORK TIMES.

The long-text, all-editorial page builds up the prestige of Rolex, "a landmark in the history of Time measurement." Text relates in historical style that Rolex was the pioneer in wristwatches, originating such innovations as the watch chronometer, the waterproof watch, the rotor-principle self-winding watch, the calendar watch. Text closes with "proof of performance"---down 10,.335 feet to the bed of the Mediterranean, and up 29,002 feet to Mt. Everest's summit, the Rolex worked perfectly.