Bill
32003
Wilsdorf & Davis Discussions in the Rolex Forum - maybe some help.
- “The marketing genius of Mr Wilsdorf and Mr Davis.”
Author: kjkt3
Date: November 11, 2023
Excerpt: A brief note acknowledging the marketing brilliance of Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, posted within a lively thread on Rolex Rodeo Drive. Context: Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis founded their company in London in 1905, initially importing Swiss movements into English watch cases. Their business acumen and marketing foresight laid the groundwork for what became Rolex. - “What is Rolex?”
Author: Baron – Mr Red
Date: May 13, 2013
Excerpt: A long-form essay on Rolex’s philosophy of reliability and ruggedness over complications. Traces its roots back to 1910, five years after Wilsdorf & Davis was founded, when Rolex earned the world’s first chronometer rating. Discusses innovations such as the Oyster case, automatic winding, GMT‑Master, and modern materials like 904L steel and ceramic bezels. Context: In 1908, Hans Wilsdorf registered the “Rolex” trademark, aiming for a short, easily pronounced name. The company moved to Switzerland in 1919, allowing better control over movement production. This reliability-driven focus defined Rolex through the 20th century, from the waterproof Oyster in 1926 to the deep‑sea experiments with the Bathyscaphe in 1960. - “Intimidated?”
Author: MTF
Date: November 25, 2007
Excerpt: Reflects on Rolex’s history of secrecy and efficiency, noting the company’s founding in 1905 as Wilsdorf & Davis in London, its move to Switzerland in 1919, and early milestones like the Oyster case. Context: Rolex’s strict secrecy is a hallmark since Wilsdorf’s time. Despite producing over 850,000 watches annually, it has had only a few CEOs in its century‑long history, maintaining continuity and reinforcing its mystique as a brand.
I just stumbled across a thread from 2007 debating whether or not to start a Rolex forum.
It started by my searching Wilsdorf & Davis to see if there are any watches branded as such here. I'm still curious about that but it reminded me that sometimes I'm trying to look back at material archived here by date but I have not been successful findi...
Wilsdorf & Davis Discussions in the Rolex Forum - maybe some help.
“The marketing genius of Mr Wilsdorf and Mr Davis.” Author: kjkt3 Date: November 11, 2023 Excerpt: A brief note acknowledging the marketing brilliance of Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, posted within a lively thread on Rolex Rodeo Drive. Context: Hans Wil...
Re: cross-referencing
Searching by author could also be useful (ex: SJX, Geo, others...) but that might smell too intrusive to some members...?
Maybe I'm not doing it right
but if I type SJX into the search box on the Frontpage I get results for every post that so much as contains his screen name. i am thinking more like posts INITIATED by the author.
old 2007 article about starting Rolex.
Rolex forum? A straw poll. It was definitely a rough start but I am glad we did open the Rolex forum
Different times.
2007 seems so recent to me but it’s been 18 years… Glad you created this place, thank you.
Old Rolex watches
Several years ago I became interested in Rolex observatory watches. In case you’re interested, here are pics of the earliest piece that I found. It was sold years ago so I hope this is allowed to be posted ...