Rolex. A crown for every achievement
Rolex watches represent quality and prestige and are popularly regarded as status symbols. Even the Dalai Lama’s only apparent luxury is a Rolex watch! During World War II, the “prisoner of war” model became an important item after C. J. Nutting, a Corporal in the British army, wore it during his 5 years imprisonment in Poland. Another important and rare Rolex model is the 1996 Jaeger-Le Coulter gentleman’s watch, made from pink gold. Today, Rolex watches vary in price according to the model and the materials used - the stainless steel “Pilots” start at approximately $7,220 dollars, whereas the Daytona model costs around $88,500 dollars.
The company’s history
Hans Wilsdorf, from Geneva, Switzerland, founded the Rolex company in London, in 1905. In 1914, the Kew Observatory in London, England, gave Rolex A Precision Certificate, which is only awarded to marine chronometers. In 1919 the private company moved from London to Switzerland because the high taxes and export tariffs on the silver and gold were driving costs too high. Rolex’s technology has contributed to the development of the original quartz watch movements (a quartz clock uses an electronic oscillator that is regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time more accurately than mechanical clocks). Based in 2003 figures, Rolex produces 2,000 watches per day with estimated revenues of around $3 billion US dollars.
Who wares a Rolex?
Primarily men wear Rolex. Watch collectors are also predominantly male. According to my research, even the few female collectors seek male watches because they tend to be better investments. One of Rolex’s first endorsements was Jacques Piccard, a Swiss oceanographer and engineer, who after diving down to 11,000 meters claimed that his watch was as precise under water as it was on the surface. Rolex spends millions of dollars every year in advertisements using mainly male celebrities. Amongst them are Paul Newman, who wore a customized version of the Rolex Daytona when he started motor racing; Thor Heyerdal, a Norwegian anthropologist, who wore a Rolex submariner during a 1970’s sea expedition (the Submariner model was also worn by James Bond in many of his movies); Che Gevara, the Argentinean Marxist revolutionary, who wore a stainless steel model; Roger Federer, the French tennis champion; Lance Amstrong, the American cyclist and 7 consecutive times winner of the Tour de France; and Gustavo Dudamel, their latest endorsee, a classical music conductor and prodigy from Venezuela. The list is endless. What do all these men have in common? First of all, they are rich and famous, and they represent the superhero personality. In this way, Rolex not only excludes the common men’s achievements, it chooses very wisely who gets to wear the Rolex crown even among women. Mercedes Gleitez, for instance, the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927, whose endurance even surprised doctors when she was pulled out from the sea semi-conscious, she too wore a Rolex. Although we cannot deny the high quality and dependability of the Rolex watches, in my opinion, a watch is supposedly an accessory that tells time. Rolex, however, has the extra function of establishing the social status of its wearer, and to keep reminding society about the few of us who get to wear a Rolex, versus the rest of us who cannot afford one.
Rolex watches represent quality and prestige and are popularly regarded as status symbols. Even the Dalai Lama’s only apparent luxury is a Rolex watch! During World War II, the “prisoner of war” model became an important item after C. J. Nutting, a Corporal in the British army, wore it during his 5 years imprisonment in Poland. Another important and rare Rolex model is the 1996 Jaeger-Le Coulter gentleman’s watch, made from pink gold. Today, Rolex watches vary in price according to the model and the materials used - the stainless steel “Pilots” start at approximately $7,220 dollars, whereas the Daytona model costs around $88,500 dollars.
The company’s history
Hans Wilsdorf, from Geneva, Switzerland, founded the Rolex company in London, in 1905. In 1914, the Kew Observatory in London, England, gave Rolex A Precision Certificate, which is only awarded to marine chronometers. In 1919 the private company moved from London to Switzerland because the high taxes and export tariffs on the silver and gold were driving costs too high. Rolex’s technology has contributed to the development of the original quartz watch movements (a quartz clock uses an electronic oscillator that is regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time more accurately than mechanical clocks). Based in 2003 figures, Rolex produces 2,000 watches per day with estimated revenues of around $3 billion US dollars.
Who wares a Rolex?
Primarily men wear Rolex. Watch collectors are also predominantly male. According to my research, even the few female collectors seek male watches because they tend to be better investments. One of Rolex’s first endorsements was Jacques Piccard, a Swiss oceanographer and engineer, who after diving down to 11,000 meters claimed that his watch was as precise under water as it was on the surface. Rolex spends millions of dollars every year in advertisements using mainly male celebrities. Amongst them are Paul Newman, who wore a customized version of the Rolex Daytona when he started motor racing; Thor Heyerdal, a Norwegian anthropologist, who wore a Rolex submariner during a 1970’s sea expedition (the Submariner model was also worn by James Bond in many of his movies); Che Gevara, the Argentinean Marxist revolutionary, who wore a stainless steel model; Roger Federer, the French tennis champion; Lance Amstrong, the American cyclist and 7 consecutive times winner of the Tour de France; and Gustavo Dudamel, their latest endorsee, a classical music conductor and prodigy from Venezuela. The list is endless. What do all these men have in common? First of all, they are rich and famous, and they represent the superhero personality. In this way, Rolex not only excludes the common men’s achievements, it chooses very wisely who gets to wear the Rolex crown even among women. Mercedes Gleitez, for instance, the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927, whose endurance even surprised doctors when she was pulled out from the sea semi-conscious, she too wore a Rolex. Although we cannot deny the high quality and dependability of the Rolex watches, in my opinion, a watch is supposedly an accessory that tells time. Rolex, however, has the extra function of establishing the social status of its wearer, and to keep reminding society about the few of us who get to wear a Rolex, versus the rest of us who cannot afford one.
Rolex by Montserrat Ruiz-Salvat
ReplyDeleteI find watches to be so interesting, on a consumer level. There are you plastic, basic pieces for $10 from Walmart or Target, and then... there are $8000 gorgeous jewelry pieces for men (or women) of means who wish to show understated "bling". The most basic ones just tell you what time it is; isn't that what a watch is supposed to do? The fancier and more expensive ones may have other gadgetry, like an altimeter, alternate time zones, or other things. They are made of the finest materials, boast uncanny accuracy... all in the pursuit of this imaginary thing we call time.
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