It’s no secret that a Rolex is the ultimate in luxury watches. But have you ever wondered why?
What makes a Rolex watch so special and superior to other watches started with a quest by one young man early in the twentieth century and continues today with a somewhat mysterious Swiss manufacturer.
A brief history
In 1905, wristwatches existed but were not popular because they weren’t very precise. That same year, 24-year-old German watch maker Hans Wilsdorf founded a timepiece distribution company in London. He envisioned a wristwatch that would not only be reliable, but elegant as well.
Wilsdorf chose the name Rolex because it could be pronounced in many different languages and is short enough to fit on the face of the watch. He concentrated on chronometric, or time-keeping, precision and achieved success in 1910 when the Rolex was the first wristwatch ever to be awarded the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision. The certificate is given by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland.
In 1919, Rolex moved their operations to Geneva, a city renowned for watchmaking, because tax on luxury goods increased in Britain during the war.
Why is Rolex the ultimate brand in luxury watches?
Rolex is truly a unique brand of its own, resting high on the pedestal of the ultimate in luxury watches. Admired, respected and even coveted, Rolex understands the value of using the highest-quality materials and discretion. Rolex is known for making every component of its watches in house. To ensure quality, nothing is outsourced.
Rolex manufactures a long-lasting product. Most watchmakers use stainless steel type 316L, but Rolex uses more expensive 904L stainless steel, which is particularly hard. It is also rust and corrosion resistant. 904L takes and holds most polishes relatively well, which explains why the steel of a Rolex looks so much better than that of other watches.
High quality materials don’t stop with the stainless steel. Rolex employs an entire department of gemologists to ensure that suppliers meet the company’s rigorous standards on materials like metals and precious stones. Every precious stone is personally selected by an expert and meticulously hand-set. Rolex also makes their own gold and platinum, which ensures only the highest quality and most beautiful pieces are produced. This is one of the reasons that a Rolex watch takes at least one year to complete!
The company houses some of the finest watch making machinery in the world and every single watch is still set by hand and tested by a trained lab technician. Rolex has an extensive Research and Development department located within its laboratory. They are known for being a ‘closed’ company and their operations are not public. In fact, Rolex rarely lets anyone inside for a tour, and they have a strict no photo policy when they do. Security is so tight at Rolex that employees must have their ID badges ‘docked’ at all times and have to use fingerprint identification. Just a few of the other security measures include retina scanning, random security checks, and photographed serial numbers on each and every watch.
Conclusion
Their unique approach to watch making and long history is what sets Rolex far apart from other watch makers. With an intriguing reputation and demand for only the highest quality materials in the world, it makes perfect sense that Rolex is the ultimate in luxury watches.
Diamond Banc has Rolex experts on staff who know and appreciate the true value of a Rolex watch. We specialize in providing loans to clients who wish to use their Rolex as collateral. This means you can use your Rolex watch to secure a short term loan and be confident you are getting maximum value for it. Our loan rates are the lowest in the industry and we give clients the flexibility to repay their loans on a schedule that best fits their needs.
The entire process is simple and fast, with most loans being funded in less than 48 hours! If you are interested in learning more about getting a loan against a Rolex watch, fill out our watch loan form to get a FREE quote. Or give us a call at 855-342-2262
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