It is not with low prices but on the contrary, it is with improved quality we cannot only hold the market, but improve it.
- Hans Wilsdorf, Founder of Rolex
1940s - Datejust
The first automatic watch with a date show on dial.
1950s
Submariner
While the Sub was always a cult favourite among professional divers, its wide-ranging popularity was certainly reinforced in the U.S. by James Bond.
Explorer
Rolex had been testing watches on Himalayan expeditions since the 1930s. The watches had to keep perfect time at -50 degrees Fahrenheit and with 70% less oxygen than at sea level.
Day-date
The Day-date represented a worldwide innovation: it was the first watch to indicate the date in the three o’clock position, and the day of the week in the 12 o’clock position.