Anne Cruz 
he Top Rolex Myths and Misconceptions
Among the world’s luxury watch companies, Rolex is certainly the most well-known. Rolex’s success is based on its consistently outstanding product quality over the company’s many years of existence. Rolex watches are accurate timekeepers that are also durable, sturdy, and dependable. Maintaining consistent excellent quality with a yearly production volume of almost three-quarters of a million pieces is an art form in and of itself.
Many people consider Rolex to be the best Swiss watchmaker, but the company’s expertise in the field of watches has led to not just financial success, but also some strange stories and misconceptions. Rolex clients are divided into two groups: those who know a lot and those who know very little. Rolex is admired by collectors for its superior craftsmanship. They can be more interested in having the best all-around watch for everyday use than with highly fine, intricate craftsmanship.
The Top Myths and Misconceptions About Rolex Watches
Rolex watches always give the sense of being strong and composed. Instead of pursuing the new and different, the corporation sticks to its tried and true techniques and strives for constant development. The brand’s status as the world’s most powerful watchmaker is based on horological innovation, as well as a reputation for great dependability is undeniably present. Unfortunately, Rolex has developed its mythology over the years. Here are some myths and misconceptions about it.
Myth 1: Rolex is the world’s most costly luxury watch manufacturer.
Myth 2: A Rolex can be exchanged for cash at any time and in any place.
Myth 3: The Rolex Oyster was the first water-resistant watch in the world.
Myth 4: The logo on the crown always identifies a genuine Rolex
Myth 5: The automatic winding mechanism was invented by Rolex.
Myth 1: Rolex is the world’s most costly luxury watch manufacturer.
Even though Rolex’s entry-level models, like the stainless steel Oyster or Datejust, are priced in the four-figure GBP range, a Patek Philippe or A. Lange & Söhne is still far more expensive. Rolex watches is one of the most well-known watch brands in the world, although it is not the most expensive.
Rolex, unlike other brands, is generally priced in the mid-range, whether purchased straight from the manufacturer or on the black market. While there are always exceptions like the famed Paul Newman Daytona, which sold for a record $17,752,500 at auction in 2017, it is not the world’s most expensive timepiece.
Myth 2: A Rolex can be exchanged for cash at any time and in any place.
Rolex watches are hard to argue with as quick assets. Some would even compare them to a different currency, but cash transactions have their own set of limits. A Rolex may only be traded for its full exchange value if the buyer understands its inherent value. At the same time, a potential buyer must be confident that the item is genuine and not a replica. This can be an issue, especially when you consider that even specialists have trouble telling the difference between a good fake and the actual thing.
Myth 3: The Rolex Oyster was the first water-resistant watch in the world.
In this case, the accuracy of the statement is important. It is not fully accurate to take the above statement at its value. The Rolex Oyster was not the first waterproof timepiece on the market. Since the beginning of time, people have attempted to protect timepieces from the elements. The first waterproof pocket timepieces came in the mid-nineteenth century. Depollier is said to have been the first company to commercially sell waterproof timepieces in 1915. Rolex, on the other hand, was the first to receive a patent for its watertight, specifically screwed casings.
Mercedes Gleitze’s attempt to swim in the English Channel in 1927 brought the Rolex Oyster to a global audience. Wilsdorf recognized the value of brand ambassadors early on, and he capitalized on Gleitze’s success to market his water-resistant watch as a “wonder watch” in the Daily Mail. As a result, the Rolex Oyster was rapidly dubbed the world’s first waterproof watch.
Myth 4: The logo on the crown always identifies a genuine Rolex
Many people wish it were that easy, but determining whether a Rolex is genuine or fake can be challenging. The quality of counterfeit watches on the market is improving all the time, making it difficult for even seasoned jewelers and watchmakers to tell the difference between an original and a fake at first glance. Excellent replicas can withstand a second or third look and are only identified as fake when the case back is opened. Allowing a watchmaker to open the watch is the only way to be safe. Checking the movement in the watch’s heart is the only method to tell if it’s a genuine Rolex.
Myth 5: The automatic winding mechanism was invented by Rolex.
Hubert Sarton and Abraham-Louis Perrelet, watchmakers and innovators, created the first self-winding pocket watches. People were impressed by these automated pocket timepieces in the 18th century, long before Wilsdorf applied for a patent. While Rolex is credited with inventing the automated watch as we know it today, the first self-winding timepieces were created in 1924 by Britishman John Harwood. He is one of the most important watchmakers of all time because he creates the “self-winding” timepiece. A rotor, but it only rotated by 300 degrees.
Hans Wilsdorf improved the winding mechanism by creating a 360-degree rotating rotor that he used in his timepieces. Rolex did not invent the first rotor that could oscillate in both ways. The Felsa “Bidynator” was used in the caliber 692, which was eight years faster than Rolex’s rotor, which could oscillate in both directions, which was initially developed in 1950.
Takeaway
Rolex has always been more separate and independent than most other brands. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, was a marketing genius. He chose a name that was easy to pronounce in a variety of languages and had it printed on the dial, which was unusual at a period when consumer loyalty was focused on the dealer rather than the manufacturer. Rolex’s global success results in greater power and more stories being created without the correct information that everyone should have first.
The more expensive the watch is, the more people will tell lies about it. It’s difficult to say why people share inaccurate information about their favorite watch brands. Rolex, being the world’s most well-known watch brand, is the preferred target of rumor opportunists. You should remember the myths and misconceptions we addressed in this blog if you don’t want to be deceived.