Rolex's attachment to sport and improvement goes back to the very origins of the brand. When Hans Wilsdorf, who was neither Swiss nor a watchmaker, founded his watch company, he was thoroughly impressed by the radical changes in society at the beginning of the 20th century. And he chose the wristwatch, then still a fragile accessory, to also transform it into something practical. A jewel too, but robust, precise and reliable.
This is how, in 1926, its manufacture launched the Oyster, the world's first hermetic wristwatch that debuted a case with a patented screw-down bezel, back and crown system.
Only a year later, to make sure that the invention was valid, Hans Wilsdorf himself proposed to the English swimmer Mercedes Gleitze to use her Oyster to cross the English Channel. Ten hours and many strokes later, with the Oyster in perfect service condition, Mercedes Gleitze became the first Rolex Testimonial.
And the firm continued to explore new paths to promote the values on which its overwhelming success is based. Quality. Determination. Ingenuity. And above all, entrepreneurial spirit. He also found all of this, without a doubt, in the world of tennis, where since 1978 he was associated with Wimbledon, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the world.
The firm is, today, the official timekeeper of the four Grand Slams, of the Nitto ATP Finals and the WTA Finals, and of the Open Godó Tennis Trophy, of course. And Rolex, which also supports the most important men's team tournament, the Davis Cup, counts many of the most outstanding players among its testimonials.
From 18-time Grand Slam winner Chris Evert and five-time Wimbledon champion Björn Borg to one of the greatest players of all time, Rod Laver, and even Roger Federer, the first tennis player to hit 20.
