Since 1985, all Rolex timepieces have been manufactured of this metal. The majority of steel watches are made of 316L stainless steel, which is a type of stainless steel. Rolex refers to its alloy as a “corrosion-resistant superalloy,” and corrosion is an issue with stainless steel watches. The reason for this is that the watch is linked to the wrist, and moisture and other corrosive elements, such as salt water, can cause the watch to rust and corrode. ¹⁾

Rolex watches are rigorously designed and assembled to ensure that they satisfy the high standards that Rolex strives to maintain. Almost everything for Rolex watches is created in-house. The most difficult and time-consuming step is for a watchmaker to assemble the complex movements that are housed inside a Rolex watch. Finally, they are independently tested to ensure that they fulfill the rigorous standards. ²⁾

Rolex used to buy movements from other companies for some of its models, but now they are all created in-house, which means that all movements used in Rolex's current watches are made by Rolex. ³⁾

Rolex produces between 800,000 and 1 million timepieces per year. It is thought that Rolex produces roughly 2000 watches each day, but Rolex does not share information on how many watches are manufactured annually, therefore the figures are estimates.⁴⁾

If you look at all of the Rolex watches photographed, you'll find that they're all set to 10 p.m. and have the second hand set to 31 seconds. This is referred to as the official “Rolex time.” If the watch has a date function, it is always set to the 28th, and if it has a day function, like the Day-Date, it is always set to Monday. ⁵⁾

Alfred Davis and Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex. Rolex was founded in 1905 in London, England. However, the corporation did not begin as Rolex. Wilsdorf and Davis was the company's original name. ⁶⁾

The name Rolex did not exist when the watch firm was founded, and the corporation created timepieces for jewelers. As a result, the watches were not labeled on the dial, allowing jewelers to put their own names on the dial. However, the watches were labeled “W&D” within the casebook.⁷⁾

Rolex pressure-tests all of its Oyster watches to assure complete water resistance. A number of stages are involved in this process, including placing the watch in a sensitive air-pressure chamber to determine if the case has any air leaks. If this is the case, the watch is taken off the production line. ⁸⁾

It may come as a surprise that the company did not begin in Switzerland, nor that the founders were Swiss, for a brand that is now known as the top luxury Swiss watchmaker. However, Rolex's origin as a Swiss watchmaker began in 1919, when the business relocated to Geneva, Switzerland due to wartime levies put on luxury imports. ⁹⁾

Hans Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in 1944, following the death of his wife. Rolex ownership is now subject to the foundation, and precise criteria for how monies should be handled are established. Because Swiss law states that private charities are not required to reveal information about their respective charities, the Rolex foundation's donations are kept confidential. As a result, there have been none, and no information has been provided concerning whether or whether anyone has received charity from the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. ¹⁰⁾

Rolex's famous crown logo debuted for the first time in 1925. It is now a well-known emblem all over the world, however it has been slightly altered and updated since it was initially released.¹¹⁾

The watch sold was the Bao Dai ref. 6062, a one-of-a-kind piece. It had a black dial with diamond indices. The watch was first auctioned in 2002 for $235,000, but it smashed that record by more than 20 times when it was sold for $5,060,427 15 years later. The watch was custom-made in 1954 and commissioned by Vietnam's last Emperor, Bao Dai.¹²⁾

This auction set a new record for the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. The mythical “Paul Newman” Daytona, which had been owned by the man from whom the model got its name, was auctioned off in 2017. It was a 1968 Rolex Reference 6239 Daytona that sold for an astounding $17.7 million to an unidentified buyer over the phone in October 2017 at Phillips' inaugural watch auction in New York City. ¹³⁾

Rolex created the oyster case in 1926. The Oyster case, on the other hand, included a patented mechanism for attaching the bezel, case back, and crown to the central case. As a result, the watch became waterproof. Rolex not only invented the first waterproof timepiece, but they were also the first firm to mass-produce it. ¹⁴⁾

Rolex's winding crown is made up of ten separate pieces. These components are hermetically screwed onto the watch case. ¹⁵⁾

Because Rolex manufactures their own gold, they have complete control over its production and machining. This also means that they can ensure the material's quality and appearance. Rolex is the only watchmaker that produces its own gold and has a true in-house foundry.¹⁶⁾

Rolex was worn by the team lead by Sir Edmund Hillary that reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. The Rolex kept running flawlessly. ¹⁷⁾

In 1960, the US Navy's bathyscaphe Trieste set out on a mission to descend 10,916 meters (35,800 ft) into the Mariana Trench. Rolex joined the Bathyscape Trieste on this historic trip, and the watch was plunged to a pressure of 14,000 psi at the bottom, but it continued to tick without losing a second. ¹⁸⁾

Rolex, unlike virtually every other luxury watch company, does not produce watches with see-through case backs. The reason for this is that it makes no sense for diving watches in particular, nor does it make sense for tool watches. The case back of a dive watch with a see-through case back would have to be thicker than steel. ¹⁹⁾

On its Roman numeral dials, Rolex still uses IIII rather than IV. The “IIII” is referred to as the “Clockmaker's four.” The reason for this is a matter of aesthetics and symmetrical balance. ²⁰⁾

On his Deepsea Challenge trip in 2012, James Cameron dived into the Mariana Trench. He was wearing a Rolex Deepsea Challenge, a timepiece that was promised to be resistant to a depth of 12,000 meters (39,370 feet). ²¹⁾

Rolex has four locations in Switzerland. Rolex employs over 6,000 people at various locations/factories. ²²⁾

Roger Moore's Rolex watch from the James Bond film “Live and Let Die” was auctioned off for €178,000. He was wearing a Rolex Submariner 5513 that was custom-made for him. ²³⁾

Rolex created the first timepiece that could automatically adjust the date in 1945. The watch in question was the now-iconic Rolex Datejust.²⁴⁾

Rolex was the first company to fulfill COSC criteria for a wristwatch in 1910, with its movement based on a reliable calibre from Aegler. Only pocket watches could match the COSC precise criteria at the time, but Rolex did it in a wristwatch.²⁵⁾

Rolex's gemologist staff works hard to ensure that the jewels used in Rolex watches are of the finest quality. Rolex's gemologists purchase, test, arrange, and set diamonds and other precious stones in a variety of Rolex models that feature gemstones. Gemologists purchase jewels at exorbitant prices from wholesalers.²⁶⁾