Rolex

Who are Rolex?

Rolex is a Swiss watchmaker based in Geneva that began in London in 1905, when Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis founded Wilsdorf & Davis. It is owned by a foundation rather than shareholders. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Rolex in the UK.

The company makes mechanical wristwatches under two names, Rolex and Tudor, and designs, makes, sells and services both (Wikipedia). Almost everything it sells today belongs to the Oyster family, the waterproof case design it launched in 1926 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). Rolex does not publish financial results or production figures (Wikipedia), so anything you read about how many watches it makes is an outside estimate.

The history of Rolex

Rolex’s history runs from a London trading company in 1905 to a Geneva manufacturer owned by a charitable foundation since 1960. The key dates are the Rolex name (1908), the move to Geneva (1920), the waterproof Oyster (1926), the Perpetual self-winding rotor (1931) and the foundation’s ownership after Wilsdorf’s death in 1960.

London beginnings. Hans Wilsdorf was born in Kulmbach, Bavaria, in 1881. After an apprenticeship in Germany he worked from 1900 for a watch business in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and moved to London in 1903 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). In 1905 he and Alfred Davis set up Wilsdorf & Davis to sell good-quality wristwatches made on an industrial scale. From the start Wilsdorf worked closely with the Aegler movement factory in Biel (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). The firm imported Swiss movements, fitted them in cases made in England, and sold them to jewellers, who often put their own names on the dial (Wikipedia).

The Rolex name. The Rolex brand was officially registered in 1908 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). Wilsdorf wanted a short name that was easy to say in any language and would fit on a dial (Wikipedia). A London company, The Rolex Watch Company Limited, was incorporated on 15 November 1915 and is still active, with its registered office in St James’s Square (Companies House).

The move to Geneva. During and after the First World War, Wilsdorf moved his operations to Geneva. Wikipedia attributes the move to post-war taxes on luxury imports and duties on the silver and gold used for cases. In 1920 he founded Montres Rolex S.A. there (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf).

The Oyster. Dust and moisture getting past the crown and caseback were a common cause of damage to wristwatch movements. Rolex bought a patent for a screw-down crown and in 1926 launched the Oyster, with a sealed case (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf; Wikipedia). In October 1927 the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze wore one on a ribbon round her neck during a Channel swim. A month later, on 24 November 1927, Rolex launched the Oyster in the UK with a full front-page advertisement in the Daily Mail (Wikipedia).

Self-winding. In 1931 Rolex patented the Perpetual rotor, a weighted semicircle that turns freely as the wrist moves and winds the mainspring, and the watch became the Oyster Perpetual (Wikipedia).

The post-war models. The Datejust followed in 1945, the company’s fortieth year (Wikipedia, Rolex Datejust). In the 1950s Rolex added the watches its range is still built around: the Submariner (in production from 1953), the Explorer (1953), the GMT-Master (1954) and the Day-Date (1956), then the Cosmograph Daytona in 1963 (Wikipedia model articles).

The foundation. After the sudden death of his wife, and with no direct heirs, Wilsdorf left all his shares to the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, created in 1945. He died in Geneva in 1960 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf).

Recent decades. Rolex bought Aegler, its long-standing movement supplier, in 2004, bringing most component production in-house (Wikipedia). In December 2022 it launched Rolex Certified Pre-Owned, its own programme for second-hand watches (Senatus). In August 2023 it announced it was buying Bucherer, one of its largest retailers; the deal completed in 2024 (Wikipedia, citing Reuters and Forbes).

What is Rolex known for?

Rolex is known for the Oyster waterproof case (1926), the Perpetual self-winding rotor (1931), movements it makes itself, and its own accuracy standard, the Superlative Chronometer. It also uses its own materials, such as 904L steel and Cerachrom ceramic bezels. The details below are each sourced.

The Oyster case. The Oyster combines a screw-down crown with a threaded caseback and bezel to seal the case (Wikipedia). It was not the first waterproof wristwatch case; Wikipedia notes an earlier patent by Depollier. What Rolex did was make the sealed case its standard and build almost every collection on it.

The Perpetual rotor. Earlier self-winding designs used weights that swung through part of a circle. Rolex’s 1931 rotor turned through a full 360 degrees, and fully rotating weights later became the normal way to build an automatic watch (Wikipedia).

Movements made in-house. Rolex makes its own movements. Since buying Aegler in 2004, relatively few main components are outsourced (Wikipedia). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers care about the difference.

Chronometer certification. A chronometer is a watch whose movement has passed an official accuracy test. COSC, the Swiss testing institute, tests movements for 15 days in five positions and at three temperatures, and requires an average daily rate between −4 and +6 seconds (COSC). Rolex adds its own test after the movement is cased: it calls a watch that passes a Superlative Chronometer, and states an accuracy of −2/+2 seconds a day. Time+Tide reports that Rolex tightened this standard in late 2015, and that the guarantee was extended to five years. Our guide to COSC certification explains what the test measures.

Materials. Since 1985 Rolex has used 904L stainless steel rather than the 316L grade common in Swiss watches (Wikipedia). In 2005 a GMT-Master II was fitted with a ceramic bezel insert, and ceramic inserts, which Rolex calls Cerachrom, have since spread across its sports models. Unlike aluminium inserts, they do not fade in sunlight (Wikipedia).

Serial numbers. Every Rolex carries a serial number. Rolex numbered watches in sequence from 1926, added a letter prefix in 1987 and moved to random serial numbers in 2010 (Wikipedia). This matters when you check a watch’s papers.

Which Rolex collections are there?

Rolex’s current range is mostly Oyster models: the Oyster Perpetual, Datejust and Day-Date for everyday wear, and sports and tool watches including the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master II, Cosmograph Daytona, Explorer, Yacht-Master, Sky-Dweller and Air-King. The 1908 is a gold dress watch, and the Land-Dweller was added in 2025.

The collections table on this page gives the year each family began and a one-line description. A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Datejust and Lady-Datejust. The Datejust comes in several sizes and many dial, bezel and metal combinations, so two “Datejust” listings may be very different watches. The Lady-Datejust is a separate collection on retailers’ sites (Watches of Switzerland).
• Sports models and their “II” versions. GMT-Master II, Explorer II and Yacht-Master II are distinct watches from their namesakes, with different functions. GMT-Master (without the II) and Milgauss appear in pre-owned stock but not in the current range on the same retailer’s site (Watches of Switzerland).
• Retired names. The Cellini dress line was replaced by the 1908 in 2023 (Sharp Magazine). Cellini watches still turn up second-hand.
• Reference numbers. Each version has a reference number, for example 4467 for the first Datejust or 6239 for the first Daytona (Wikipedia). The reference identifies the exact model; the serial number identifies the individual watch.

Who owns Rolex?

Rolex is owned by the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, a private shareholder foundation in Geneva, created in 1945. The foundation has no capital of its own: its income comes from dividends paid by the Rolex group, and it uses that income for public-interest work. The company has no outside shareholders and is not listed.

Hans Wilsdorf left all his shares to the foundation, which its own account says ensured “the continuity and independence of the Rolex Group” (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). It funds work in five areas: social and health; education and workplace integration; culture; humanitarian causes; and animals and ecosystems. Most of its support is in the canton of Geneva. A team of about thirty people handles requests for funding, and a charter adopted by the board on 8 June 2023 sets out its strategy (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf).

The foundation says that although it is recognised as a public-interest body exempt from tax, it chooses to pay all federal, cantonal and municipal taxes (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). Because Rolex is privately owned, it does not publish accounts, and figures for its sales or output come from analysts, not the company (Wikipedia).

Tudor is part of the same group. Montres Tudor SA has made Tudor watches since 6 March 1946; Wilsdorf conceived the brand as a less expensive watch for Rolex dealers to sell (Wikipedia). Rolex is also often compared with Patek Philippe, another privately held Geneva watchmaker outside the big listed groups, though Patek is run by the Stern family rather than a foundation.

Buying a pre-owned Rolex in the UK: what to check

Check that the serial and reference numbers on the watch match its papers, that the papers and any service records are genuine, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. Then decide what guarantee you need: Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watches come with a two-year Rolex guarantee, while other sellers offer their own terms.

1. Papers and the full set. A Rolex sold new comes with a guarantee card. A Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watch comes with a seal, a two-year international guarantee card, a service booklet and official papers (Watches of Switzerland). Ask exactly which items are included and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves and what it does not.

2. Serial and reference numbers. The serial number and reference on the watch should match the card and any receipts. Since 2010, Rolex serial numbers have been random rather than sequential (Wikipedia), so you cannot date a modern watch from the number alone; the papers carry the date. A seller who will not show the numbers before you pay is a reason to walk away.

3. Authenticity. Fake Rolex watches are common, and fakes can come with forged papers. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

4. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers and how to use them.

5. Servicing and condition. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. A service by Rolex or an authorised service centre carries its own guarantee period. Ask whether original parts such as the dial, hands and bezel were replaced, and whether the seller has the old parts.

6. Warranty. Rolex states a five-year guarantee on new watches (Time+Tide), and a Certified Pre-Owned watch has a two-year international guarantee from its date of purchase (Watches of Switzerland). Whether the remaining part of a new watch’s guarantee passes to a second owner depends on Rolex’s terms. A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Rolex. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes in the UK:

Sources: Watches of Switzerland, the Rolex certification; Senatus (checked 29 October 2026).

Rolex Certified Pre-Owned began in December 2022 at Bucherer boutiques in six countries, including the UK, and other Official Rolex Retailers could join from spring 2023 (Senatus). In the UK, Watches of Switzerland is one of the retailers authorised to sell these watches (Watches of Switzerland). Reports differ on the minimum age a watch must reach before it can be certified. For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Rolex founded?

In London, in 1905, as Wilsdorf & Davis. Montres Rolex S.A. was founded in Geneva in 1920 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf).

Is Rolex a British company?

No. Rolex began in London and still has a UK company, The Rolex Watch Company Limited, incorporated in 1915 (Companies House), but the business is based in Geneva and owned by a Swiss foundation.

Who owns Rolex?

The Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, a private shareholder foundation created in 1945. Its income comes from Rolex dividends (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf).

Does Rolex make its own movements?

Yes. Rolex makes its own movements, and since buying Aegler in 2004 it makes most main components itself (Wikipedia).

What does “Superlative Chronometer” mean on a Rolex dial?

It is Rolex’s own accuracy standard, tested after the movement is cased, with a stated rate of −2/+2 seconds a day (Time+Tide). The movement is also COSC-certified, which requires −4 to +6 seconds a day (COSC).

What is Rolex Certified Pre-Owned?

Rolex’s own programme for second-hand watches: they are checked and serviced by Rolex, sold by Official Rolex Retailers, and come with a two-year international guarantee (Watches of Switzerland). It launched in the UK in December 2022 (Senatus).

Can I buy a pre-owned Rolex without papers?

You can, but without papers you rely more heavily on the seller’s written guarantee, an independent watchmaker’s check and a stolen-watch check. Agree in writing that you get a full refund if the watch is later found not to be genuine.

How can I tell how old a Rolex is?

For older watches the serial number gives an approximate period. Since 2010 Rolex serial numbers are random (Wikipedia), so for a recent watch the dated guarantee card is the main record.

What is the difference between Rolex and Tudor?

Both belong to the same group. Tudor was created in 1946 as a less expensive brand for Rolex dealers to sell (Wikipedia).

Why is it called the Oyster?

Oyster is Rolex’s name for its sealed, waterproof case, launched in 1926 (Fondation Hans Wilsdorf). Almost every current Rolex uses it.

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Rolex.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.