Rolex Watch Buyer San Antonio BandD Rolex Watch Buyer San Antoni (San Antonio, TX)

Rolex Watch Buyer San Antonio BandD Rolex Watch Buyer San Antoni

Rolex Watch Buyer San Antonio B& D Rolex Watch CALL FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE rolexbuyersanantonio.com goldbuyerssanantonio.com diamondbuyersanantonio.com jewelrybuyersanantonio.net 210.818.0039 WE CAN TEXT YOU YOUR FREE QUOTE 210.818.0039 CALL TEX How To Find the Rolex Model or Serial Number 24 HRS 7 Days A Week 210-818-0039 bevanssurplus(at)yahoo.com Rolex SA and its subsidiary Montres Tudor SA design manufacture distribute and service wristwatches sold under the Rolex and Tudor brands. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London England in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis Rolex moved its base of operations to Geneva Switzerland in 1919. Forbes ranked Rolex No.57 on its 2012 list of the world s most powerful global brands.[3] Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand producing about 2 000 watches per day [1] with estimated 2012 revenues of US 7.4 billion. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Innovations 2.1 Automatic movements 2.2 Quartz movements 2.3 Water-resistant cases 2.4 Collections 2.5 Certified chronometers 2.6 Ceramic bezels 3 Brands 3.1 Tudor 4 Rolex watch models 4.1 Modern models 4.1.1 Cellini models 4.1.2 Pricing 5 Significant events 5.1 Watches for POWs and help in the Great Escape 5.2 Murder investigation 6 Counterfeits 7 Hans Wilsdorf Foundation 8 Gallery 9 See also 10 References 11 External links History[edit] Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis founded Wilsdorf and Davis the company that would eventually become Rolex SA in London England in 1905.[4] Wilsdorf and Davis main business at the time was importing Hermann Aegler s Swiss movements to England and placing them in quality watch cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were sold to jewellers who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually hallmarked W& D inside the caseback. In 1908 Wilsdorf registered the trademark Rolex and opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland.[4] The company name Rolex was registered on 15 November 1915. The book The Best of Time Rolex Wristwatches An Unauthorized History by Jeffrey P. Hess and James Dowling says that the name was just made up.[5] One story never confirmed by Wilsdorf is that the name came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise meaning exquisite clockwork [6] or as a contraction of horological excellence . Wilsdorf was said to want his watch brand s name to be easily pronounceable in any language.[7] He also thought that the name Rolex was onomatopoeic sounding like a watch being wound. It is easily pronounceable in many languages and as all letters have the same size allows to be written symmetrically. It was also short enough to fit on the face of a watch.[7] In 1914 Kew Observatory awarded a Rolex watch a Class A precision certificate a distinction which was normally awarded exclusively tomarine chronometers.[7] In 1919 Wilsdorf left England due to wartime taxes levied on luxury imports as well as export duties on the silver and gold used for the watch cases driving costs too high[6] and moved the company to Geneva Switzerland where it was established as the Rolex Watch Company. Its name was later changed to Montres Rolex SA and finally Rolex SA.[4] Upon the death of his wife in 1944 Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in which he left all of his Rolex shares making sure that some of the company s income would go to charity. The company is still owned by a private trust and shares are not traded on any stock exchange.[6] In December 2008 the abrupt departure of Chief Executive Patrick Heiniger for personal reasons was followed by a denial by the company that it had lost 1 billion Swiss francs (approx 574 million 900 million) invested with Bernard Madoff the American asset manager who pleaded guilty to an approximately 30 billion worldwide Ponzi scheme fraud.[8] Heiniger died March 5 2013 after a long illness according to an official statement issued by Rolex SA.