Alright, let’s gab about this Rolex watch thing, you know, the one them fancy folks wear. I heard some things, seen some things, and I’m gonna tell ya all about it, the way I understand it, mind you. No fancy words, just plain talk.
So, this Rolex, it ain’t always been some Swiss high-falutin’ thing. Nope. Started way back when, over in England, believe it or not. Two fellas, Wilsdorf and Davis, that’s what they called ‘em. They started a business, sellin’ watches, I reckon. That was way back in 1905, a long, long time ago, when my grandpappy was just a young’un.
Now, this Wilsdorf fella, he was the brains of the operation, I hear. Had a head for business and a real knack for seein’ what folks wanted. He figured, watches, they oughta be tough, ya know? Not somethin’ that breaks the first time you sneeze on it. And them wristwatches, them was just startin’ to catch on, so he thought, “Hey, let’s make ’em waterproof!” Smart fella, that Wilsdorf.
So, they started makin’ watches. Good ones, tough ones. And slowly but surely, they started gettin’ known. Folks liked ‘em, said they were reliable. And that’s important, ya know? When you spend your hard-earned money on somethin’, you want it to last.
- 1905: Wilsdorf and Davis started the company in London.
- Early 1900s: Focused on making wristwatches tough and reliable.
Now, somewhere along the line, they moved the whole shebang over to Switzerland. Why? I ain’t rightly sure. Maybe taxes were lower, maybe the cows gave better milk, who knows? But Switzerland’s where they are now, and that’s where they make all them fancy watches you see in the magazines.
People say Rolex is one of the best, maybe the best watch brand in Switzerland. And Switzerland, well, that’s where all the good watches come from, ain’t it? So that makes Rolex somethin’ special, I guess. Expensive too, lordy, them things cost a pretty penny. More than my old mule, that’s for sure!
Wilsdorf, he kept runnin’ things for a long time, saw the company through thick and thin. He was a real visionary, they say. Means he could see what was comin’, I reckon. And he saw that wristwatches were gonna be big, and he was right. Now everyone wears ‘em, even me, though mine ain’t no fancy Rolex, just a cheap one I got at the five-and-dime.
So, who owns Rolex now? Well, that’s a bit of a mystery, ain’t it? They don’t go around shoutin’ about it. It’s a private company, which means they keep their business to themselves. But from what I hear, it’s still owned by a foundation, somethin’ set up by Wilsdorf himself. He wanted to make sure the company stayed true to his vision, I suppose.
And that vision was simple: make the best darn watches in the world. And I reckon they done a pretty good job of it. You see them Rolex watches on the wrists of presidents and movie stars, all sorts of important folks. They’re a symbol of success, I guess. Or maybe just a way to show off how much money you got.
But even if you ain’t a fancy pants, you can still appreciate a good watch. And Rolex, well, they make good watches. That’s the long and short of it. They started small, worked hard, and built somethin’ special. And that’s somethin’ to admire, no matter how you slice it.
So next time you see someone wearin’ a Rolex, you’ll know a little bit more about it. It ain’t just a shiny trinket. It’s got a history, a story behind it. And it all started with two fellas in England and a dream of makin’ a watch that could stand up to anythin’. Just like a good ol’ mule, I reckon.
And that’s all I know about that Rolex watch history, so don’t go askin’ me no more questions! My throat’s dry from all this talkin’. Time for some sweet tea.
Tags: Rolex, Watch, History, Wilsdorf, Davis, England, Switzerland, Wristwatch, Founder, 1905
