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Table of Contents
Rolex
904L Stainless Steel
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 Handmade
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)
All Movements Are Assembled By Hand
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)
Production
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)
10 past 10
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)
Foundation
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)
W&D
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)