Rolex

London, in 1905 Rolex as Wilsdorf & Davis, founded by Hans Wilsdorf, who aimed to create precise, reliable wristwatches, moving to Geneva in 1919, and registering the name "Rolex" in 1908. Key innovations include the first Swiss chronometer-certified wristwatch (1910), the waterproof Oyster (1926) famously tested by Mercedes Gleitze, and the self-winding Perpetual rotor (1931), establishing Rolex as a leader in durable, accurate, and iconic timepieces celebrated in exploration and sports.