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Rolex and there part in the self-winding watch.
Now a few hundred years ago a watchmaker called Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism it was around 1770.Later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.Now perhaps this is where Rolex got the idea to call there automatics Perpetual.But it was a guy called John Harwood from the Isle of Man England,now around 1923 he took out a UK patent for the very first automatic winding wrist watch.And he went on with backing to produce many thousands of these watches,but mainly owing to the depression in the mid 1920s to 1930s in the UK he went bust a very good idea but at the wrong time in the UK depression.
Now old Hans of Rolex being a very clever but very shrewd man bought and took up this patent for the Rolex Watch Company. And in the very late 1920s to early 1930s incorporated it into the first true oyster design case .And also with the newly acquired waterproof screw down crown patent,now Wilsdorf bought and acquired this patent from Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret.They first applied for a Swiss patent in 1925 for a screwed stem system and was registered to them.But Hans of the Rolex watch company quickly negotiated to have the Perregaux and Peret patent assigned to him.Hans Wilsdorf then obtained a British patent on October 18, 1926 for the twin lock screwed stem system .
The Perregaux and Peret patent screwed stem system
And with the Oyster case and this newly patent auto wind mechanism that at that time only wound around 300 degrees.But Rolex did improved the design by the help of Hans brother in-law.Who made it much more efficient by winding a full 360 degrees,and a power reserve then of around 36 hours.After the auto watch and the oyster case, Rolex really took off, the rest is just pure marketing history and genius by Hans Wilsdorf of the R.W.C.
Wilsdorf first came up with the name oyster while he was having a dinner party and having a hard time getting into an oyster. He made a remark to his guests that he hoped the new design of watch case would prove to be as resilient as this oyster mollusk
Now a few hundred years ago a watchmaker called Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism it was around 1770.Later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.Now perhaps this is where Rolex got the idea to call there automatics Perpetual.But it was a guy called John Harwood from the Isle of Man England,now around 1923 he took out a UK patent for the very first automatic winding wrist watch.And he went on with backing to produce many thousands of these watches,but mainly owing to the depression in the mid 1920s to 1930s in the UK he went bust a very good idea but at the wrong time in the UK depression.
Now old Hans of Rolex being a very clever but very shrewd man bought and took up this patent for the Rolex Watch Company. And in the very late 1920s to early 1930s incorporated it into the first true oyster design case .And also with the newly acquired waterproof screw down crown patent,now Wilsdorf bought and acquired this patent from Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret.They first applied for a Swiss patent in 1925 for a screwed stem system and was registered to them.But Hans of the Rolex watch company quickly negotiated to have the Perregaux and Peret patent assigned to him.Hans Wilsdorf then obtained a British patent on October 18, 1926 for the twin lock screwed stem system .
The Perregaux and Peret patent screwed stem system
And with the Oyster case and this newly patent auto wind mechanism that at that time only wound around 300 degrees.But Rolex did improved the design by the help of Hans brother in-law.Who made it much more efficient by winding a full 360 degrees,and a power reserve then of around 36 hours.After the auto watch and the oyster case, Rolex really took off, the rest is just pure marketing history and genius by Hans Wilsdorf of the R.W.C.
Wilsdorf first came up with the name oyster while he was having a dinner party and having a hard time getting into an oyster. He made a remark to his guests that he hoped the new design of watch case would prove to be as resilient as this oyster mollusk
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