Therefore, on 21st October 1927, she decided to do it again. It was this vindication swim that Rolex seized to market their ‘Oyster’ watch. They had arranged to supply a watch to Miss Gleitze hoping that on her successful completion she would supply an endorsement for the watch. She duly completed the swim and wrote to the Rolex Watch Company saying that not only had the watch remained waterproof throughout the swim but it had also kept perfect time.

With this recommendation Rolex reserved the front page of the Daily Express newspaper, at a cost of £1600, and advertised their watch as being ‘the wonder watch which defies the elements’. As Mr Wilsdorf has since commented ‘it was the first triumphant rise to fame of the ‘Rolex Oyster’.

I believe that Rolex produces one of the finest watches of the genre. They use well tried and tested in-house movements, encased in an impenetrable housing which are capable of extreme accuracy in extreme conditions. Indeed Rolex comment that their watches can take whatever your arm can take. You only need look to some of the testimonials of Rolex owners to see the truth in this statement. For example the speed boat racer who crashed at 200 kph and in doing so received 10 broken ribs and a punctured lung. His watch, a Rolex Submariner never faltered. Or, on a slightly less spectacular scale, the Sea-Dweller that was hit by a passing Mercedes car. The only damage a ‘smile’ imbedded by the bezel in the cars wing mirror!

However, as is the way with opinions, not every one agrees. The topic is discussed, argued and hotly debated by many watch enthusiasts. Yet on one thing I believe that all watch enthusiasts will agree is the success of Rolex marketing. You only need to walk past you local retailer to see unique and distinctive watch displays used by Rolex. These are no cheap and cheerful creations. Modern day displays are made with brass, suede, silk and other high quality materials and are constructed with meticulous eye to detail. In addition their insurance value is in the region many hundreds of pounds.

But Rolex marketing neither starts or stops with these displays. You only need to look at many of the leading sporting events in the world, such as Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships and PGA Golf tournaments to name but two, to see the Rolex trademark ‘Crown’ proudly placed for all to see.

Rolex have always been proud of their achievements and producing the worlds first waterproof watch must certainly list up their with one of their greatest. It was this creation that prompted Rolex to produce one of their most memorable displays; the ‘fishbowl’. This display consisted of a glass fish bowl containing living plants, goldfish and, displayed within, a Rolex Oyster.

Yet it was perhaps the exploits of a certain lady secretary that really brought to the publics notice the qualities of the ‘Oyster’ watch. Miss Mercedes Gleitze became the first woman to swim the English Channel in October 1927. Although this was a great achievement in itself, it was not the event to bring fame to the ‘Oyster’. Due to a hoax by a Dr. Dorothy Logan, who had claimed to have swum the Channel only weeks after Miss Gleitze and had be subsequently disproved, the public were very sceptical of any cross Channel swim, including Miss Gleitze’s.

The actual watch worn by Miss Gleitze, a precision model, was recently put up for auction in London by her descendants. The watch inscribed ‘Miss M. Gleitze, The Companion ‘Oyster’, VINDICATION CHANNEL SWIM, October 21st 1927’ sold for over £17,000.

Another interesting, but less well known event in Rolex marketing history occurred on 29th July 1951, the 25th anniversary of the waterproof watch. During celebrations to mark this date, and also Mr Wilsdorf’s 70th birthday, 6 Oyster perpetual watches were attached to a board and in turn, via a rope, to a boat. These watch were subsequently towed, submerged, behind the boat for the whole day. As history recounts the watches were set, but not wound. At the end of the day the watches were removed from the water and found to be functioning perfectly and also telling the correct time.