In 1908 Wilsdorf registered the trademark "Rolex" and opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The company name "Rolex" was registered on 15 November 1915. The book The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History by Jeffrey P. Hess and James Dowling says that the name was just made up. One story, never confirmed by Wilsdorf, recounts that the name came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning "exquisite clockwork" or as a contraction of "horological excellence". Wilsdorf was said to want his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. He also thought that the name "Rolex" was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound. It is easily pronounceable in many languages and, as all its upper-case letters have the same size, can be written symmetrically. It was also short enough to fit on the face of a watch. To date, the Rolex is the most sought after luxury watch in the world. They also retain the highest percentage of their original value in the industry. With a steady 2,000 watch production per day, Rolex watches has created and maintained a demand for superior watches that are a status symbol which will stand the test of time. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner watches came into existence in the early 1950's when scuba diving was just becoming the newest trend. Divers demanded a watch that can go up to 100 meters / 330 feet underwater and Rolex answered this demand and developed the first ever water resistant watch; the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner. This soon became the divers' chronometer of choice. The Submariner and Submariner Date models use Rolex perpetual movements, the 3130 and 3135. These movements are certified Swiss chronometers, a title designated for only the finest of high-precision watches that have passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute tests. After the introduction of this iconic, yet highly durable watch, Rolex allowed this design to evolve and had since equipped their new watch designs with numerous patented technical innovations. Divers have henceforth continued to praise the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner both underwater and on dry land.
Although the original Rolex GMT Master model was available only in stainless steel, as it was conceived as a functional work watch, Rolex has been making premium versions in both mixed steel and gold, and all-gold since the 1950s, and there are even {special|exotic variations that incorporate creative designs that include precious stones. As I mentioned earlier, the Explorer II wears a little slimmer but is a touch wider than the GMT II, so which one you prefer comes down to personal preference and the kind of clothes you wear. If you tend to wear tighter fitting shirts and jackets, then you might find the GMT Master II more likely to get stuck on your cuffs. The most obvious difference between the watches is in the bezel. The Explorer II has a fixed bezel in brushed stainless steel and engraved 24-hour numerals painted black. The GMT Master II comes with a Cerachrom bezel and this, if you like the look of it, has some clear advantages. Ceracrom is a ceramic compound made and developed exclusively by Rolex. It’s almost entirely scratch-resistant and is unaffected by UV rays. It’s being used more and more by Rolex and features in the latest Submariner and the recently released Cosmograph Daytona. The numerals are etched into the bezel and then coated with a layer of platinum for maximum legibility and durability.
The Rolex GMT-Master wristwatch was originally designed in collaboration with Pan American Airways and issued by the airline to their crews on long-haul flights. ("GMT" in the name stands for Greenwich Mean Time also known as Coordinated Universal Time). The original GMT Master watch has a 24-hour display fourth hand complication directly linked to and displaying the same time zone as the standard 12-hour hand. This GMT hand enabled the crews to set the watch to GMT or another time zone, and, using the rotatable 24-hour scale bezel, set to the correct offset, a second time zone could be read. GMT or UTC is the time zone that is required for all aviation planning, weather forecasts, schedules and other paperwork. An updated Rolex GMT Master II was released in 2005. This new model features a number of technical changes, such as Rolex's patented Parachrom hairspring as well as a larger Triplock crown (from the diver's watches). The new model also has several cosmetic changes, such as larger case, hands and hour markers and also a new bezel made using an extremely hard ceramic material that is designed to be more scratch and fade resistant. Also included in the update is a new and more luxurious style of bracelet that has heavier solid links and a machined clasp. The stainless steel version now joins the precious metal versions by having highly polished centre links on its bracelet, which gives the watch a more dressy appearance but can be prone to scratches when used as an everyday watch.