Rolex

Rolex SA is a Swiss maker of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Regarded as status symbols, Rolex watches are popular. Rolex #71 publishes on Business Week magazine annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands in 2007.with estimated revenues of around US$3 billion (￡1.75) (3.02 CHF billion) (2003 figures),Rolex produces about 2,000 watches per day. This makes it be the the largest single luxury watch brand.

As the most famous watch in the world, Rolex's history is also amazing.

In 1905 Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis built "Wilsdorf and Davis" in London. During this time, their main business was importing Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placing them in quality watch cases made by Dennison and others. Jewellers who then put their own names on the dial bought these early wristwatches. The earliest watches from Wilsdorf and Davis were usually made notes of "W&D" inside the case’s back.

In 1908 Wilsdorf enrolled the trademark "Rolex" and founded an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.The company name "Rolex" was registered on 15 November 1915.The word was made up, but its origin is unclear.It's said that Wilsdorf wanted his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language.He also thought that the pronunciation of "Rolex" sounds like a watch being wound. And its name was also short enough to fit on the face of a watch. There is one story that the name came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning "exquisite clockwork" based on The book The Best of Time by Jeffrey P. Hess and James Dowling.But it never confirmed by Wilsdorf.

In 1914 Rolex watch got prize of a Class A precision certificate by Kew Observatory.It was a difference which was normally awarded only to marine chronometers.

In 1919 Wilsdorf moved the company to Geneva, Switzerland where it was established as the Rolex Watch Company.Later, he changed the name into Montres Rolex, SA and finally Rolex, SA. Though the taxes and export duties of thewatch can be used on the silver and gold , the costs are too high.These caused it to move out of the United Kingdom. 

In 1944 Wilsdorf's wife died. He found the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and left all of his Rolex shares to guarantee
that some of the company's income would go to charity. The company is still controlled by a private trust.Shares are not traded on any stock exchange.

In December 2008 the abrupt departure of Chief Executive Patrick Heiniger, for “personal reasons”, was followed by a denial by the company that it had lost SwFr1 billion (approx ￡574 million, $900 million) invested with Bernard Madoff, the American asset manager who pleaded guilty to an approximately ￡30 billion worldwide Ponzi scheme fraud.

In December 2008 Chief Executive Patrick Heiniger departed suddenly for “personal reasons”. Followly, it was refused and lost SwFr1 billion (approx ￡574 million, $900 million) invested with Bernard Madoff, the American asset manager. He admitted guilty to an approximately ￡30 billion worldwide Ponzi scheme fraud.

In short, having one piece of Rolex watch will makes you feel quite good!