1927 · Watch
Rolex
The Wonder Watch that Defies the Elements
Hans Wilsdorf bought the entire front page of the Daily Mail on 24 November 1927 to launch the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch. The proof sits in the copy: Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze had carried one through her ten-hour Vindication Swim that October, and it emerged keeping perfect time. Rolex signed her as its first 'Testimonee' — the athlete-endorsement template the brand still runs under that name a century later.
