Rolex Finds Itself on the Front Pages with Mercedes Gleitze

Rolex’s close association with Mercedes Gleitze, a 26-year-old English typist, and her attempt to swim across the icy cold water of the English Channel on October 21, 1927 remains a moment of renown. On October 7, 1927, Gleitze became the first British woman to swim across the English Channel. Many naysayers and cynics, however, doubted her credibility which compelled Mercedes to make another daring attempt. Intrigued by the challenge, Wilsdorf decided to create mass awareness about his new waterproof Rolex Oyster watch by taking part. In an ingenious display of marketing strategy, Rolex tied a gold Oyster watch (with the word “Precision” engraved on the dial) around Mercedes Gleitze's neck right before she went into the channel. Although she failed to cross in this attempt and had to be pulled out of the water in an unconscious state, Rolex succeeded in its objective. When she was taken ashore, the Rolex Oyster tied around her neck was functioning perfectly after 10 long hours in the frigid water.

After the event, an advertisement was published on the front page of the London Daily Mail on November 27, 1927. The ad featured a picture of Mercedes Gleitze with the banner headline, “Rolex introduces for the first time the greatest Triumph in Watch-making.” The other headlines supplementing the banner included the following phrases: Moisture Proof, Water Proof, Heat Proof, Vibration Proof, Cold Proof, and Dust Proof. Since this publicity coup by Wilsdorf, there has been no looking back for Rolex Oyster watches. Customers admired the fully waterproof Rolex Oyster watch, and they expected the same performance from the variety of Rolex wristwatches introduced in subsequent years. As a result, every watch that Rolex introduced to the market in later years (except the divers' watches which had even deeper water depth ratings) had a guaranteed water depth rating of 330 feet. When customers have demanded quality and performance, Rolex has consistently met the challenge.