So
what makes a Rolex Oyster an Oyster? The winding crown acts like a
screw-on cap, or micro jar-lid, and has watertight gaskets in it. The
best way to think of it is to imagine a submarine hatch that is threaded
and has to be twisted or spun open or closed.
In
1926, at age 45, Hans Wilsdorf had successfully designed, manufactured
and patented the waterproof Rolex Oyster. The challenge he faced was,
how to communicate the value-proposition of such a product?
Hans
came up with the idea of associating the fantasy of mermaids with the
waterproof Rolex Oyster as seen in the 1926 French Rolex advertisement
seen below.
1926 French Rolex Mermaid Oyster Poster
At
the same time, as seen in the Rolex illustration below, Hans Wilsdorf
came up with a brilliant idea to have authorized Rolex dealers display
the waterproof Rolex Oysters watches, in fish-tanks, in their
windows–with real fish swimming around the watch!!! This of course
gained the fascination of many passer-bys.
In
1927, Hans Wilsdorf learned about a swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze, who
claimed to have been the first woman to swim all the way across the
English channel. He also read about how another woman claimed to achieve
the same feat soon after, in even less time. The second woman, soon
afterward, admitted she lied.
As
a result, people pointed the finger at Mercedes Gleitze and accused her
of lying as well. Mercedes was enraged by the accusation, and declared,
that she would "vindicate" herself, but swimming it a second time.
Upon
learning of this upcoming event, Hans Wilsdorf contacted Mercedes
Gleitze and offered to hire her as the first Rolex ambassador to endorse
the brand, by wearing a Rolex Oyster (strangely, on a necklace) on her
vindication swim across the English Channel.
The
photo below was taken on the beach in France, as Mercedes dove into the
water to begin her "vindication" swim.
The
challenge with Mercedes Gleitze's "vindication" swim was that after 10
hours, she only made it about 4/5 of the way across the channel and had
to be pulled-out, since she almost froze to death. The vindication swim
was not a complete success, but the Rolex Oyster, strapped around her
neck, came out of the water in perfect working order.
The photo below is of Mercedes Gleitze's actual Rolex Oyster which she wore around her neck, during her vindication swim.
source:rolexblog.blogspot.com
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