When it comes to the history of Rolex myth and legend are often intertwined with facts and accuracy, but the importance of the Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster is difficult to overstate. This watch, which marks a compelling episode in history, is credited with reshaping the cultural reference of the wristwatch and propelling Rolex into one of the world’s most prestigious brands. In addition, it marked the dawn of the modern water-resistant timepiece and introduced the powerful concept of the “brand ambassador.”
The Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster will appear at auction for the first time in 25 years as part of Sotheby’s “Important Watches” sale at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva on November 9. Its estimate is more than $1 million Swiss francs ($1.3 million).
The estimate shows this timepiece has increased in value by multiples of multiples (approximately 5,500%) since it was last sold at auction for 17,037 British pounds sterling ($22,869 in today’s dollars) by Christie’s in June 2000.
Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster, The First Practical Waterproof Wristwatch
A Sotheby’s spokesperson said in an email that the auction house went to great lengths to verify the accuracy of the story behind this historic watch.
Sotheby’s said the Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster was most likely made in late 1926 before the patent for the winding crown was obtained in early 1927. The back case includes the mention “patent applied for,” Sotheby’s said. The watch is made of 9k yellow gold and is one of a handful of pre-patent Rolex Oyster watches ever to appear on the market.
The Rolex Oyster, the first practical solution to a waterproof wristwatch, was made famous by British endurance swimmer Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981), when she wore one of the first models ever created, during her second attempt to successfully swim across the English Channel in October of 1927, which became known as her “vindication swim.”
Gleitze, a multi-lingual secretary and stenographer by profession, was a world-class endurance swimmer who made several attempts to cross the English Channel, from France to England. She was successful on her eighth attempt, on October 7, 1927, in 15 hours and 15 minutes, becoming the first British woman to achieve the feat. (American swimmer, Gertrude Ederle, was the first woman to successfully swim cross the English Channel on August 6, 1926.)
However, Gleitze’s record-breaking swim was challenged by someone who claimed to have crossed the Channel in a faster time. The claim was later determined to be a hoax. However, it still undermined the credibility of Gleitze’s swim. To right this, she agreed to stage another swim across the Channel. The vindication swim. It attracted a great deal of media interest.
Mercedes Gleitze’s ‘Vindication Swim’ Attracts Rolex Founder Hans Wilsdorf
It also attracted entrepreneur, Hans Wilsdorf, the German-born, London-based co-founder of Rolex with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis of Wilsdorf & Davis in 1905.
Wilsdorf, according to Sotheby’s, was “obsessed” since the early 1910s with creating a durable and practical waterproof wristwatch to replace pocket watches, which were more popular at the time.
“When they officially registered the trademark Rolex in 1915, the pair focused their effort on wristwatch development and the development of hermetically sealed cases, special winding crowns and accurate movements suitable to wear on a wrist. At this stage, ‘hermetic’ watches with screw-down lids and bezels existed but were not for practical daily portable use,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
The pair acquired a series of patents between 1922 and 1925 for new waterproof case and crown systems. Among them were patents from Swiss inventors Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret in 1925 for a screw-down crown system “which was improved technically by adding a clutch mechanism paired with a fully sealed case,” Sotheby’s said.
“In 1926, Rolex combined all these innovations into the Rolex Oyster, the first practical waterproof wristwatch with a hermetically sealed case paired with the easy-to-use screw-down crown for which he applied for a patent in October of that year,” Sotheby’s said.
The Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster Was Underwater For 10 Hours
Wilsdorf approached Gleitze with wearing and promoting this watch during her vindication swim. She agreed and wore the watch attached by a ribbon around her neck. This meant the watch was submerged during her entire swim in the English Channel.
The contract between Gleitze and Rolex was organized and managed by newly founded S. T. Garland Advertising Service, which went on to merge with Saatchi & Saatchi several decades later, Sotheby’s said.
The vindication swim on October 21 was considered an event of national importance. Members of the press in boats followed Gleitze across the channel. Friends and family also followed in a flotilla. A group of musicians in a boat played to keep Gleitze alert and awake. All were witnesses to Gleitze’s endurance. The Daily Mail chartered an airplane to take aerial photographs of the swim, which they published on the front page the following day.
On the day of Gleitze’s swim, conditions in the English Channel deteriorated and the water was colder than normal for such an endurance endeavor. This may have caused Gleitze to abandon her swim after 10 hours and 24 minutes, reportedly eight miles from her destination in Dover, England. But her endurance in these conditions was convincing enough to show that her original record should stand.
The Rolex Oyster Watch Is A ‘Reliable and Accurate Timekeeping Companion’
What did endure the harsh conditions of the Channel that day was the Rolex Oyster watch. It received the following handwritten endorsement from Gleitze on October 25, 1927:
You will like to hear that the Rolex Oyster watch I carried on my Channel swim proved itself a reliable and accurate timekeeping companion even though it was subjected to complete immersion for 10h24 hours in sea water at a temp of not more than 58 and often as low as 51. This is to say nothing about the sustained buffeting it must have received. Not even the quick change to the high temp of the boat cabin when I was lifted from the water seemed to affect the even tenour of its movement. The newspaper man was astonished and I, of course, am delighted with it.
Many, including Sotheby’s, say that Gleitze was the first athlete whose sporting achievements were used to verify the engineering prowess of a product. It was proof of the claims made by Rolex about the watch’s ability to perform while submerged and exposed to harsh conditions.
“Rolex officially referred to Gleitze’s role as a testimonee within the Oyster’s promotional campaign they deployed shortly after the ‘Vindication Swim’– thus reinforcing her active role in the thorough testing of their Oyster’s technical abilities,” Sotheby’s said.
Rolex’s campaign included a full-page advertisement in the Daily Mail on November 24, 1927, noting that the Rolex Oyster “kept time despite being immersed in water for over ten hours.”
Sam Hines, Sotheby’s global chairman, Watches, said the vindication swim was a turning point for Rolex.
“From that moment forward, Rolex aligned itself with the pursuits of adventurers, athletes and professionals operating in the most demanding environments on Earth,” Hines said. “Gleitze’s Channel crossing, nearly a century ago, laid the foundation for what would become a legacy of tool watches built for real-world performance. The Oyster was instrumental in the transition from pocket to wristwatches and the Mercedes Gleitze played an important role in this transition.”
After her swim, Gleitze wore only her original Oyster watch, despite efforts from Rolex to wear other models, Sotheby’s said. Gleitze had Rolex maintain her “companion” Oyster.
The following links will provide more information on the Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster watch, the relationship between Mercedes Gleitze and Rolex and more about Mercedes Gleitze.