Sussex Heritage: The Rolex Submariner represents a spirit of adventure

The more that AI and the machine made is flagged the stronger the demand for objects which are handmade seems to become. This is certainly true of the booming watch market which are so often built by skilled human craftsmen and women.

Rolex is one of the world’s strongest brands representing more than a century of precision watch making, creativity and aspiration. Rolex was founded in London by Alfred Davis and his brother in law Hans Wilsdorf in 1905. It traded as Wilsdorf and Davis. Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to bear a name that was memorable, short and easy to say in any language. In 1908 he registered the trademark ‘Rolex’. In the same year he opened an office in Switzerland. In 1914 the Kew Observatory awarded a Rolex watch a Class A precision certificate for accuracy, a distinction usually reserved for marine chronometers and a reflection of their mastery of the art of time keeping.

Heavy tax duties in the UK after the Great War on luxury imports and exported precious metals used in watch cases caused Wilsdorf to move the company to Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1927 Rolex developed the first waterproof and dust-proof watch named the ‘Oyster’. In 1931 this was complimented by Rolex inventing the world’s first self-winding mechanism.

Rolex diving watches have been design icons since their introduction in 1953. They were the first diving watches to be waterproof to 330 feet. Introduced in 1955 the mechanism was able to simultaneously show the time in two zones allowing it to be used for navigation by those crossing the globe. The French naval officer, oceanographer, film maker and author, Jacques Cousteau, was one of the first to use them. He famously perfected the Aqua-lung and opened our eyes to life in our oceans with his underwater television adventures aboard the Calypso. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual gentleman’s divers’ 100m-300ft Submariner wristwatch with its stainless steel case and black bezel is an early example dating from 1958. It sold at Toovey’s for £17,500. The later example from 1978 realised £5000. The 1984 Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master stainless steel cased gentleman's bracelet wristwatch with its iconic red and blue bezel made £9000.

New or old a Rolex combines the status of a handmade design icon with superlative time-keeping. This combination delights connoisseurs and collectors. Perhaps it’s time to change your wristwatch. Toovey’s Director, Tom Rowsell, is always pleased to offer advice whether you are considering acquiring or selling watches in this growing market.

Rupert Toovey is a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington - www.tooveys.com - and a priest in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.