Rolex crown

It is inseparably linked to the Rolex brand and is a powerful symbol: the crown. It is much more than "just" a logo, as it plays a key role in the function of the high-quality watches. This article takes a close look at the world-famous Rolex crown and examines its meaning from various interesting perspectives.

The Rolex crown as a brand logo

Whether Sea Dweller , Deep Sea , Yacht Master , Day-Date or GMT-Master II : every watch from Rolex is adorned with the unmistakable crown. Above all, it functions as a logo that is internationally associated with the company and represents the watch brand in a way that probably no other symbol could.

According to Rolex, the logo stands for "a crown for every success" and thus fits perfectly with the image of the luxury watch manufacturer. After all, Rolex has stood for unparalleled quality, the highest precision and innovative achievements in the watch industry for decades, something that hardly any other brand can claim. The crown expresses the company's striving for innovation and is a sign of the enormous success that the Geneva manufacturer has enjoyed.

The decision to use the crown as a logo, the origins of which we will discuss in more detail later in the article, could ultimately have contributed significantly to the success of the Swiss company. Because: The mighty crown gives people a feeling for the brand at first glance and manages to express, without many words, what Rolex stands for - quality, elegance, sophistication, knowledge and power.

The History of the Rolex Crown

To explore the historical background behind the famous trademark, we take a short trip into the past and travel back to the time when the crown was introduced as a logo.

The crown came into play in 1931, a few years after Hans Wilsdorf founded the Rolex company. Its introduction is closely linked to an event that is still remembered today: the sporting feat of the British professional swimmer Mercedes Gleitze. Gleitze swam the English Channel in 1927 - an impressive feat that earned her a great deal of prestige. Now, of course, you might ask what this has to do with Rolex. Quite simply: Gleitze wore a Rolex Oyster around her neck, which she had previously received as a gift from Hans Wilsdorf himself. Wilsdorf's generous gesture was nothing less than a brilliant marketing ploy: when Gleitze got out of the water, the Oyster was still working perfectly, thus publicly proving its water resistance.

The slogan behind the logo - "A crown for every success" - is reminiscent of the crossing of the English Channel, which is a groundbreaking success not only for Gleitze, but of course also for Rolex. With its watches that put the crown on every success, the watch brand naturally also targets "ordinary" people and their everyday successes, be it passing exams, family milestones or very personal development steps, in addition to top athletes.

The design of the Rolex crown

The crown is omnipresent on Rolex watches: On the one hand, it can be found on the dial, directly above the Rolex name, on the other hand, it is located on the winding crown and sometimes additionally embossed on the case back.

From a purely visual perspective, the logo is unmistakably impressive. Hans Wilsdorf opted for a five-pointed crown with point-shaped tips, which looks absolutely classy despite its simplicity. The tapered points each end in a large point, resulting in an extremely harmonious and balanced look. An all-round successful logo that many watch lovers can never get enough of.

How the Rolex Crown Works

While the crown serves purely visual and marketing purposes as a logo, the winding crown obviously has several important functions. In total, it can be set to four different positions that serve different purposes.

Position 0 is the fully screwed starting position and therefore the only position in which the water resistance of the watch is guaranteed. It is therefore essential to return the crown to this position after each adjustment so that the seals can do their job.

To reach position 1, unscrew the crown anti-clockwise until it pops out easily. In this position, you can start winding the movement. To do this, turn the winding crown clockwise, with approximately forty turns required to fully wind it.

Position 2, which is reached by pulling the crown out one more step, is intended for correcting the date. Watches with a normal date function can now be corrected by turning it clockwise; for more complex date displays, such as those found on a Day-Date, turning it anti-clockwise also adjusts the large display of the day of the week.

Which brings us to position 3: In the outermost position, the clock can be stopped. After that, the time can be adjusted forwards and backwards.

Some models offer functions that - in conjunction with the rotating bezel - go beyond the classic setting options. In order to operate these correctly, additional know-how is required. These include the GMT-Master II and the Sea Dweller, which require even more knowledge from the watch fan due to certain variations in operation.

If you take a closer look at the crown and try out its setting options in practice, it quickly becomes clear: it is a highly functional instrument that can certainly exert a great fascination on the proud owner of the watch.

The Rolex crown as a quality feature

If you ask watch lovers and industry experts about the most renowned watch brand in the world, you will certainly often hear "Rolex" as an answer. No wonder: the name alone immediately evokes certain associations in watch fans and evokes images of luxury, quality and success. The international reputation of the watch brand is unrivaled and hardly anyone with a penchant for timepieces does not harbor the desire to one day be able to admire their own Rolex on their wrist.

In order to fulfill this wish, customers sometimes accept extremely long waiting times of several years or very high prices on the secondary market . The reason: A Rolex is quite simply more than "just" a luxury watch. The watches with the unmistakable crown have long been considered status symbols that attest to their wearer's sense of style, financial strength and a good eye for timepieces.

The crown also makes it possible to immediately identify a Rolex as such - even for laymen. If you spot the distinctive five-pointed shape, you know immediately what you are dealing with. The crown is therefore a generally known quality feature, the meaning of which is understood almost intuitively by everyone.

The crown and the water resistance of Rolex watches

Ever since the success story of Mercedes Gleitze, who swam across the English Channel with a Rolex around her neck, Rolex watches have been associated with particularly high levels of water resistance. On this very topic, there is a detail to be learned about the crown that is mostly only known to "professionals" in the world of watches. We are talking about the significance of the dots that are located under the logo on the winding crown.

If you look at different models, you will notice that sometimes there is just one dot, sometimes two or three dots, or even a bar in this place. What is this all about? The explanation is obvious: the dot markings provide information about the water resistance of the respective watch. Models with the Twinlock system, which can withstand water up to at least 100 meters, are marked with one dot, two dots, or a bar. A bar is reserved for steel and white gold watches , while Twinlock products made of yellow gold or rose gold typically have two dots. If, on the other hand, only a single dot is visible, you are most likely dealing with a Twinlock watch made of platinum.

And the third of the points? Well, only models with the Triplock system have "earned" this. This system, which has been used in Rolex watches since 1970, is characterized by a third seal placed in the tube and a correspondingly higher level of water resistance. In this version, the material plays no role in the awarding of points: all Triplock watches are awarded three points, regardless of whether they are made of platinum, gold or steel.

The Rolex Crown in the Collector's Market

Owning a real Rolex is often high on the list of things that collectors want to achieve in their lives. But anyone who wants to become the proud owner of such a luxury watch often has to resort to the secondary market. The number of watches that Rolex issues to dealers each year is very limited. So if you are not one of the valued regular customers of a dealer, but would like to call a coveted Rolex model your own, you have little choice but to look around on the secondary market - a costly solution.

Despite the sometimes almost outrageously high prices that are being asked for on the secondary market, the Rolex crown seems to magically attract buyers. However, it is important for interested parties to know that the crown alone is not a feature that guarantees the authenticity of a Rolex watch. After all, the logo is quite easy for experienced fraudsters to forge and the crown may also be emblazoned on timepieces that essentially have nothing to do with the Rolex brand. In order not to fall victim to fraud, it is therefore essential to take a close look not only at one or two photos, but also at the papers and certificates and, if necessary, to seek professional support when making the purchase.

The Rolex crown as a distinguishing feature

The decision for or against a Rolex is ultimately a question of taste, but also of knowledge about the world of watches and, last but not least, a question of budget. Anyone who adorns themselves with a Rolex in everyday life is showing their preference for luxury goods, their special knowledge and their success in a particularly stylish way and is also revealing their personal values ​​to a certain extent. After all, the Rolex company and the Rolex crown stand for innovation, quality, robustness, the desire for optimization and "pure luxury".

As a unique symbol with huge recognition around the world, the Rolex crown is much more than a cleverly chosen logo. It is a distinctive feature that immediately evokes certain associations even in the minds of people who have little or no knowledge of the watch industry.

Conclusion on the Rolex crown

All in all, the Rolex crown can be described in good conscience as the most outstanding and perhaps most admired symbol of success and luxury in the world of watches. Everyone knows that a watch with this crown is intended for more than just showing the time. It is a status symbol, an expression of pure quality and a sign of the ambitious pursuit of "more" - whether in sport, in private life or at work.