{"id":2138,"date":"2024-10-26T15:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-26T13:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guerin-expertise.com\/2024\/10\/26\/the-first-publicity-campaign-for-rolexs-oyster-technology\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T15:43:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:43:25","slug":"the-first-publicity-campaign-for-rolexs-oyster-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guerin-expertise.com\/en\/2024\/10\/26\/the-first-publicity-campaign-for-rolexs-oyster-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"The first publicity campaign for Rolex’s Oyster technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1927, the watchmaker Rolex carried out one of the earliest examples of product placement to promote its Oyster technology.<\/strong>From the outset, Rolex recognised the importance of water resistance in its watches and worked tirelessly to improve it. The result of extensive research was a patent, known as the \u2018Oyster Patent\u2019, which the brand filed in 1922. A spectacular demonstration of the patent a few years later boosted the manufacturer’s popularity even further. <\/p>\n\n

An extremely innovative technology<\/h3>\n\n

Rolex developed its water-resistant case with two key features: a screw-down crown and a case back fitted with waterproof seals. This principle was highly innovative for its time. Much like an oyster, the deeper the watch descends and the greater the water pressure to which it is subjected, the more watertight it becomes. The watch\u2019s gaskets compress against the case components under pressure, thereby reinforcing the watertight seal. <\/p>\n\n

A landmark communications event<\/h3>\n\n

Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, carried out one of the earliest examples of product placement in advertising history. In order to raise awareness of this new technology among as many people as possible, he approached Mercedes Gleitze, a female athlete with remarkable tenacity and fighting spirit. Mercedes Gleitze had attempted to swim the English Channel eight times. Wilsdorf used her immense popularity in the British press to promote his invention on a massive scale. <\/p>\n\n

Rolex pulled off one of the most legendary publicity stunts in the history of watchmaking by equipping the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze with a watch featuring Oyster technology<\/a>. In 1927, Mercedes became the first woman to swim the English Channel with a Rolex Oyster around her neck, thereby proving the waterproofness of its Oyster cases. <\/p>\n\n

This promotional event put Rolex in the spotlight at the time, and the brand continues to use Oyster technology to this day.<\/p>\n\n

Acknowledgements for the illustrative image \u2013 Source: gallica.bnf.fr \/ BnF<\/pre>\n\n
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The major watch manufacturers<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 1927, the watchmaker Rolex carried out one of the earliest examples of product placement to promote its Oyster technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,74,73],"tags":[93,77,76,80,102,101,78,104],"class_list":["post-2138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historically","category-iconic-models","category-leading-brands","tag-chronographs","tag-diving-watch","tag-history-of-lap-times","tag-major-brands","tag-manufacture-horlogere","tag-military-watch","tag-technology","tag-tudor"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t