Took Rolex test at AD today! Some Rolex fun...

[VADanno]

I'd guess that Rolex considers the time the movement spends being certified is being added to calculate the time from beginning to completion of a Rolex watch. By the time you machine and finish every screw, every link in the bracelet, and every part in the movement, there is a lot of time involved in manufacturing a Rolex. One year does seem excessive...but worth the wait!

[SoonerTA]

Very cool...Thank for sharing!

[jjnd08]

That was great info. Thank you for sharing!

[FremStar]

Easy exam...

Here's a pic of my 216570 to help sway your decision! Good luck! ;-)

[alubin]

This test makes me think I don't deserve this account. Fail!

[petenyc]

thanks for sharing

[Brenngun]

Fun quiz. 11 correct. One question. Shouldn't the number of metals used to make a Rolex include the movement? That would take the total higher than 5.

Originally Posted by tkerrmd

great post thanks!

takes a year to make a Rolex??

Originally Posted by joe100

It doesn't take a year to make a Rolex. That has to be the goofiest but of marketing Rolex has ever used.

Originally Posted by Alex_NYC

1yr - seriously?

That requires proof!

They like a lot of WIP at Rolex No such thing as JIT there.

[powerfunk]

Originally Posted by Rashid.bk

Cool, an actual employee who knows and can tell us everything

It doesn't take a Rolex employee to discredit that marketing. In Rolex's own videos, they've talked about several parts each taking "weeks" to make. They get the "year" by adding up all the weeks, as if the whole factory is only making 1 type of part at a time.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by powerfunk

It doesn't take a Rolex employee to discredit that marketing. In Rolex's own videos, they've talked about several parts each taking "weeks" to make. They get the "year" by adding up all the weeks, as if the whole factory is only making 1 type of part at a time.

This, obviously. They add the total time it takes to make each and every part, as though the parts are all made one at a time. For example, it may take a month for the steel to arrive by boat at the factory from wherever it is produced, but it doesn't take into account that in that shipment there is enough steel to produce tens of thousands of watches. Then it may take the CNC 20 minutes to machine the case back of an Oyster, but ignores that they might have 20 machines running at the same time.

In other words, it may take a year to make a Rolex but you can also make a million of them in a year.

[neurotichamster8]

1 year to make a Rolex....right.

[DiamondJack]

Well......didn't know the Irish link in relation to HW's wife and the green colour......and the 1 year build time is surely just marketing hype......

But have definitely spent too much time on all things Rolex......:When you can just rattle off 904L SS you know youve indulged too much......chuckle:

[RFFG]

Pretty cool.

[AJMarcus]

Great post. Thanks for sharing. I learned a few things from that. Never knew about the color green. But does anyone know where Hans came up with the name Rolex?

[Keith1]

Originally Posted by AJMarcus

Great post. Thanks for sharing. I learned a few things from that. Never knew about the color green. But does anyone know where Hans came up with the name Rolex?

From Wikipedia:

In 1908, Wilsdorf registered the trademark "Rolex" and opened an office in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.The company name "Rolex" was registered on 15 November 1915. The book The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History by Jeffrey P. Hess and James Dowling says that the name was just made up. One story, never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the name came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning "exquisite clockwork" or as a contraction of "horological excellence". Wilsdorf was said to want his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. He also thought that the name "Rolex" was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound. It is easily pronounceable in many languages and, as all letters have the same size, allows to be written symmetrically. It was also short enough to fit on the face of a watch

[Chaching]

1 yr to make a Rolex?

[Grey.Coupe]

1 man year, in USA, is considered 2080 hours, a little less in Germany... So while not consecutive, there could be 2000 hours in making a watch. That includes the niobium harvest.

[changzilla]

Thanks for the great post. I'm sure most have seen this but it's worth a read:

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/10-thing...makes-watches/

[DCgator]

What is the largest Rolex model made?
Yachtmaster at 44m, deep sea is actually 43.7m

I believe the correct answer is Yachtmaster II.

[Nycturbovr6]

Thanks for sharing

[Presa canary]

I got 7. And two that the test makers didn't know. The largest is a ymii and a rolex most certainly doesn't take anywhere near a year to make...