Which Rolex has the 'best' History?

[Jarett]

Submariner ? Explorer ? GMT ? Daytona ? .... uff, that is question ! :)

[D111s]

Originally Posted by brandrea

When I think of Rolex and it’s history, this is what I think of as well

Same here, it’s THE original!

[Innocenti]

If you want a watch with the best history that surely has to be the omega speedmaster

[NLYogi]

To me it is more about the brand itself, its heritage and horological inventions (date wheel, Oyster etc.) as opposed to some particular watch’s history.

[ras47]

Originally Posted by Innocenti

If you want a watch with the best history that surely has to be the omega speedmaster

True. I cannot think of a watch with a more storied history than the Omega Speedmaster. But this is about the Rolex watch with the best history. I don't think anybody rivals Omega for a watch with a storied history.

[Amochosto]

It’s got to be the Rolex of 1914 the wach that started the entire process of moving men from wearing pocket watches to wrist watches. First wristwatch to earn the class A precision certificate from Kew Observatory which seems to have been a certification process to certify watches were accurate enogh to use for navigation purposes.

I'm not saying the movement from pocket watches to wristwatches wouldnt have happened without these watches, but its undeniable these watches happened to be the moving force behind it.

Second must be the OP. Look at the writing on your Rolex watches. Unless you have some amazing early models, (or a Cellini?) your Rolex is an Oyster Perpetual _____ I have an Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, Oyster Perpetual GMT Master II etc. All modern Rolexes are either OPs or OPs with additional complications.

[Castlesinthesky]

Originally Posted by ras47

While the Sub is certainly one of the most iconic Rolex (or any brand) watches, having a history is a specific criteria. I'd give the nod to to the GMT. It's creation as a cooperative effort between Pan Am's international pilots and Rolex, and availability since 1954, qualify as quite the history in my book. Also, the GMT did indeed make it to space as others have said. Not as part of NASA's official required equipment list, but as the personal choice of Astronauts.

This ^^^^^^

[Jace]

Originally Posted by Castlesinthesky

This ^^^^^^

This too. ☝️☝️☝️☝️


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[Rebel]

Submariner.

[strafer_kid]

Originally Posted by roosvelt

I would say the sub. It helped push the exploration of the oceans in the 50 60 and 70s.

Must be!

[lenfried29]

I value the memory/history of the watches relative to me and my family first. That being said it's not a Rolex in my collection.

[Skwisgaar]

Originally Posted by vazquez1085

But who was the first President with the “President”?

Eisenhower was the first President to wear a Rolex. The company gifted him a gold Datejust in 1950. He preferred wearing a Vulcain Cricket. JFK was the first President to own a DayDate but he never wore it. It was gifted to him in 1962 by Marilyn Monroe. He thought it would be wise to get rid of it and gave it to a trusted aide.

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[jfp2476]

OP!

All this talk of Hillary/Norgay and the questions swirling around...no questions about Sir Francis Chichester and the Gipsy Moth IV...
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/ar...ster-perpetual

A truly unsung badass circumnavigating the globe and sending TELEGRAMS about his awesome OP. Case closed

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[CRM114]

Originally Posted by Amochosto

It’s got to be the Rolex of 1914 the wach that started the entire process of moving men from wearing pocket watches to wrist watches. First wristwatch to earn the class A precision certificate from Kew Observatory which seems to have been a certification process to certify watches were accurate enogh to use for navigation purposes.

I'm not saying the movement from pocket watches to wristwatches wouldnt have happened without these watches, but its undeniable these watches happened to be the moving force behind it.

The moving force behind men accepting/adopting wristwatches rather than pocket watches was WW1. No one brand was "the moving force" behind it, and Rolex didn't figure in significantly at all when it came to officer, trench, and aviator watches, other brands were far more numerous and popular. If one had to pick the single biggest player post war it would have been Cartier.

Rolex has done much in wristwatch history, but inventing or popularizing the wristwatch is not one of them.

[Explorer1nyc]

The sub has gotten more votes than any other watch for Rolex w/ best history - which the op asked about

That's gotta say something, and I don't even own a sub

#2 seems to be the Oyster Perpetual

[Bosbevok]

Has to be the DD called the President because more US presidents, including JFK, have worn one than any other Rolex.

[Burlington]

The sheer diversity of responses is testament to the great job Rolex does in putting their watches in the right places and on the right people

[Skwisgaar]

Originally Posted by Bosbevok

Has to be the DD called the President because more US presidents, including JFK, have worn one than any other Rolex.

That's incorrect. JFK never wore the DD that Monroe gave him... it could have turned scandalous. Eisenhower's Rolex was a DJ. The first President to wear the DD was LBJ. Reagan wore a DJ. Obama wore a Tag until his SS detail gave him a Jorg Gray for his birthday. Clinton and Bush both wore Timex but Clinton was actually very much into watches... he owned Panerai, A. Lange & Sohne, Cartier, etc. But no Rolex.

The President's Watch has been the Vulcaine Cricket since the Truman administration. Eisenhower even did ads for them while he was still active duty. If LBJ was giving you a gift, you could bet it was going to be a Cricket. He once said he "felt somewhat less dressed without it." They are definitely handsome pieces. But I know I would choose a DD in a skinny minute. I suppose a watch that costs only $8k says "Man of the People" a little better than one that costs $36k.

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[GB-man]

Oyster perpetual

[Amochosto]

Originally Posted by CRM114

The moving force behind men accepting/adopting wristwatches rather than pocket watches was WW1. No one brand was "the moving force" behind it, and Rolex didn't figure in significantly at all when it came to officer, trench, and aviator watches, other brands were far more numerous and popular. If one had to pick the single biggest player post war it would have been Cartier.

Rolex has done much in wristwatch history, but inventing or popularizing the wristwatch is not one of them.

I read an article that was much more promotional about Rolex being the driving force of wristwatch use, and yes I did know WWI played a significant role. I guess I should have been more skeptical of the claims. In any case after reading a bit more about points you made, I still think the early high accuracy Rolex wrist watches rank near or ahead the OP as the Rolex watches with the most important history.

[Watch Explorer]

Originally Posted by Amochosto

I read an article that was much more promotional about Rolex being the driving force of wristwatch use, and yes I did know WWI played a significant role. I guess I should have been more skeptical of the claims. In any case after reading a bit more about points you made, I still think the early high accuracy Rolex wrist watches rank near or ahead the OP as the Rolex watches with the most important history.

The OP has a well rounded history, from historical innovation to exploration and feats of endurance.

[Krash]

I think Date Justs and Day Dates have a quite a history. Personally, I prefer a Submariner, but there is a long list of world leaders that wore DateJusts or Day Dates; including every President from Eisenhower through to Bush Sr. (i.e., Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr). Winston Churchill also wore one, and I'd guess other British Prime Ministers wore one too...I just don't know for sure.

You could also make a case for the OP, which basically started it all...You can trace the lineage of every watch in the Rolex product line back to the OP. I'd rank the Sub, GMT, and Daytona behind the DayDates/DateJusts and OP, but all have a great history.

[Khans14]

Datejust —— Patrick Bateman.

[McLovin]

The King Midas — Elvis

[puckbw11]

Most history — Ouster perpetual (first watch to top Everest) or the darkest. First automatic changing date.

Explorer has a made up story (I love it regardless).

Sub is great but the Bond stuff is meh.

GMT is wonderful, and has some history with PANAM.


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[Watch Explorer]

Sub and OP are getting the most nods

[Daytonaman799]

They all have so much history that you can’t say one model over another. The President which started its legacy with LBJ. The SeaDweller and COMEX. The Milsibs and the stories they can tell. The GMT and all those that wore them. The Daytona and it’s legacy with racing, especially in the past few years.

[kegan]

Passenger Jet service shrunk the world by half almost overnight. The watch that was literally spawned from this era of history gets my vote

[UnicoJG]

It’s hard to say which Rolex model has the best history since it’s a matter of opinion.
Personally, my history favorites are: Datejust, Submariner and GMT.

[AK797]

Mine own history with a watch is more important.