Mercedes and her pangs

On a dank night, at 2:55 on Oct. 7, 1927, Miss Mercedes Gleitze, a London typist, entered dark, cold and covered with a mist channel waters. The dawn has not even glimmered... No, this is not the beginning of an unknown novel by Agatha Christie. I the events described took place not in the twilight of Venice, but on the northern coast of France, near Cape Gris-Nez. Mercedes was standing in English Channel water, at a distance of 22 nautical miles from the eastern tip of Albion. She was not going to end her life, but only wanted to swim to her native shore. Well, meanwhile, a courageous 26-year-old Englishwoman is struggling with the elements, heading for Dover. This is her eighth attempt; the previous seven have not been successful, although a great swimmer was preparing for the swim for a long time, training at the spa resort of Brighton. It seems today she will also fail, the weather is too unsuitable. At times visibility falls to five yards, and a fishing boat accompanying Miss Gleitze from Folkestone is forced to constantly honk, to warn ships, lively scurrying through the channel. The water temperature throughout the route does not exceed 15,5 ° C. At times, forces leave a young woman, and then a coach Mr Allan, sitting in the boat, gives her grapes, honey, strong tea and cocoa. At one point, Mercedes almost goes under a passing by ship; she suffers from pain throughout the body and is close to exhaustion. Yet after 15 hours and 15 minutes after the swim, her foot touches her native land, or rather cretaceous sediments at the bottom of the Gulf of St. Margaret. The watch shows 18:10. Mercedes became the twelfth swimmer, the third woman and the first Englishwoman to swim across the English Channel.

Here we should worth note that, as a rule, these heats are planned for a warm and quiet August. History is silent why Mercedes launched in October. Probably the summer of 1927 still faced one or two of her failed attempts. But she still cannot fully enjoy the victory gained over nature, she goes to the shore, and losing consciousness, falls to the hands of Allan and a boat captain, Harry Shart junior. During the two hours that the boat carries her in Folkestone, Mercedes still cannot recover. Even having woken up, she cannot respond to the tumultuous welcome from a large crowd that gathered at the fish market. Miss Gleitze takes a taxi and, despite the late hour, immediately departs for London.

However, in subsequent days Mercedes will not repose on her laurels. Already on October 11, Dr. Dorothy Cochrane Logan will swim English Channel for 13 hours and 10 minutes, and thus set a new record for women. However, Logan's record causes some suspicion, because this is the second women's record in less than a week. Under the pressure of allegations, Dorothy admits she deceived the public and her entire swim was a continuous deception. And then, by association, Gleitze's result also falls under suspicion.

A sad and hurt record holder is left with no choice but to say: "Well, I'll do it again." Retrying is appointed on October 21 and receives the name of "Acquittal swim". This whole story is widely covered with the island's media, and someone named Hans Wilsdorf, a German-born watchmaker from London, the head of the young company Rolex knows about it. Wilsdorf immediately understands that the upcoming swim is a good excuse for an advertising campaign for the first waterproof watch he patented a year ago. And on October 14, Mercedes receives a letter, which requested her to take a generous gift - Rolex Oyster watch. True, the gift was not entirely selfless, Wilsdorf confronts Miss Gleitze a condition: the watch should be on her during an upcoming "flattering swim", after which the master would like to receive a report on its work. The second France-England swim started through already charted route, from Cape Gris-Nez at 4:21 am. At this time the fog was practically not observed, and a whole flotilla of boats with journalists, friends and fans was floating around Mercedes. However, the water temperature was between one and three degrees lower than two weeks ago, and at times even fell to 10,5 ° C. It soon became clear that Mercedes was swimming on the top limit of her physical abilities. Accompanying people cheered her with all their strength, singing songs, playing guitars ... Many publications, including a thick illustrated history of Rolex, told us that the swim was completed heroically and victoriously. Unfortunately, only the first of the two epithets is true, over the years, the truth about this swim was a little embellished. In fact, almost since the very beginning, Mercedes experienced severe pain from ice water and completely lost sensitivity, but was not going to surrender. At 14:25, seven miles from the coast of England, the swimmer started falling into a coma and after another 20 minutes allowed lifting herself to the board of one ship. However, reaction of spectators, reporters and doctors affected by her stamina and ability to resist treacherous cold for ten and a half hours became a consolation for Mercedes. And now no one already doubted the swim that happened two weeks ago - was not a fiction. Times reporter even made a very startling discovery: on Mercedes's neck, he found a ribbon with small gold watch, which did not suffer from a long swim and continued showing the exact time.

That's the whole story that marked the beginning of the legend of how Miss Gleitze crossed the English Channel for 15 hours and 15 minutes, with Rolex Oyster watch on her wrist. And the lore is not too far from reality, which is further confirmed by Mercedes's letter, sent to Rolex on October 25 1927: "You'll be glad to hear that Rolex Oyster watch I wore while swimming across the channel, was a reliable and accurate companion, considering the fact it was subjected to full immersion in cold sea water for many hours, not to mention continuous strikes it experienced.

Even after I got in a hot boat's cockpit, it did lose accuracy movement. A newsboy was surprised, and I am certainly delighted with it ...». According to some reports, Rolex Oyster, belonged to Gleitze, was preserved and sold by her heirs for 17 000 pounds at a London auction not so long ago. An "acquittal swim" led the beginning of one of the most successful Rolex advertising campaigns for almost all its long history. On November 24 1927, Daily Mail front page was given to a picture of smiling Mercedes and a huge headline saying «ROLEX OYSTER - amazing watch, challenging the elements. Protected from moisture, water, heat, vibration, cold and dust". Then there came a story about Miss Gleitze's swim and results of her watch's examination, mechanism had no even the slightest traces of moisture and corrosion. Advertising cost amounted a very considerable sum for those times - 1600 pounds. But advertising turned being invaluable, as Wilsdorf recalled, "it was the first triumph sunrise of Rolex Oyster glory». One of the most popular and cult Rolex models is still available today. After a couple of years, "Oyster" acquired self-winding, calendar, rotating bezel, and another title - Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust. There is a widespread belief that the entire present-day Rolex image - this Mercedes of watch industry - was formed due to a successful advertising. This is partly true, but who prevented competitors from using the same weapon? The worldwide Rolex success is based not only on sound advertising and constant quality of watches, but also revolutionary technical solutions. Perhaps, many of the ideas implemented in Rolex watches have been hovering in the air since log ago, but this particular brand always had a rare ability to organize a breakthrough "at the right time and in the right place".

Insight Wilsdorf

The company's success started since mass production of watches, deployed around since 1905, under the "sign" Wilsdorf & Davis (Rolex brand name was registered July 2, 1908). By that time, people already knew many watches, ranging from creations of Abraham-Louis Breguet and ending with early experiments of Louis Cartier. But only Rolex went the right way: not only supplied pocket watch with a fastening strap, but also made an order to manufacture new miniature machinery to a Swiss factory Herman Aegler, and the amount of the order amounted to several hundred thousand Swiss francs.
Wilsdorf's instinct helped him discerning a huge commercial potential in a wristwatch - a toy for young dandies and sports enthusiasts, rejected by general public. And in 1906, a new invention came to help wristwatch - stretchy metal bracelet. A practical and convenient accessory very quickly found its way to consumers' hearts and became one of essential male decorative attributes, along with a pin for the tie and boutonniere in a lapel. Following a technocratic XX century, in 1910, Rolex obtains a Bureaux Suisses certificate for a 25-millimeter mechanism of the first wrist chronometer. In 1914, after a number of improvements, this mechanism comes to British Kew Observatory experts. Testing lasted 45 days, the watch was tested in five different positions and in a wide range of temperatures, from cold to incredible heat. The result - another prestigious "A" class certificate. By 1924, the sizes of a mechanism were reduced to a mere 13.5 millimeters. Thus, in mid-1920's, in an era of record-breaking women's swim across the Channel, Rolex produces nearly a perfect watch. Except for one minor fault - water insecurity. By Wilsdorf's thought, mass distribution of watches and more dynamic style of life demanded development of waterproof construction long ago. The task of creating a watertight hull was by that time successfully solved. At the end of the First World War Borgel case with a dull back cover was patented. To access the watch's mechanism, one was required to remove the crown and unscrew bezel. Those were shells used in Rolex models. In early 1920, a Swiss craftsman Francis Baumgartner perfected this design. Its body had a central ring with bilateral carving. Mechanism is inserted into a ring, and then the upper and lower watch lids are screwed from both sides. The case was pressurized, but the moisture seep through inadequate seal of the crown. However, in 1925, two Swiss craftsmen, Paul Perregaux and Georges Pere, invented a screwed crown, allowing providing water resistance of this site. Thus, Rolex had all prerequisites to create a watch "defying the elements". Wilsdorf had only to hold talks with the Swiss and patent their design in England, which happened on Oct. 18, 1926. Thus, Rolex Oyster watch was born. We give at least two explanations for a model's strange name. According to the first, Wilsdorf perpetuated the difficulties he experienced at a dinner party while opening some very gnarly oyster. According to another version, Wilsdorf uttered the following: "Like oyster, watch may be kept in water indefinitely, before it gets injuries." Both versions are quite strained. However, it is possible that a craftsman's plan consisted in it: the behavior of a mollusk in its element must be supported by gastronomic manifestation of an oyster, its persistent reputation as an exquisite cuisine. Say what you like, but Wilsdorf brilliantly demonstrated the depth of his creative approach by inventing meaningless, but nevertheless unusually sonorous and significant name - Rolex.

The search for eternal and conqueror of Everest - Sir Edmund Hillary

The great brand's haters may say that Rolex, in fact, is the only Wilsdorf's contribution to watchmaking art development. In any case, Rolex Oyster's mechanism has nothing that can be stored on a personal Rolex account. It would be a snap to reply to such accusations: Wilsdorf's talent lays in a completely different field - he was an outstanding manager, was able to see and anticipate primary tasks and find optimal solutions. But why should we answer, when Rolex royal position and the level of its production eliminate the slightest need for any additional arguments. It is difficult to achieve absolute perfection in watchmaking craft, and as victorious Rolex Oyster spread was developing, there appeared doubts in its complete invulnerability. The fact is that the crown was tight only in a twisted, non-operating position, but watch should also be started from time to time. One needed to ensure a reliable head fixation when immersed in water, and screw joint still got slightly worn due to a constant screwing.
To leave head alone, Rolex manufactures a watch with a rotary automatic winding mechanism - Rolex Oyster Perpetual, - patented in 1931 and soon became available for sale. And again, the priority of Rolex can be easily suspected: in the end, in 1924 the patent for the wrist "machine" was obtained by an Englishman John Harwood. Even in 1929, Harwood launched his watch under a simply calling name - Perpetual Selfwinding Watch. Well, all right, the quality of Harwood's Perpetual was greatly inferior to Rolex Perpetual, and reliability of the latter, too, was significantly higher, that allowed a historical model living up to our days without much change. Finally, it's Rolex Oyster watch that Sir Malcolm Campbell wore while taking run up to 485 km / hour in a car-record Bluebird, Sir Edmund Hillary checked time with it on the top of Everest, at an altitude of 8848 meters above sea level, and Jacques Piccard took it to the bottom of Mariana Trench, at a depth of 10,916 feet ... However, it seems that Rolex is most obliged not to all these heroes and their phenomenal achievements, but a history of a failed Mercedes Gleitze's swim.