A History of Women’s Rolex Watches
It is a misconception that the world of luxury watches is a man’s one, as the first recorded wristwatch was actually designed for a woman. In June 1810, Abraham-Louis Breguet made a watch for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples. For many decades, women have proudly worn Rolex watches and have been integral to the brand’s success.
The Rolex Oyster: Mercedes Gleitze
In 1927, Rolex made history with their very first waterproof wristwatch, the Rolex Oyster. The watch was put through its paces on the wrist of the female swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, who swam the length of the English Channel. Rolex published an article in the Daily Mail celebrating the trip and this made the Rolex Oyster famous for its dependability.
The Rolex Datejust
Although when launched in 1945, the Datejust was designed for men, over the next 10 years Rolex created a variety of models suitable for women. The Datejust was the first self-winding wrist watch to display the date on the dial, and still remains to be one of the most popular watches in the Rolex Oyster collection. In 1957, Rolex unveiled the Lady-Datejust: the first official ladies’ version of the date chronometer. This still contains the same iconic features, but its smaller size is more suited for a slimmer wrist. Whether a diamond encrusted, chocolate everose gold Datejust 31 or a sleek Lady-Datejust 28 in platinum, there’s a variation of the Datejust to suit every taste.
The Rolex Day-Date
As Rolex continued to innovate, the range of watches available to women continued to grow. In 1956 the Day-Date was born. It was the first wristwatch to indicate both the date and the day of the week, spelt in full, on the dial. This elegant, yet practical timepiece has since been the watch of choice for influential men and women across the world.
The Pearlmaster
1992 saw the launch of the Pearlmaster, a new version of the Rolex Lady-Datejust described today as Rolex’s “crowning jewellery watch”. Available in 18ct yellow, white or everose gold and finished with a circle of precious gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires or rubies, the Pearlmaster really is the epitome of the jewellery watch. Today, Rolex offers a stunning array of Pearlmaster variations with exquisite dials and intricate details.
Over the years, Rolex has built up a stunning range of ladies’ watches to choose from. Whether a watch for every day, or something save for special occasions, there’ll be something to suit you. Here at Cuttings, we often have stunning ladies’ timepieces in stock. Take a look on our website or pop in to one of our branches to find out more.