A timepiece distribution company was founded in London in 1905 by a 24 year old Hans Wilsdorf. It was with the birth of this company that he started to dream of a timepiece that would be born on the wrist, and still be elegant and reliable. Three years later, he chose the name Rolex for his company, due to the fact that it looked good on watch movements and dials, as well as being short and easy to say and remember in any language. In 1910 the company developed the first wristwatch to be granted the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne. It was nine years later that they moved to Geneva, the watchmaking capital.
After another seven years, they created the first waterproof and dustproof watch - called the Oyster, because it was said to be an impenetrable as an oyster. This piece is now the standard which almost all sports watches are measured against. In 1931, the company made another huge breakthrough, with the development of the Perpetual self-winding watch mechanism; which they perfected an patented. This mechanism uses a semicircular rotor weight that winds the watch using wrist movement by pivoting around its axis. This development enabled the introduction of the Oyster Perpetual, which was small enough to be worn on the wrist while requiring no winding and being impervious to the elements. It is this type of ingenuity and forward-thinking that has given the company such an amazing reputation, and why it is still one of the most respected brand names in timepieces, today.
The original Rolex New Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II, with a case size of 44mm - a timepiece that reflects the spirit of the Oyster watches - was first introduced in March of 2010, and made of yellow and white gold. A year later, they began to offer it in steel and everose gold. This watch uses a movement that was specifically designed for it - the 4161 Movement. This is a chronograph movement and offers a 10 minute countdown mechanism - a complication designed primarily for regattas and the precise timing that they require - and a 72 hour power reserve. It is made up of 360 parts and took nearly 4 years to create. The countdown mechanism is locked and unlocked by twisting the bezel 90 degrees, and was one of the first pieces to have a bezel that worked in conjunction with the movement.
In 2013, the Rolex Yacht-Master II was launched at the annual Baselworld international watch and jewellery show in a 904L stainless steel case with a Cerachrom bezel INSERT IGNORE in sea-blue ceramic, which perfects the Yacht-Master II's easy-to-read functionality. The resultant watch is white with red and blue accents.
