The story of Rolex began in 1908, the year that Hans Wilsdorf coined a distinctive word to apply to the dials of Aegler watches he was distributing in Great Britain.  An entrepreneur who keenly perceived the future of the wristwatch, Wilsdorf envisioned a high quality movement protected within a truly water-resistant case.  The creation of the revolutionary "Oyster" case in 1926 and the debut of the Perpetual rotor in 1931 cemented the brand image of Rolex, whose timepieces rapidly gained a reputation for both durability and precision.  Through the ensuing decades, Rolex would introduce Oyster Perpetual watches whose names became the stuff of modern legend--models such as the Datejust, the Submariner, and the Daytona Cosmograph.  From a horological viewpoint, the brand is one of the world's most self-sufficient manufactures, producing everything from an entire family of movements, to their own gold alloys. Shielded beneath the green glass of Rolex's state-of-the-art watchmaking facilities, the most advanced technology is continually optimized to create products whose engineering leaves nothing to chance. Rolex enjoys unique independence in the luxury watch industry: under the aegis of the Wilsdorf Foundation, Rolex has the ability to develop itself unfettered by shareholders, pursuing unrestrained horological innovation, as well as a diverse range of charitable projects in the arts and humanities, science, and the environment.  By funding the construction of watchmaking schools around the world, Rolex also plays a major role in ensuring that a time-honored craft will thrive into future generations.