Interesting. I have never seen this claim before, was it only in Italy?

But, I don't think they are referencing Hermann Aegler's birthday? That was on 24 of May, 1874.

Rolex, or maybe it was only their online fanboys, have said they invented the oyster case and screw-down crown, when in fact they didn't, it was done by a third party and they just bought the patent.

In any case, I am ambivilent towards Rolex. In my opinion they make a lot of nice watches, but their marketing and sales practices are repulsive to me, and seem to attract buyers who can be completely insufferable. And no, they are not the pinancle of watchmaking that some people make them out to be, nor are they rare (that is all marketing b*llsh*t).

 

I meant the birth of the Aegler ebauches factory which dates back to 1878. Aegler supplied the movements to Rolex and, as happened with the Oyster Watch Co., at a certain point Rolex also bought Aegler.

In a certain sense it is the same game as Perseo who writes in the logo from 1793 but in reality that is the year of Cortébert's birth. Perseo was the name under which Cortebert sold his watches in Italy since during the twenty years of fascism Dux Mussolini prohibited the use of foreign terms. This regulation, once the fascist regime fell, took decades to disappear from all the municipalities of Italy. For example, the master director Dario Argento wanted to call his daughter Asia but the municipality of Rome (in 1975) did not accept it because it is the name of a continent not in Italy so he had to register her as Aria...

Beautiful lady and talented actress, Asia (Aria) Argento OT end.

 

It would make sense if Rolex published that advertisement after purchasing Aegler Uhrenfabrik in around 1914 (which was then renamed Aegler SA, Rolex Watch Company). It's not so much of a lie, more a slight exageration. Yes, the company that made the movements was founded in that year, which Rolex had purchased. It is also easy to look back on business practices from 100+ years ago with a modern eye and condemn them, where as how do we know this was not common business practice ?

It's not unlike some of the companies today that buy the rights to a watch brand and start producing watches under that name, while also claiming a history dating back to the 1800s.. it's simply not true, but they still do it.

Even Blancpain did this!

 

You've perfectly understood and i totally agree with you.