The Rolex Wristwatch
Like many things in menswear, the wristwatch can trace its ancestry back to military roots. Before the events of World War I, men would wear elegant watches attached to a chain in their pockets, however, after the events of summer 1914, this impractical accessory was quickly ousted as trenched soldiers began to affix their incumbent timepieces onto their wrist in favor of practicability and survival.
Despite modern advancements, this bond between the military and the wristwatch continues to this day, from flieger chronometers to the left-handed frogmen-spec dive-watch, these precision timing instruments could be found in all branches of the military around the world.
Amongst the plethora of watch makers in the world today, the comradery between Rolex and the military is one of the strongest. During World War II, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf spearheaded a scheme offering to replace all watches confiscated from captured British POWs and to defer all payments until the end of the war.
It is through this initiative that POW Corporal Clive Nutting was able to obtain the timing device necessary to organize the 1944 mass escape of commonwealth POWs from the German war camp Stalag Luft III.
To read more about Rolex’s involvement in WW2, check out TimeZone’s superbly well researched two-part feature. It’s a fantastic read.
