We have quite a singular definition of waterproofness.
To us, the airtight quality of our watches is merely a corollary of the expertise with which our entire manufacture produces them, from design to final assembly. Since the creation in 1926 of the Oyster case, the first waterproof case in the world, we have developed multiple innovations that have honed this hallmark.
The Twinlock and Triplock winding crowns, helium escape valve and the Ringlock system have successively perfected our timepieces’ waterproofness and resistance to most all other forms of external aggressors. But, as decisive as they may be, these technical advances are only meaningful because of the airtight culture which governs our entire production chain.
We not only own every aspect of our design and machining, we also acutely control our working environments at every manufacturing step. More precisely, we meticulously check the air purity and humidity level in our every workshop. But hermeticity is also at the core of our storage and assembly methods, as well as in every human hand which, with time and effort, preserves our centennial passion for a job well done. All of this and more explains why we never fret when, at the end of our long production process, we test all our watches in hyperbaric tanks. For the incomparable resistance of your Rolex, to water as to all else, is but the fruit of the diligence with which we do everything, perpetually.
Rolex Watchmaking Know-how