JOURNAL ARTICLE

Rolex Used in a Historic Swim to Resurface at Sotheby's Auction.

  • Published In: Bloomberg.com, 2025. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Catelli, Allegra 3 of 3

Abstract

The article discusses the upcoming auction of a Rolex watch worn by Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel, which is expected to fetch over $1.3 million at Sotheby's on November 9 in Geneva. The Rolex Oyster, recognized as the world's first practical waterproof wristwatch, played a significant role in establishing Rolex's reputation for stylish and innovative timepieces. Gleitze's historic swim in 1927, despite being overshadowed by a rival claim, led to a pivotal marketing strategy for Rolex, which has since sponsored numerous prominent athletes. The auction will also serve as a test for the vintage watch market, which has seen fluctuating prices in recent years. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Bloomberg.com. 2025/10, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • Accession Number:188457235
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Bloomberg.com is the property of Bloomberg, L.P. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.