The Orphan Boy Who Created Rolex 

EVERY FAMILY HAS A PERSON WHO BREAKS THE CHAIN OF POVERTY. I PRAY YOU BECOME THAT PERSON. LEARN TO INVEST AND KEEP INVESTING UNTIL IT BECOMES A HABIT.

I have 1972 oysters perpetual that originally belonged to my father,He passed onto to me as hi-school graduation present in 81. Even since it is on my wrist every day, I was fortunate enough to buy couple of another one later in life but ‘72 is very special to me. I’m wearing every single day with amazement that 50 years old watch never skip the ticking, still accurate enough ( gets behind 2~3min a month), jubilee band fits so snugly yet securely, it reminds me of my youth and fantastic father I had. I miss him…

His true genius was the Wilsdorf foundation and given them 100% ownership of Rolex. Now they never have to pay taxes again. Incredibly smart and what a legacy to his wife and to himself.

"Follow Your Passion" One of the hardest steps in doing this is not letting the ones that You Love change Your mind...

I'm not sure why there is a need to perpetuate the belief that Hans Hanswildorf was some disadvantaged orphan. His parents passed away but he was cared for by his wealthy family. He was given an elite education. It's not like he crawled off the dirt streets of Mogadishu and put Rolex together after a leprosy induced feverish dream.

Good for Hans, passion, patience and creativity all served him well, then to leave it all to a charitable foundation. This was a man of high integrity.

I've worked hard for a company for 25 years and still am not going any further with my life and then you come across stories like this is just amazing 🤩

This guy had wealthy help, great ethics. Smart business tactics.

What an innovator, and a brilliant businessman! This is one of the best entrepreneurial stories I've ever heard.

Every generation has it's own Steve Jobses. People who disrupt an entire industry with new ways of building products. Hans was one of them.

Hollywood should make a movie about him and Rolex!

Really inspiring story, hats off to the narrator who done his job well

Tremendous man..! My Rolex Sea Dweller DRSD 1974 is 50 years old and is like new...works perfectly. it changed colour from white to Pumpkin by the years. Beautifull vintage collector example

Amazing true story! Passion, determination, discipline and hard work. Love it.

A marvelous inventor who overcame all disadvantage and became a legend by sheer effort and dedication.

Wow this compelling story has inspired me to work hard for anything I wish to achieve. I give many kudos and thanks to Hans for creating the ultimate watch. Man owning the world’s universally beloved watch Rolex would be cool but the problem is that they cost a fortune and they are really hard and rare to find.

3 P's : Passion, perserverance and patience.Thanks for this upload. Very interesting insights. He overcame so many obstacles. He is so so wise. He even takes steps to set up a foundation and legally ensures "greed" will never ever destroy his hard work. Another MOVER and SHAKER

Holy crap, have heard of this company of course all my life. But had no idea of its humble beginnings. Stumbled across this video in my main feed. Pretty cool.

I've actually always been curious myself and an admirer of his work. But never knew his or their story. Thanks for this upload. Very interesting. But great rags to riches story. That's the best earned wealth a person can find financially.

The father of a friend of mine used to be a biker. Many years ago he was at a biker meeting and a man came up to him and wanted to buy his bike (im not gonna lie don’t know how much) and said he would add a watch to the money for his bike. The watch was a Rolex but back then they werent as prestigious as they are today at least when it comes to switzerland. The man who came up to him was the brother of Hans which created rolex. Hans made 3 watches where the rolex symbol was red. One he kept for himself, the other he gave to his brother and the other one idk. However his brother traded the watch and money for my friends father his bike. Today this watch can’t be found anywhere and no matter where he takes it, no one takes their eyes of the watch. I tried find anything about it which I did however there is no price known for this watch and no one at a jewelry can give him a price on that and they all just stand there stunned. Its pretty funny how big and yet so small the world is.

I purchased my first Rolex in 1970, a submariner, for $105, my most recent Rolex, a Daytona for $13,000. This company is doing well.

I have heard many successful stories Of two people meeting at the right time and creating something....TIMELESS What a designer 👏 😍

Very well written script and overall a nicely put together video. Look forward to seeing more good content like this.

This was great! Thank you Hans for creating the iconic Submariner, Daytona, GMT and so many others. You are up there with my other favorite Hans, Hans Metzger who created the Porsche Metzger flat six engine for the GT3 and GT2.

“Inconvenient to reach in your pocket to see the time”. Modern day …. Pulls phone out to see time. 😂

I always wanted one and was very proud when I was able to purchase one. A watch for life.

nice. thanks for putting the effort to make these clips. Good visuals as well.

9:39 It was Kew Observatory, nothing to do with James Bond's gadget man. Another point worth mentioning: until Rolex hit the big time, watches were more often branded by their retailers, the actual makers were just backroom boys beavering away somewhere. Rolex spent lots of efforts on building the brand's reputation, and the brand was reputable enough to get the retailers to sell them without the usual rebranding, and this gradually became the norm in the industry.

I have collected Rolex watches for over 10 years.I love them all and their value has increased over the years.Not meant as an investment but they make bank interest look like crap.

Don't stop Doing inspirational videos like this thanks

The man was a genius well ahead of his time.

Good old days.... 25 years ago, as a (good) student at the Geneva music Conservatory I received some 6.000 swiss francs from Rolex (Hans Wilsdorf Foundation). I Will allways remember that with gratitude!

Love my Rolex Datejust..owned since 1987....

wow! That was quite some history. The real grit, determination and belief in self! And clever business sense.

Very nice content, thank you for your work! Subscribed

This is awesome. No matter the industry. Keep pushing to make the perfect product. Pure genius. Great job on this video

A truly strong and very intelligent man Hans was! I had no clue about Rolex as a company, just how expensive there watches are. After watching this video, I have the utmost respect and admiration to this most brilliant company formed by the excellence of Hans Wilsdorf.

Uma grande história, porém pouco contada entre muitos. Um verdadeiro gênio.

very great work, keep at it with your style of documentary, and what an amazing story

What a wonderful uplifting story! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💙💎

How are you not a big youtuber like your videos are better then most youtubers nowadays

Excellent video. The marketing quote is something I can relate to. 👌

What an inspirational story, great story telling

Thanks. I commend him for getting taller by the indices that were prepared to shrink him. Rolex is not just a brand but full of elegance, beauty and elegance. It kept innovating.

Hans is one of the few people who can make me spend over $10,000 on a wristwatch.

I enjoyed listening to The Story behind The Man. And his continuing influence.... Mine is a 1972 Submariner..!! And I did use it while SCUBA diving..!!

The man is truly remarkable!! I love rolex watches but I have love for the man who started it all too!

Watching this video makes me want to buy Rolex, Kind of the BEST Rolex Ad i've ever seen. Excellent video, thumbs up 👍

We should play a game....let's name all the movies that are featured in this video!

During WW2, Rolex, through the red cross sold watches to officers who were prisoners in Europe. Payment was postponed . The prestige of Rolex was much enhanced when those officers returned home with gratitude that was not kept private.

Absolutely amazing , what a story & how many brands today which were started or invented and they would never see the real success of there inventions and Brands ,

I love stories like these. Very inspirational!!!

Que vídeo incrível, adoro aprender! Espero ansiosamente por mais conteúdos como esse. 😊

Very inspiring story hard work never goes off!

thank you. Great content! Already subscribed!

Inspirational story of a Man whose done great work with his grit & mindset. I will tell this story to other young men of 🇺🇸 to remind them what a man can do with hard work.

This is really the story of how a chance friendship during school. Set a young orphaned child who’d been raised by his extended family, on a pathway to success. Which is why networking is so important.

Some people already talk about the help he had, the advantages he had. So many people with wealth went the other way as well. In the end, it is the path you choose that takes you where you want to go. You will attract the right energy and connections. People notice, people see what you are doing, people will want what you are bringing if it is right to them.

He was very much concern about all the situation of his life made him to find a great Solution of Great Brand 👍👏👌

Keep the great videos coming bro

Thanks for sharing the Rolex story. Excellent production except for one particular element. The historical stock footage brought the story to life but the modern movie footage took the viewer on an uncomfortable ride between eras. Other than this time period distraction, I found your production to be of very high quality. I hope you appreciate my feedback.

That’s amazing. Never knew Rolex was owned by a foundation. That is a very cool bit of new knowledge for me. Thank you!! 👍🏻😎👍🏻

That was one of the most oddly satisfying summaries I've ever watched on RU-vid. Thank you guys for such enrichment. As soon as I finished the video, I hit the subscribe button and made "Big Company" my A channel.

The world was smaller and much simpler back then. Inspiring video.

Excellent work. Just watched several of your vids . All around great. Good dialogue, excellent voice, good background music. I could go on. Okay I will. Great subject knowledge. A pleasure. Thanks

there needs to be a movie about this man

Thank you for your time making these videos..

What a fesinating story of a true character and will. A great motive for a script.

An incredible story and masterfully well put together video. Very well done.

I’m very happy with my Cal. 3135 submariner.. the feel of the Rolex quality is just superb you have to experience it to understand this 👍

I loved the video, excellent, it always continues like this and the channel will grow little by little. Many thanks for sharing this video. I congratulate you.

As mentioned in the video, WWI made wristwatches popular, in part because of Rolex itself. Horatio Alger rags to riches story, nicely done.

To be fair, he didn't really start from nothing. He did attend that expensive boarding school after all, which is definitely a big privilege.

Very interesting and well made. Chapeau!

Wow! I couldn't take my eyes and ear away from this story its very amazing and interesting 🤔

Hard work, patience, timing & publicity are the key

I wouldn't say he "started with nothing". That is inaccurate.

Inspirational story❤

Amazing content! Very informative 🔥🔥🔥

Great video, very informative and surprising...

Very well narrated and interesting story, thank you.

❤incredible story. thank you for sharing.❤

brilliant production super fun keep it up buddy

what i learned from this 🤔 start my charity organization TODAY!

awesome video! (owner of Good Company) cheers!

Wonderful story, Thank you!!

Inspiring. I live in Geneva and I see the Rolex building everyday. I will get one of these to commemorate my work appointment here (which will end in a few years).

I love how Rolex became known for accurate time keeping...... however, nowadays they are known for NOT keeping time very well!!! My Datejust II goes one minute out every day or so, even when constantly kept wound up.

sweet documentary with a lot of things I never knew. I carry a cell phone so its like a pocket watch all over again! Has the time right on the front!

WOW! Good for him....! To over up what stand in your way ..... Keep up the good work!

nice work done. already subscribed your channel. there are few such informative and high quality content channels on you tube really liked your presentation, keep it up and share more the likewise content soon. All the best. regards

I have so much respect for Rolex after this. I will own one me and my kids

Lovely video. Well done pal. 👍

Beautiful story and heritage for the brand. Always pushing the frontier in the industry, innovating and keeping the great quality.

Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, England, the company registered the word 'Rolex' as the brand name of its watches in 1908, and it became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915. Founded: London, United Kingdom; 1905; 117 years ago (Wilsdorf and Davis); 1915 ... Founders: Hans Wilsdorf; Alfred Davis Owner: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Wat a great history lesson i got today i feel like i went too school today !!!!!!!!! ANd this was this mans calling period !

This was a great information share!

A pleasure to watch' you work

I have had several Rolex watches over the years and found they were very serviceable and accurate but not worth the money. Like many "Luxury Brands" they are high quality but 50% of the price is for the name and prestige of owning one.

True proof that with good will and keen training, any orphan boy with rich well-connected parents, private education in sciences and languages, as well as an early taste for capitalism can make it into the world. Inspiring.