The Story of Rolex
This video tells the story of Hans Wilsdorf and how he built the biggest watch empire, Rolex. In the early 1900s, wristwatches were not very good. Men used pocket watches. Hans Wilsdorf saw that wristwatches could be better.
Hans Wilsdorf lost his parents when he was young. He learned to be strong and smart. He was good at mathematics and languages. At 19, he started working in the watch trade in Switzerland. He learned how watches were sold.
In 1905, Hans Wilsdorf started his own company in London. He imported parts for watches from Switzerland and put them in cases. He sold these watches to jewelers. He wanted a special name for his watches. In 1908, he chose the name Rolex.
Rolex watches became very accurate. In 1910 and 1914, Rolex wristwatches got special awards for being very accurate. This was new for wristwatches.
In 1926, Rolex made a new watch case called the Oyster. This case stopped water and dust from coming in. A swimmer, Mercedes Gleitze, wore a Rolex Oyster watch when she swam across the English Channel. The watch still worked after her swim. This showed that Rolex watches were strong.
Hans Wilsdorf wanted Rolex to be successful forever. He put the company in a special foundation in 1945. This made sure Rolex would always make good watches. Rolex is now a very famous and successful watch empire.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| biggest | /BIG-est/ | The largest. | No specific sentence found in the transcript. |
| watch | /WATCH/ | A device that tells time. | This billion-dollar watch empire didn’t |
| empire | /EM-py-uh/ | A large business. | This billion-dollar watch empire didn’t |
| wristwatches | /RIST-WATCH-iz/ | Watches worn on the wrist. | No specific sentence found in the transcript. |
| pocket watches | /POK-it WATCH-iz/ | Watches kept in a pocket. | exported pocket watches across Europe. |
| mathematics | /MATH/ | Study of numbers. | in mathematics and languages, practical |
| languages | /LANG-gwij-iz/ | Systems of words used to communicate. | in mathematics and languages, practical |
| trade | /TRAD/ | Buying and selling things. | trade networks built on borders and |
| company | /KOM-puh-nee/ | A business. | had no company yet, no signature |
| name | /NAIM/ | A word that identifies something. | [music] and that controlling the name |
| accurate | /AK-yuh-ruht/ | Correct or precise. | were assumed to be less accurate than |
| fragile | /FRAJ-il/ | Easily broken. | watches [music] were fragile, |
| unreliable | /un-ri-LY-uh-bul/ | Not able to be trusted. | unreliable, and treated as women’s |
| precision | /pri-SIZH-un/ | The quality of being exact. | watches. Precision belonged in |
| foundation | /foun-DAY-shun/ | A group that uses money for good causes. | would be the foundation of everything he |
Vocabulary Flashcards
Lexical Focus: Collocations & Chunks
Don’t just learn isolated words—learn chunks of language. These patterns will help you speak more naturally.
- watch empireNoun PhraseHans Wilsdorf built a big watch empire.
- early 1900sNoun PhraseIn the early 1900s, wristwatches were not popular.
- pocket watchesNoun PhraseSerious men carried pocket watches.
- saw something differentVerb PhraseHans Wilsdorf saw something different about wristwatches.
- learn to functionVerb PhraseHe learned to function without security.
- practical skillsNoun PhraseHe learned practical skills like mathematics and languages.
- trade routesNoun PhraseBritain controlled trade routes.
- customer relationshipNoun PhraseRetailers controlled the customer relationship.
- long-term recognitionNoun PhraseNo one was building long-term recognition for watches.
- stand aloneVerb PhraseThe name had to be distinctive enough to stand alone.
De-chunking
1. Hans Wilsdorf built a big .
2. In the , people did not like wristwatches.
3. Men used to carry .
4. Hans Wilsdorf had for business.
5. Rolex has strong .
While Viewing Tasks
Guided Notes: Fill in the Gaps
Complete the sentences with words from the video.
1. Hans Wilsdorf built a big empire.
2. In the early 1900s, were not very .
3. Hans Wilsdorf was good at and .
4. He chose the name in 1908.
5. Rolex watches became very .
True or False
Decide if the statements are True or False.
1. Wristwatches were popular with men in the early 1900s.
True False
2. Hans Wilsdorf lost his parents when he was young.
True False
3. Rolex watches were not accurate at first.
True False
4. The Oyster case was designed to protect the watch from water and dust.
True False
5. Hans Wilsdorf’s company is still owned by his family today.
True False
Checklist
Check these items as you watch the video.
Embedded Video:
Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Hans Wilsdorf built a billion dollar empire.
2. In the early 1900s, were and unreliable.
3. Serious men carried , not .
4. Hans Wilsdorf something .
5. He learned and at boarding .
6. At 19, he entered the trade in .
7. He learned how moved through .
8. In 1905, Wilsdorf founded a small in London.
9. He partnered with specialist Swiss movement .
10. He searched for a before he built the .
11. In 1908, he registered the .
12. Rolex became very and received .
13. In 1926, Rolex introduced the Oyster design.
14. Mercedes Gleitze wore a Rolex Oyster during her across the English .
15. In 1945, Wilsdorf transferred ownership to the Hans Wilsdorf .
Vocabulary Quiz
Fact or Fiction Quiz
Extension Activities
Individual Activity Easy
Draw your favorite watch or what you think a Rolex watch looks like.
Pair Activity Medium
Talk with a friend: Why do people like to wear watches? Is it for telling time or something else?
Group Activity Hard
Discuss as a group: Is it important for a company to have a special name like Rolex? Why or why not?