Today, I will be speaking about the history of the ever popular Rotary Watch Company and how they have affected the UK market.
The Rotary Watch Company was founded back in 1895 by Moise Dreyfuss in the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Dreyfuss wanted to make high quality watches that would last for generations. As the brand was developed, he definitely fulfilled these goals and the Rotary Watch Company soon became a popular and reputable watch brand.
As the Rotary Watch Company grew, Dreyfuss decided to enter the UK market and opened an office here. They would import Rotary Watch Company watches from Switzerland and sell them to the British market, where they were very warmly received.
In 1925, they decided to brand the watches with their iconic “winged wheel” logo. This logo has been an identifying feature of Rotary Watch Company watches ever since and you will see this logo on new watches that are made today.
Even though the Rotary Watch Company had its origins in Switzerland, their watches soon became even more popular in the UK and they therefore decided to make the UK their official head office.
Over the years, as their watches became even more popular, the Rotary Watch Company was at the forefront of watch manufacturing and continuously introduced new innovations and features to the world market.
In 1934, they introduced the widely acclaimed and incredibly popular shockproof watch, which sold out within days. They were eventually commissioned by the British Army in 1940 to supply shockproof watches for troops.
As the years passed, the British public would look forward to the Rotary Watch Company’s range of specialist watches that would be introduced on a regular basis. Examples of these include their non-magnetic watches and their automatic watches which was powered by the movement of the wearer.
In the 1950s, the Rotary Watch Company changed their strategy to produce luxury watches for both the ladies’ and mens’ markets. This proved to be highly successful, despite the growing competition.
The 1960s saw the Rotary Watch Company using innovative technologies in their watches, making them the most state-of-the-art watch manufacturer in Britain at the time.
Then, in 1973, they launched their first quartz watch, which featured never before seen electronic oscillator technology and they went on the become the official sponsor of British Racing Motors in Formula 1.
In the 80s, Robert Dreyfuss, a 4th generation family member joined the team and continued to take the company to new heights.
In the early 2000s, the company made some changes and moved their offices to Elm Street in London. This was a good move as they were selling their iconic watches throughout the world and needed new and more glamorous headquarters.
The Rotary Watch Company has been recognized several times in the UK for their contribution to their field of expertise. In 2006, it was awarded Superbrand status, confirming that their watches are of superior quality, unique and reliable.
In the same year, the Rotary Watch Company also launched their new Rotary Round Revelation technology and they are continuously innovating with new lines and special edition watches.
Even though the Rotary Watch Company has seen a number of changes over the years, they continue to be a watch company that is dedicated to beautifully-crafted and robust timepieces that are loved by loyal customers the world over.
As you can see, the Rotary Watch Company has made a huge impression on the UK market since their entry almost 100 years ago.
We look forward to what the future holds for this well-loved watch manufacturer and continue to enjoy their new creations.
Times Ticking has been in operation for more than 30 years, since 1982. We have performed watch repair for customers both locally and internationally. If it Ticks! We KNOW it! Our team of watch repair technicians have a combined experience in watchmaking of over 120 years.
