The Mother of Rolex Brand Ambassadors Mercedes Gleitze | Bob's Watches

In this video, we will discuss legendary swimmer and Rolex ambassador Mercedes Gleitze. Shop certified pre-owned Rolex watches here: https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex/

If you’d like to learn more about Gleitze and her connection to Rolex, including the history of the first waterproof wristwatch, click here: https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blo...

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate an accomplished woman and Rolex ambassador, Mercedes Gleitze. The Mother of three was a decorated professional swimmer, holding the title of the first person to swim to Robben Island and back to Cape Town, the first person to swim the Straights of Gibraltar, and the first English woman to swim the English Channel. As if that weren’t impressive enough, Mercedes also set an endurance record of 46 hours in 1932.

Mercedes Gleitze was sponsored during many of her swimming endeavors, which afforded her to open the Mercedes Gleitze Home in 1933 in Leicester for homeless families. Through her philanthropy and incredible swimming talent, Gleitze has since become an absolute legend that Rolex still proudly includes in their marketing materials several decades later.

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The Rolex and Gleitze Partnership

As the story goes, Mercedes became the first English woman to successfully swim the English Channel on October 7th, 1927. The incredible feat officially took place during her 8th attempt. It ultimately came into question when another woman named Mona McLennan claimed to have swum the English Channel much faster than Gleitze.

McLennan eventually recanted her claim. However, the validity of Gleitze’s first attempt was already tarnished. To vindicate herself, Gleitze agreed to complete the swim again in what would become a highly publicized “vindication swim.”

Her story caught the attention of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, who had just invented the waterproof Oyster case a year prior, in 1926. The opportunity to advertise his innovative waterproof wristwatch during Mercedes Gleitze’s next buzzworthy attempt at swimming the English Channel was not lost on him, and he sent her a Rolex Oyster.

The Rolex Oyster Swims the English Channel

Mercedes wore the watch on a ribbon around her neck during her 9th attempt at swimming the English Channel on October 27th, 1927. She spent ten hours in the water that day, which reached temperatures as low as 51 degrees. Despite these conditions, the Rolex Oyster endured and continued to read true, even after she was pulled from the waters after only making it 14 of the 21 miles it takes to swim the entire channel.

The waters were much colder that day than her original successful attempt a few weeks prior. Mercedes slipped in and out of consciousness, and she was ultimately pulled from the water into an accompanying boat. While her vindication swim did not prove successful, officials agreed that her title as the first English woman to swim the channel still stood.

It didn’t take Rolex long to advertise the Oyster watch’s presence during Gleitze’s second swim. The company proudly touted the accomplishment on the front page of London’s Daily Mail just a few weeks later, on November 24th, 1927. To this day, Rolex still includes Mercedes’ feat in their advertising and marketing materials.

The First Rolex Ambassador

In addition to becoming the first English woman to swim the English Channel, Mercedes also became the first Rolex ambassador in what would eventually blossom into an impressive roster of accomplished athletes and explorers. Hans Wilsdorf was a marketing master and recognized the brilliance of partnering with some of the world’s most exceptional adventurers to demonstrate the durability and innovativeness of each of his timepieces.

The Rolex Oyster was developed during a time when most opted for pocket watches. The technology had not yet been perfected to offer a wristwatch that could withstand water damage and dust. That all changed when Wilsdorf created the Oyster case, complete with a hermetic seal via a screw-down crown, bezel, and case back.

Today, nearly every Rolex timepiece utilizes the waterproof Oyster case. It laid the foundation for some of the world’s most iconic and beloved tool watches, including the Submariner, GMT Master, and Explorer II.

It isn’t known for sure which edition of the Rolex Oyster Mercedes wore around her neck during her vindication swim. At the time, the collection included four variants featuring either a gold or silver finish, cushion or octagonal shaped case, and either Roman numeral or Arabic hour markers on the dial. Each watch was powered by a 15-jewel Aegler movement and included the newly-invented waterproof case.