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The Historic Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster Could Fetch $1.3 Million
The waterproof Rolex Oyster worn during Mercedes Gleitze's 1927 swim tested the watch's durability for over 10 hours underwater, proving its engineering, Sotheby's said.
- A Rolex Oyster watch worn by Mercedes Gleitze, who was the pioneering British female swimmer to cross the English Channel in 1927, is set to be auctioned in Geneva on November 9.
- On October 7, 1927, Gleitze completed her eighth attempt at crossing the English Channel, finishing in just over 15 hours, but soon faced skepticism about her achievement that led her to undertake a second swim later that month to prove her record.
- Rolex took advantage of Gleitze’s swim to demonstrate the reliability of their recently developed waterproof Oyster watch, which maintained accurate time after being submerged in cold seawater for over 10 hours, helping establish the wristwatch’s reputation.
- Gleitze endorsed the watch in a handwritten statement on October 25, 1927, saying it proved reliable despite immersion for 10 hours and 24 minutes in water as cold as 51 degrees.
- The auction estimate for the watch is over $1.3 million, reflecting its significance in Rolex history and its role in advancing waterproof tool watches for demanding environments.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
In November, Sotheby's will sell to Geneva the Rolex Oyster of Mercedes Gleitze, the first Britishman to cross the Channel in 1927. First wristwatch and eanche, she brought Rolex into modernism and history.
·Paris, France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left, 44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left, 44% of the sources are Center
45% Left
L 45%
C 44%
11%
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