An original picture of Hans Wilsdorf’s office in Geneva

A few years back i was offered this photograph from someone who had obviously bought a whole “job lot” of a Rolex watchmakers workshop in South Africa. There were a few interesting things…….but this original photograph of what i imagine to be Hans Wilsdorfs office, stood out to me. Of course I immediately accepted and the picture was sent with a few other things (catalogues etc) that someone else I work with had bought. The picture itself looks original to me….It has a very glossy coating that has cracked in certain places over time. The picture is an incredible “who’s who” of influential people of the time, and i believe it to be Hans Wilsdorfs office in Geneva.

Thanks to Nick Gould for your contribution and this piece of info. Instagram @niccoloy

Above pictures from ROLEXMAGAZINE.com, showing the corridor outside the “Directors office” (circa 1973). On the right is the same photo of Charles de Gaulle that was previously in Hans Wilsdorfs Office prior to 1966.

An advert from 1973, making reference to the “Worlds leading heads of state”. Courtesy ROLEXMAGAZINE.COM

According to this letter, these pictures were most likely relocated to the “Gallery of Great Names” in the management wing of the then NEW Rolex Headquarters. I guess this would have been done around the date of the above letter, approx 1966. Jake from Rolexmagazine.com also saw the post and added some useful information that will help solve the mystery as to the past location of the photo, and the moving of them post 1966, when they were relocated to the “Great Names Gallery”. I decided to take a few macro shots of the picture and take out as much information as it was willing to give……….and here is what i came up with.

In 1947 Hans wilsdorf decided to donate the officially certified 100.000th Rolex Chronometer in gratitude to the then former British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, considered by the founder of the crowned house as “One of the greatest personalities of modern times“.

The watch was a Oyster Perpetual Datejust, in 18 kt rose gold. with fluted bezel, white dial and Jubilee bracelet. Launched in 1945, the Rolex Datejust was Rolex’s flagship model. A concentrate of all the savoir faire of the Geneva maison.

Winston Churchill gladly accepted the kind gift of Rolex and in the letter of acceptance, Churchill asked that his emblem be engraved on the back of the Rolex Datejust in rose gold.

Just as the war was ending in 1944, Rolex produced their 50,000th officially certified chronometer watch. This was a huge milestone for the company and so they decided to present this watch to the Swiss Army General Henri Guisan

Guisan was a Swiss military officer who held the office of General of the Swiss armed forces the Second World War. He was the fourth and the most recent person to be appointed to the rarely used Swiss rank of general. He is best remembered for effectively mobilizing the Swiss military and population in order to prepare resistance against a possible invasion by Nazi Germany in 1940. Guisan was voted the fourth-greatest Swiss figure of all time in 2010

Case # 50000 appeared on auction in Switzerland in 2008. It was a reference 3372, (self winding, water resistant, central seconds) in 18k Gold with an expandable bracelet of the same……made in 1944.

In late 1951 Rolex produced their 150,000th Officially Certified Chronometer watch and they decided again to celebrate this milestone by offering it to another distinguished gentleman of great achievement. The highly decorated American 5 star General who was serving as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe at the time- General Dwight D. Eisenhower was to be the recipient.

On the eve of the D-day invasion, General Eisenhower spends the remaining light hours with the paratroopers who were to jump behind enemy lines in occupied France.

Eisenhower’s yellow goldRolex Datejust reference 6305 with jubilee bracelet. It was the 150,000th Officially certified chronometer watch manufactured by Rolex. Case # 150000

Bernard Montgomery was one of the most renowned Allied generals. He gained great popularity after his victories in North Africa (El Alamein). Thereafter Montgomery led the Allied ground operations in Normandy, the Netherlands and Northern Germany. His operational choices and strong personality made him a controversial figure.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms as president from 1933 to 1945. Through her travels, public engagement, and advocacy, she largely redefined the role. Roosevelt then served as a United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952, and took a leading role in designing the text and gaining international support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman who served as the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a newly founded Christian-Democratic party, which became the dominant force in the country under his leadership.

Jawaharlal Nehru- Born 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was second only to Mahatma Gandhi in leading the Indian Nationalist Movement in the 1930s and 1940s, and upon independence from Britain in 1947 served as India’s first prime minister until his death in 1964.

Mohammad Ali Bogra was a Pakistani Bengali politician, statesman, and a diplomat who served as third prime minister of Pakistan from 1953 to 1955. He was appointed in this capacity in 1953 until he stepped down in 1955 in favour of Finance Minister Muhammad Ali.

Exciting information about this influential person…soon to be added.

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French military officer and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provincial Government of the French Republic from 1944 to 1946 to restore democracy in France. In 1958, amid the Algerian War, he came out of retirement when appointed Prime Minister by President Rene Coty. He re-wrote the Constitution of France

General Alfred Maximilian Gruenther (3 March 1899 – 30 May 1983) was a senior United States Army Officer, Red Cross president, and bridge player. After being comissioned towards the end of WW1, he served in the army throughout the interwar period and into WW2, where he was primarily a Staff officer. Several years later, at the age of fifty-two, he became the second youngest four-star general in the history of the United States Army, and succeeded General Matthew Rigeway as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) serving from 1953 to 1956.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from his wife’s accession on 6 February 1952 until his death in 2021, making him the longest-serving royal consort in history.

Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish military general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975 as a dictator, assuming the title Caudillo. This period in Spanish history, from the Nationalist victory to Franco’s death, is commonly known as Francoist Spain or as the Francoist dictatorship.

Exciting information about this influential person…soon to be added.

Jean (Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d’Aviano; 5 January 1921 – 23 April 2019) was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of French agnatic descent. In 1938, he was officially named Hereditary Grand Duke as heir-apparent to the throne of Luxembourg.

Roi Baudouin (7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of the Congo, before it became independent in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of Congo

Exciting information about this influential person…soon to be added.

Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promotion as a young Conservative member of Parliament he became foreign secretary aged 38.

Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (born Prince Louis of Battenberg- (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979), commonly known as Lord Mountbatten, was a British statesman, Royal Navy officer and close relative of the British Royal Family. He was born in the United Kingdom to the prominent Battenberg family. He was a maternal uncle of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a second cousin of King George VI.

Urho Kaleva Kekkonen. 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was the President of Finland between 1856 and 1982.He was also the Prime Minister of Finland before that. Kekkonen was born in Pielavesi. He took part of theFinnish Civil War. He was anti-Communist and later anti-Fascist.

Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independence from the Dutch colonialists.

If there is any information that you think you may be able to add to the above…PLEASE drop me a message and i would be excited to add it. mstt@me.com or directly on instagram message. Thanks