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From an original 1930s Rolex Oyster advert

The most important and unique feature that made the Oyster watch case so significant, was that unlike any other waterproof case design, the Oyster enabled the hands to be easily set and the movement wound, with the crown screwing back down on to the watch case.

This screw down crown together with the screw back and sealed glass made the watch totally waterproof, and when eventually launched onto the market in 1927 very quickly became a world beating product.

The original Rolex Oyster patent drawings from 1925.

The development of the Oyster Case with the Screw- Down Crown to fully waterproof the watch, and its adoption by Hans Wilsdorf in 1925 were probably the most important events in the history of the Rolex company.

Hans Wilsdorf had been purchasing various designs for waterproof watch cases ever since the first world war, when it soon became apparent that a fully waterproof wristwatch case was essential.

Before the arrival of the Oyster one of the most successful designs purchased by Rolex was developed by the Swiss case maker Francis Baumgartner,this was the "Hermetic".However, as soon as the Oyster was launched on to the market the Hermetic became obsolete.

Other famous Swiss watch manufacturers continued to try to produce waterproof watches to compete with the Rolex Oyster, they never really came close.

Instead they have provided the watch collectors of today with a wonderful selection of very interesting and highly desirable vintage watches.

An original 1930s illustration of the Oyster crown in the open hands set position

The screw-down crown in the closed waterproof position