Il Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster It will be auctioned for the first time in 25 years as part of Sotheby's Important Watches auction at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva on November 9. It is estimated at over 1 million Swiss francs ($1,3 million).
Mercedes Gleitze was born in 1900 in Brighton, England, born into a modest family. From a young age, she demonstrated an extraordinary passion for swimming, a discipline that, at the beginning of the 20th century, was still largely a male domain. Her story is not just that of an athlete, but of a woman who defied social conventions and physical limitations to assert herself in a male-dominated world.
In the 20s, Mercedes Gleitze became famous for her crossings of the English Channel.
In 1927 she completed the crossing, becoming the first British woman to do so unassisted. This success brought her immediate fame, leading her to receive official recognition and become a symbol of female emancipation. However, her feat was immediately challenged by conflicting reports when another swimmer attempted to imitate her feat, creating confusion over the official results. Despite this, Gleitze remained determined, strengthening her reputation as a courageous and tenacious woman. Beyond the English Channel, Mercedes took on numerous other challenges, such as extreme cold-water swims and endurance races that tested human limits. Her discipline inspired generations of swimmers and helped make women's swimming more visible and respected.
Mercedes and Rolex
It was precisely thanks to the fame she gained from crossing the English Channel that Mercedes Gleitze came into contact with the world of precision watches. During the famous 1927 crossing attempt, a Rolex Oyster was tested by immersing it in the cold waters of the Channel, becoming the first waterproof watch to demonstrate its resistance to extreme conditions.
Mercedes Gleitze died in 1981, leaving a legacy that goes beyond sporting records. Her story is a hymn to discipline and the courage to face the waves, even those of life. Even today, her name resonates among the waves of the English Channel and in the hearts of those who strive to achieve their dreams, and her connection with Rolex remains an emblematic chapter in the history of technological innovation applied to sport.
The Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster will be auctioned for the first time in 25 years as part of Sotheby's Important Watches auction at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva on November 9. It is estimated to fetch over 1 million Swiss francs ($1,3 million).
