The Rolex Legacy: The History of Rolex Through 120 Seminal and Rare Watches

Presented in a slipcase in celebration of 120 years, The Rolex Legacy offers a unique decade-by-decade journey through Rolex’s heritage.

Presented in a slipcase in celebration of 120 years, The Rolex Legacy offers a unique decade-by-decade journey through Rolex’s heritage, featuring 12 chapters that tell the story of the brand and the exceptional watches that cemented its fame and prestige. Explore 120 meticulously photographed Rolex timepieces, showcasing the diversity of models, styles and finishes - from the legendary Submariner series to the elusive Rolex Unicorn and the iconic ’Paul Newman’ Daytona. Accompanying these extraordinary watches is the most extensive collection of Rolex ephemera ever assembled, tracing the company’s history and influence with unparalleled detail. James Dowling (’Mr Rolex’) uncovers pieces in never-before-seen archives and specially commissioned photoshoots from around the globe, sharing personal encounters and stories from his quest to discover these beautiful specimens.

James Dowling is an avid collector with a passion for horology. His fascination with watches began more than four decades ago, and collecting and trading timepieces has earned him the sobriquet ’Mr Rolex’. With each acquisition and transaction, James’s knowledge and expertise in the realm of watches grew, solidifying his reputation as a seasoned collector and connoisseur in the horological community, with a passion for research and a dedication to spreading the results of his research as widely as possible. His areas of interest are vintage and military timepieces, and he is acknowledged as an authority on Rolex within the industry. He has been a moderator of several online watch forums and has written on watches and collecting for magazines and newspapers on every continent except South America and Antarctica. He gave the 1999 Dingwall Beloe, Worshipful Company of Clockmakers Lecture at the British Museum, is a member of the Academy of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and the committee of the 2023/24 Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Watchmaking.