At just 24 years of age, Hans Wildorf founded a timepiece company in London. At this time, wristwatches were both inprecise and relatively new to the market, but Wildorf had a vision of making them both reliable and stylish. 

The name Rolex came to Wildorf while he was riding on the top of one of London's notorious double-decker buses. He said "a genie whispered Rolex in my ear", easily pronouncible in any language, and completely unique.

After World War One, Wilsdorf and his associate Alfred Davis moved the business to Geneva, Switzerland due to its more favorable tax rates. Their legacy as one of the leading Swiss watchmakers has persisted since then.

Following Wilsdorf's death in 1960, the company's ownership was passed to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. One of the foundation's works is as a private trust, which donates a percentage of the shares to various charitable causes.