From the earliest Oyster watches to the GMT-Master, Submariner and Milgauss, The Watch Book Rolex by Gisbert L. Brunner takes us through more than a century of Rolex history.

Published by teNeues, the book goes far beyond the brand's most familiar references. Its pages bring together historic timepieces, movements, technical developments and an incredible selection of period advertisements that document how Rolex built its identity around precision, reliability and purpose.

Among the highlights is the story of Mercedes Gleitze, whose 1927 English Channel swim became a defining moment for the Oyster and Rolex's approach to proving its watches in real-world conditions. Elsewhere, we find some of the Crown's more unexpected creations: complete calendars with moon phases, early tool watches, unusual dial configurations and generations of models that would eventually become icons.

What makes the book particularly fascinating today is seeing those icons before they became icons, alongside the experiments, technical solutions and visual language that shaped Rolex along the way.

A deep dive into the archives of one of watchmaking's most documented — yet still surprising — names.