our roots

OUR ROOTS

With the singular vision to create timeless watches for the modern world, Rotary Watches is an award-winning worldwide brand of classic timepieces. Proud of our heritage, we are forever inspired by the brand's commitment to excellence since its inception in Switzerland in 1895 by watchmaker Moise Dreyfuss, who founded Rotary in the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds.

Moise Dreyfuss was dedicated to creating beautiful watches with timeless elegance and enduring quality. His attention to detail and insistence on first class personal service allowed the brand to blossom, paving the way to open its doors in Britain in the early 20th Century, where its headquarters remain to this day.

In 1925 the now famous winged Rotary logo was introduced and after the war, under the leadership of Teddy Dreyfuss, the brand developed further, with innovative watches, sophisticated marketing and powerful advertising campaigns.

Rotary timepieces are now sold in over 65 countries throughout the world. Rotary specialises in designing enduring stylish watches, blending the old with the new and the contemporary with the classic to achieve a distinctive range of watches.

For more on our heritage.

british icon

BRITISH ICON

Rotary Watches was established with a dedication to creating beautiful watches with timeless elegance, as well as an insistence on providing first class customer service. These are the foundations which has allowed the brand to flourish since its inception. The rapid expansion and success of the brand in Switzerland in the early 20th Century provided a unique opportunity; Rotary moved to London and incorporated British influence into the brand, which remains an iconic staple in the brand's design ethos today.

Today Rotary is located in London's home of watchmaking Clerkenwell, where we design all of our watches in house, in our state-of-the art design studio with the motto: British design, London style. Rotary is one of the most recognizable brands in the UK and can be found in all major towns and cities nationwide, as well as being sold across the globe. This is largely due to the preserved sentiment from the brands origins of crafting watches with quality materials and testing to ensure each timepiece can withstand the rigors of everyday life.

design journey

DESIGN JOURNEY

In a world where many products are haphazardly produced with cost-effective practices to keep up with trends and demands, Rotary Watches is proud to nurture a more considered and tailored approach to its craft. From initial sketches on paper to meticulous CAD (computer aided design) rendering, our studio’s approach to craftsmanship is a holistic one.

Leveraging a global source of materials and movements to ensure the best possible quality and value for money, the heart of Rotary’s creativity remains in London and surrounded by inspiration. For more information on a Rotary Watch's lifecycle, read our design profile here.