Waterproof Rolex worn by first British woman to swim the Channel up for auction

A watch worn by the first British woman to swim the English Channel is going to auction with an estimated selling price of almost £1 million.

Mercedes Gleitze’s “vindication swim” of 1927 was used to verify the engineering prowess of the Rolex Oyster, which survived more than 10 hours submerged in sea water.

The watch is appearing at auction for the first time for 25 years after it was sold by a descendent of the swimmer for £17,037 in 2000.

Gleitze, who spent her childhood in Brighton, became a long-distance swimmer while working as a bilingual secretary in Westminster in the 1920s.

She successfully swam the channel in 15 hours and 15 minutes on October 7 1927, but the legitimacy of it was thrown into doubt days later from a claimant whose bid was subsequently found to be a hoax.

Gleitze decided to try the swim again on October 21, but she eventually abandoned her “vindication swim” after 10 hours and 24 minutes because of unfavourable conditions.

The Rolex watch company had heard about Gleitze’s second attempt and seized the opportunity to test their newly patented waterproof Oyster.

The publicity around the swim helped launch the watch on the market through advertising it as “the greatest triumph in watchmaking”.

Sam Hines, Sotheby’s global chairman, watches, said: “The 1927 vindication marked a turning point for Rolex.

“From that moment forward, Rolex aligned itself with the pursuits of adventurers, athletes and professionals operating in the most demanding environments on Earth.

“Gleitze’s Channel crossing, nearly a century ago, laid the foundation for what would become a legacy of tool watches built for real-world performance.

“The Oyster was instrumental in the transition from pocket to wristwatches and the Mercedes Gleitze played an important role in this transition, rendering it one of the most significant wristwatches still in private hands.”

A film about Gleitze titled Vindication Swim was released in 2024.

The watch will be offered at Sotheby’s Important Watches live sale, taking place at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Geneva on November 9.

The watch carries an estimated selling price of one million Swiss francs (£932,000).