Mercedes Gleitze

British long-distance swimmer who became the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927, whose swim Hans Wilsdorf used as a public demonstration of the Rolex Oyster's waterproofness — marking the origin of Rolex's achievement marketing model.

Provided the first public demonstration of Rolex's Oyster case waterproofness — wearing it for her Channel swim and having Wilsdorf run full-page newspaper ads the next day — creating the achievement marketing template that Rolex has used for a century.