This watch was worn by the first woman to swim the English Channel, changing the horological world forever. Now it's going under the hammer

An early Rolex Oyster — arguably the most famous watch in Rolex history — is to be auctioned off by Sotherby’s in Geneva, Switzerland, this November. The timepiece, which was worn by pioneering cross-Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, in 1927, is estimated to fetch more than CHF1 million (about £940,000).

The watch, encased in nine-carat yellow gold on a matching bracelet, holds a significant place in watchmaking history. Not only did it popularise the idea of water-resistant watches, it paved the way for celebrity marketing.

(Image credit: Rolex/Sotheby's)

(Image credit: Rolex/Sotheby's)

Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981) was a British endurance swimmer, and in October 1927 became the first British woman to swim across the English Channel. Her affiliation with Rolex began following media pre