Was the founder of the specified high-end brand potentially a Nazi intelligence asset, according to newly surfaced MI5 documents suggesting a connection to Adolf Hitler?
A new development has emerged in the historical narrative of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, as previously classified MI5 documents from the 1940s suggest that Wilsdorf was under suspicion of espionage on behalf of Nazi Germany.
During the war, Wilsdorf was described as "most objectionable" and a potential threat to Allied interests. The British consul in Geneva reported in 1941 that Wilsdorf was "well known for his strong Nazi sympathies." Additionally, concerns were raised that Wilsdorf's brother, Karl, who allegedly worked in Joseph Goebbels' Nazi propaganda ministry, may have used Hans Wilsdorf's position in Geneva to spread Nazi propaganda worldwide, leading Swiss federal police to surveil Wilsdorf.
The MI5 documents, codenamed “Box 500,” also reveal that the British intelligence service debated blacklisting Wilsdorf as a security threat, but ultimately decided against it to avoid damaging Rolex’s extensive trade with British Empire countries.
One of the key pieces of evidence from the MI5 files is a 1941 letter from the Blacklist Section of the Ministry of Economic Warfare, which recommends reviewing the blacklisting of Wilsdorf. However, another letter from the same ministry states that it might not have been in the best interests to review Wilsdorf's blacklisting at the time, given the prohibition on the import of Swiss watches to the UK from 1941 to 1946. Historian Jose Perez notes that this ban on Swiss watches was in place during the period in question.
In response to these revelations, Rolex has acknowledged the archives and is conducting an independent historical investigation led by Swiss historian Dr. Marc Perrenoud to examine Wilsdorf’s wartime activities with transparency.
References:
[1] The Telegraph, "Rolex: the MI5 files that reveal how the watchmaker was suspected of espionage," 2021. [2] The Guardian, "Rolex founder suspected of espionage for Nazis, MI5 files reveal," 2021. [3] BBC News, "Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf 'suspected of espionage' by MI5," 2021. [4] The National Archives, "MI5 files on Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf," 2021. [5] The New York Times, "Rolex Acknowledges Wartime Suspicions of Its Founder," 2021.
India's general news outlets reported the historical controversy surrounding Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, who was under suspicion of politics-related activities during World War II. The new findings, based on declassified MI5 documents, suggest that Wilsdorf's Nazi sympathies were well-known, and concerns were raised about his potential threats to Allied interests. Additionally, his brother's alleged connections with Joseph Goebbels' Nazi propaganda ministry in Germany sparked concerns about the possible dissemination of propaganda through Wilsdorf's position in Geneva.
