In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the world of luxury timepieces and beyond, newly unearthed MI5 files have cast a shadow over the legacy of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex. According to reports from The Telegraph and NDTV, these formerly classified documents, dating from 1941 to 1943, suggest that British intelligence suspected Wilsdorf of being a Nazi spy with strong sympathies for Adolf Hitler’s regime during World War II. The allegations, detailed in files now held at the National Archives, have prompted Rolex to launch an independent historical investigation into its founder’s wartime activities.
Wilsdorf, a Bavarian by birth who moved to London in 1903, built Rolex into one of the world’s most prestigious watch brands. Yet, according to MI5 documents stamped with the agency’s wartime nickname “Box 500,” he was described as "most objectionable" and "suspected of espionage." The files reveal that, despite his status as a naturalized British citizen, Wilsdorf was considered a potential threat to Allied interests. A 1943 MI5 report bluntly stated, "Wilsdorf and his wife are majority shareholders, and he is suspected of espionage on behalf of the enemy."
The suspicion wasn’t unfounded, at least in the eyes of British authorities. By 1941, concerns had mounted that Wilsdorf supported the Nazis. A report from the British consul in Geneva declared he was "well known for his strong Nazi sympathies," and pointed to his brother Karl’s alleged involvement as an active member of Joseph Goebbels’s propaganda ministry. The consul’s report went further, stating, "The brother would make use of Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva to put out Nazi propaganda all over the world, and we heard that Hans is, in consequence, being watched by the Swiss federal police."
These suspicions led to serious internal debate within the British government about whether Wilsdorf should be blacklisted. A 1941 letter from the Blacklist Section of the Ministry of Economic Warfare stated it was "desirable" to "review" blacklisting Wilsdorf, but noted the move "may not be entirely in our interests at the moment" because his company "would undoubtedly have to share his fate [and] a large amount of its overseas trade seems to be with the Empire countries." The ministry worried that blacklisting Wilsdorf might devastate Rolex’s overseas trade, particularly with the British Empire, and thus, the idea was shelved—at least temporarily.
The intrigue only deepened with Wilsdorf’s high-profile gesture of offering free Rolex watches to British prisoners of war (POWs) held in German camps. On the surface, this act appeared generous and patriotic. In 1940, Corporal Clive Nutting, a POW in the notorious Stalag Luft III camp in Poland, wrote to Wilsdorf requesting replacement watches after his and others’ Rolexes were confiscated by German officers. Wilsdorf responded by sending the requested watches, telling Nutting he should "not even think" about paying for them until after the war.
Yet, the files show that British authorities remained deeply skeptical of Wilsdorf’s motives. The consul’s report questioned whether these acts of generosity were genuine, stating, "Of course, these activities may have been due to an impulse of generosity on the part of Mr Wilsdorf, but, if our other information about him is true, this hardly seems likely." The report even noted that Wilsdorf was acting as an intermediary between 25 British officers in German camps and their families back home, sending not just watches but also food parcels and tobacco.
Jose Perez, a horological historian who discovered the MI5 file, told The Telegraph, "The fact Rolex offered watches to Allied POWs in German camps suggested Wilsdorf was on the right side of history. But, I believe it was a stunt to gain favour with the British government. It must also be considered that from 1941 to 1946, the import of Swiss watches to the UK was basically prohibited, so this might have been the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone: gain favour with the British and sell some watches in the process, even though payment was only due after the war."
Tom Bolt, horological expert at Watchguru.com and owner of a Rolex sent to a POW, echoed the gravity of the situation: "MI5’s interest in Rolex and Wilsdorf may have stemmed from the company’s supply of dive watches to the Italian navy’s frogmen. These newly unearthed papers show the level of concern within the British authorities about the company’s founder. If Wilsdorf had been blacklisted it would have been severely damaging for Rolex."
Despite the mounting evidence and persistent suspicion, intelligence agencies were unable to find concrete proof of "undesirable activities" by the Swiss firm itself. The 1941 letter from the Ministry of Economic Warfare acknowledged this, stating that intelligence had "been unable to detect any undesirable activities on the part of the Swiss firm." However, it did warn that Wilsdorf’s "indebtedness to German bankers may result in a considerable enemy interest in both the Swiss and the British [Rolex] companies."
Faced with the renewed scrutiny, Rolex has taken a proactive approach. A spokesperson for the company confirmed, "Given the sensitivity of these allegations, we have already commissioned an independent, authoritative team of historians who are carrying out research into the exact role of Hans Wilsdorf during this period." This research, the company revealed, has been entrusted to Dr. Marc Perrenoud, a Swiss historian renowned for his expertise in contemporary history and Switzerland’s role during World War II. Dr. Perrenoud has assembled a scientific committee comprising distinguished historians from various countries. Rolex has pledged to publish the committee’s findings in the interest of transparency once the research is complete.
Hans Wilsdorf’s personal story is, in many ways, emblematic of the era’s turbulence. Born in Bavaria in 1881, he was orphaned young and made his way to England in 1903, a time when immigration controls were virtually nonexistent. Wilsdorf began making watches in London’s Hatton Garden, registered the now-famous Rolex name, and married Florence Crotty, a British citizen. In 1919, he relocated the company’s headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, a move that would shape the brand’s future for decades to come. Wilsdorf died in 1960, leaving his ownership stake to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which still owns Rolex and supports charitable causes to this day.
While the allegations against Wilsdorf remain the subject of ongoing investigation, the story highlights the complex interplay between business, politics, and war. The newly revealed MI5 files raise uncomfortable questions about the past, but they also underscore the importance of transparency and historical accountability—even for the world’s most iconic brands. As Rolex awaits the outcome of its commissioned research, the world watches, eager for answers about one of the luxury industry’s most enigmatic figures.