Christian Rupprecht. (Photo credit: Jürgen Gärtner)
A new book about Rolex’s founder takes an unusual approach. German author Christian Rupprecht, a theologian with a doctorate, released his novel on Hans Wilsdorf earlier this week. While many have attempted to chart Wilsdorf’s life, Rupprecht’s unique version is worth a write-up. The book is surprisingly engaging. Written like a film biopic, it brings Hans Wilsdorf to life, weaving facts into narrative fiction and reading more like a light novel than a historical tome meant for scholarship.
Rupprecht chose storytelling after concluding that, despite his research, there wasn’t enough documentation for a conventional biography. His 400-page novel, Rolex: Der Traum des Hans Wilsdorf (“Rolex: The Dream of Hans Wilsdorf”), follows Wilsdorf’s path from his Bavarian childhood through London and Geneva, outlining his ambition and pursuit of perfection, traits that would turn his modest company into an international symbol of success.
The book was just released in German, with no English edition available yet. But Coronet has translated an authorized excerpt for your enjoyment. You can read it here.