Luxury Swiss watch company Rolex told The Telegraph that it has hired a noted Holocaust historian to investigate a report that its founder was suspected of being a Nazi spy.
According to the paper, declassified intelligence documents suggested that Hans Wilsdorf, who co-founded Rolex’s predecessor Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905, had “strong” sympathies for the Third Reich.
The documents, dated between 1941 and 1943, reported labeled Wilsdorf “most objectionable” and said he was “suspected of espionage”.
Likewise, a report from the British consul in Geneva, where Rolex is headquartered, claimed he was “well known for his strong Nazi sympathies” and that his brother, Karl, was “reported to be an active member of [Joseph] Goebbels’s propaganda ministry”, suggesting that Hans was involved in sharing Nazi propaganda.
And an MI5 report from 1943 said: “Wilsdorf and his wife are majority shareholders, and he is suspected of espionage on behalf of the enemy.”
A spokesperson for Rolex told The Telegraph that the company was “well aware” of the material in the National Archives and that it had hired respected historian Dr Marc Perrenoud to investigate further.
They added: “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 has been entrusted to Dr Marc Perrenoud, a Swiss historian renowned for his work on contemporary history, especially regarding Switzerland during the Second World War.
“For this assignment, Dr Perrenoud has assembled a scientific committee comprising distinguished historians from the various countries concerned.
“In the interest of transparency, we will publish Dr Perrenoud’s findings once he has completed his work.”
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.