In 1996, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual was the key piece of evidence in solving Ronald Platt's murder.
Who says watches are only useful as accessories? Indeed, a curious story revolves around the Rolex Oyster Perpetual model, one of the luxury brand's classics. In 1996, this model of watch was the centrepiece of the investigation into the murder of Ronald Platt. A series of events led many people to be sceptical about the case, which revolves around, yes, a murder, but not only that.
The bankruptcy of a financial company, a multi-million dollar fraud, false identities and INTERPOL. All these elements were linked by the terrible act of murder and the way it was subsequently solved. Albert Johnson Walker, the man who committed the murder and, posing as a friend and benefactor, deceived Ronald Platt into stealing his identity, brings it all to life.
Albert Johnson Walker was from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and apparently led a perfect life. He had a family and a small accountancy business which, over time, grew into a large financial company. However, through investigations, it was discovered that Albert had defrauded his clients, stealing a sum of 3.2 million dollars. A warrant was issued for his arrest on 18 counts of fraud, money laundering and theft. Walker managed to escape from Canada to Europe, taking his daughter with him. In 1990, Albert Walker was INTERPOL's second most wanted man.
He chose England, more specifically the town of Harrogate, as his new home and took the name David Davis. With no documents to prove his identity, Albert was unable to find work, but managed to enlist the cooperation of another Canadian immigrant, Ronald Joseph Platt, who worked as a television repairman. With the money he embezzled from his customers, he then set up a TV repair business with his future victim.
Ronald Platt considered Albert Walker a friend and often told him how much he wanted to return to Canada. The swindler saw an opportunity to take Ronald's identity and offered to finance a single ticket to Canada. The only condition he demanded was that he leave his driving licence, birth certificate and a stamp with his signature. Once the scam was complete, Ronald left for Canada, Albert obtained the required documents and stole his identity.
Living the adventure, but with an accessory that lets you enjoy it to the full thanks to its performance is even more satisfying. The Rolex brand relies on cutting-edge technology thanks to the commitment the company has put into its watches for over a century. The first pioneers to set off with a Rolex on their wrist date back to the 1930s. However, the year that marks the exploration and history of the luxury brand is 1953.
Everything went according to Albert Walker's plan until 1995, when Ronald Platt returned to England. This posed a problem for Albert, who found no other solution than to commit murder. On 20 July 1996, he invited his former business partner on a fishing trip. Out at sea and isolated from the rest of the world, Albert knocked Ronald unconscious, tied his body to an anchor and threw him overboard. At that moment, his life went back to the way it was before.
Two weeks later, the body was found by fishermen. The body was unrecognisable and the identity papers were safe in the hands of the fake Ronald. It would have been impossible to discover the identity of the corpse if the real Ronald wasn't wearing a Rolex on his wrist.
Rolex is a luxury watch company that guarantees quality and service to its customers and records every sale with extreme precision. After being in the water for a fortnight, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual was still intact and the police were able to extract several pieces of information from it. Firstly, the serial number identified the owner of the watch, Ronald Joseph Platt. Secondly, they were able to establish the exact time of the murder, thanks to the watch's technology. In fact, it was equipped with a system that allowed the batteries to stop working after two days of inactivity.
This led directly to the false Ronald. The records showed that he was still living in England, not that he was dead. Albert Johnson Walker was arrested but not extradited to Canada to face charges of fraud and theft, as the murder had been committed in England. Thanks to the watch's overwhelming evidence, the culprit was sentenced to life imprisonment and remains in prison today.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is considered to be the first water-resistant watch. The year 1926 marks the entry of this luxury watch onto the market. To underline the concept, the company created a personalised aquarium in which, along with a few goldfish, it placed the Oyster. The aim was to demonstrate to future buyers the reliability of the watch, which kept perfect time despite being submerged.
This luxury accessory features automatic winding and a timeless design that still attracts attention today. A classic style with essential functions: hours, minutes and seconds. Its automatic winding technology via the Perpetual rotor enables it to follow the natural movements of the wrist. What's more, thanks to the architecture of the barrel, the watch has a power reserve of up to 70 hours.
It was precisely this technology, which was less sophisticated then than it is today, that helped to solve the murder. In this case, it made it possible to determine the exact time at which it was committed. Rolex is committed to always offering its customers the very best, and it would not be the company it is today if it did not. That's why every detail is carefully crafted and it's always striving to improve. Over the years, it has become one of the leading brands of high-end watches.
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