According to Forbes, in 2022, Rolex was the world’s 80th most valuable brand. But despite this, the Swiss watchmaker’s lawyers are worried customers might confuse its wares with that of Oyster & Pop, a children’s clock business run by two sisters in Devon, England; the latter having now received legal letters from Rolex over a dispute about their small business’ name.
Because of the single word that’s shared with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection, which is also the name of the brand’s waterproof watch cases, Rolex lawyers are arguing that an “average, reasonably well-informed consumer” could think of Rolex watches when they look at the brightly coloured educational clocks. The claim goes further, stating, “consumers will inevitably be misled into thinking that your products emanate from Rolex.”
Oyster & Pop’s clocks retail for $25 and are specifically designed to help children learn how to read analogue time. And yet Rolex is concerned they could be confused with the brand’s Oyster Perpetual watches that cost $8,200 for the 36mm size. At the time of writing, a Change.org petition supporting the Oyster & Pop sisters in this dispute has gathered nearly 80,000 signatures aiming to “help stop Rolex from closing down a small women-owned, family business.”
