Watchword of the World - Rolex (c.1950s)
Year: Undated - c.1950s
Format: Postcard
Illustrator: Herbert Leupin (1916-1999)
Client: Rolex
Details: The illustration on this postcard advertising Rolex was designed by Herbert Leupin (1916-1999). The same image was used on a poster in 1952. The postcard is undated but is certainly vintage and could well have been printed around the same time.
Herbert Leupin was born in Beinwil, Switzerland. His drawing skills were recognised early and he studied at the Gewerbeschule vocational school in Basel in 1931. He also had an internship in the studio of Hermann Eidenbenz as a graphic designer, where he gained experience in advertising and photography.
Between 1935 and 1936, Leupin continued his studies in France, taught by poster designer Paul Colin. In 1937, Leupin returned to Switzerland and worked briefly for Donald Brun, before establishing an independent practice.
Leupin initially became known for working in a style known as "Magischer Realismus" (Magic Realism), in which oversized products were depicted in an almost photographic manner. This style was very successful with Basel advertising agencies. He started to develop a more colourful, playful style in the later 1940s, introducing humour and expressive characters to his designs.
He was a prolific poster designer and produced nearly 1000 posters in his lifetime. He won 85 Swiss Poster of The Year awards, and many others internationally including The Medal Award of The Art Directors Club Chicago in 1960. Several of his posters are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.