With Rolex, the World Is Your Oyster
The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Founder Hans Wilsdorf instilled a quest for excellence that underpins all the company’s activities, from its watchmaking to its long-term support for those who strive to push the boundaries of human endeavour and achievement. Since the 1930s, Rolex has equipped pioneering explorers on expeditions to the world’s most remote places, the deepest oceans and the highest peaks. As the 21st century unfolds, however, the era of pure discovery is changing to one of exploration as a means to preserve the natural world. Under the banner of a Perpetual Planet, Rolex is joining forces with key individuals and organisations to help find solutions to environmental challenges.
THE ROLEX AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise were established in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster Chronometer, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch. They were designed to foster a spirit of enterprise, advance human knowledge and well-being, and protect our cultural heritage and the environment.
The Rolex Awards are unique in several ways. Unlike most other award and grant programmes, they are not designed to recognise past achievements – they are given for new or ongoing projects. Candidates must be over 18 years, and there are no academic or professional requirements, and no restrictions on gender or nationality – anyone, anywhere, can be considered for the Rolex Awards. This has allowed many people working outside established scientific circles and specialised institutions, and thus without access to traditional funding sources, to gain recognition and funds to implement their visionary projects. The 140 women and men selected as Rolex Awards
Laureates in the four decades since the first Awards presentation in 1978 include an extraordinary cohort of pioneers across a wide range of geographical locations and skills.
Last June, Rolex named the five 2019
Rolex Awards Laureates who received funding and other benefits for their inspiring projects that aim to improve life on the planet.
National Geographic, a partner in the Perpetual Planet campaign and an organisation that has been linked to Rolex since the early 1950s, hosted the
National Geographic Explorers Festival, where the 10 finalists of the 2019 Rolex Awards presented their projects. The Rolex Awards jury – a group of independent experts – first met in February to select the 10 finalists from a shortlist created from a field of 957 candidates from 111 countries. For the first time in the 43-year history of the Awards, the public was then invited to vote on its favourite projects through a social media campaign. The results of the public vote were factored in the jury’s final decision made at a second meeting during the festival.