TIME for CHANGE
IT’S TIME TO LOOK AT LUXURY WATCH BRANDS DRIVING CHANGE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY, CONSERVATION, AND HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
THE PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE
Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative launched in 2019. The effort supports individuals and organisations using science to understand global environmental challenges and plan viable solutions to restore balance to our ecosystems.
Currently, the initiative embraces Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue Initiative, founded in 2009 to preserve the oceans through a network of marine-protected Hope Spots. These are areas designated as vital to the preservation of species. The sites may be significant for their biodiversity, home to rare or endangered species, or be sites where local communities rely on a healthy marine environment for their livelihoods.
With the support of Rolex since 2014, the number of Hope Spots has increased from 50 to over 130. Earle contributes to a global effort aiming to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Presently, only 8% of our oceans are conserved.
Since 2017, Rolex has also enhanced its long-standing partnership with the National Geographic Society to promote exploration and conservation. The two organisations unite in engaging in a series of expeditions focused on answering crucial questions about the impacts of climate change on critical environments.
In early 2021, a National Geographic team of explorers and scientists installed a weather station just below the summit of Tupungato Volcano in the Southern Andes. The highest weather station in the Southern and Western hemispheres, scientists now have a window to observe atmospheric processes in the Chilean Andes. One of the most globally vulnerable water sources, these mountains provide critical freshwater to more than 6 million inhabitants in nearby Santiago.
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise is another effort beneath the Perpetual Planet initiative’s umbrella. First set up in 1976 to mark the 50th anniversary of the world’s first waterproof wristwatch, the Oyster, the programme supports exceptional individuals making the world a better place.
To date, 150 Laureates have seen their labour come to fruition. Their efforts benefit an estimated 5 million people globally, with 48 innovative technologies developed for numerous applications. Thanks to them, over 18 million trees grow today. Additionally, 34 endangered species and 26 vital ecosystems, including a large expanse of the Amazon rainforest, are now protected.
The vision and values of Hans Wilsdorf endure as the company turns its passion of exploration for pure discovery into a passion for preserving the natural world. Rolex’s commitment to supporting explorers on this mission is a noble quest with no end in sight, enabling change for a better tomorrow.