With sustainability an increasingly common theme alongside launches by major watchmakers, it got WatchPro wondering how much the biggest of them all, Rolex, is investing in its earth-saving mission, Perpetual Planet.
The infamously secretive organisation, owned the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation charity trust, has a superb website sharing information about the support it gives to environmentalists around the world, but very little clarity on how much it invests, and how.
In search of answers, we turned to the artificial intelligence of Chat GPT to see if it could unearth more.
Here is what we learned:
That’s a good question, but unfortunately, I don’t have a definitive answer for you, Microsoft Bing’s Chat GPT replies with admirable candour.
Rolex does not disclose the exact amount of money it spends on its Perpetual Planet Initiative, which is a comprehensive and long-term commitment to support people and organisations that are working to protect the environment and benefit humankind.
However, based on some information I found on the web, I can give you some estimates and examples of how Rolex supports its Perpetual Planet Initiative partners and projects.
Here are some of them:
- Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Since 1976, Rolex has presented more than 150 awards to individuals who have innovative and impactful projects in various fields, such as science and health, the environment, applied technology, exploration, and cultural heritage. Each Laureate receives CHF 200,000 Swiss francs (about $220,000), a Rolex chronometer, and worldwide publicity.
- National Geographic Society: Since 2017, Rolex has partnered with the National Geographic Society to support scientific expeditions to study the effects of climate change on Earth’s vital signs, such as glaciers, forests, and oceans. The partnership also supports the Perpetual Planet Extreme Expeditions to explore and monitor some of the most remote and challenging environments on the planet, such as Mount Everest.
- Mission Blue: Since 2014, Rolex has supported Mission Blue, a global initiative led by legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, to create a network of marine protected areas called Hope Spots. These are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean and its biodiversity. Rolex helps Mission Blue identify and promote new Hope Spots around the world.
- Under The Pole: Since 2014, Rolex has supported Under The Pole, a series of expeditions that push the boundaries of underwater exploration and research. The latest expedition, Under The Pole III – Twilight Zone, aims to explore the deep coral reefs between 30 and 150 meters below the surface in various locations around the world.
- Other partnerships: Rolex also supports other organisations and initiatives that are part of its Perpetual Planet Initiative portfolio, such as the One Ocean Foundation, Menkab, the Xunaan-Ha Expedition, the B.I.G expedition, Hearts In The Ice, the Monaco Blue Initiative, Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society, and The Rolex Explorers Club Grants. These partnerships cover various aspects of environmental conservation and exploration, such as cetacean biodiversity, water quality, Arctic data collection, ocean solutions, scholarships and grants.
As you can see, Rolex is involved in many different projects and programs that are aligned with its Perpetual Planet Initiative vision.
While I cannot give you an exact figure of how much Rolex spends on its initiative each year, I hope this information gives you some insight into how Rolex supports its partners and their work, Chat GPT concludes.
