The health of Earth is deteriorating—and fast—while climate change is a pressing issue. These are facts that have been placed in the international spotlight in recent years and remain important topics for educating the public so that there can be a shift in mindset and behaviour among people to affect change. Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle and famed marine photographer David Doubilet, who are also Rolex Testimonees, have reiterated on their recent visit to Singapore that daily actions can make a big difference. The science and research community, on the other hand, is doing its own part to save the planet. Take the team of scientists and explorers, which conducted a scientific expedition to Mount Everest earlier this year as part of the Perpetual Planet Extreme Expedition, for instance. They will be analysing data and information collected during the arduous three-month project and distilling it into findings, which can potentially help and save the lives of the large group of communities living around the Mount Everest area.
Most of what Earle, Doubilet and the Perpetual Planet Extreme Expedition team did have been strongly supported by Swiss watchmaker Rolex as part of its Perpetual Planet initiative, which is made up of three pillars. These include a renewed and expanded partnership between Rolex and National Geographic Society; Earle’s Mission Blue project to safeguard the oceans through a network of marine protected “Hope Spots”; and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, a biennial initiative to support enterprising individuals helming exceptional projects to conserve our cultural heritage and protect the environment.
2014 Rolex Awards laureate Hosam Zowawi presents the award to Brian Gitta 
Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour (third from left) with the laureates from 2019
Why is a storied watch brand like Rolex so interested in environmental conservation and sustainability? While such efforts are commendable and worthy of respect, the truth is, it will not benefit the company financially in terms of profit margins or the increment of sales figures. So instead of spending on, say movement development, why is the watchmaker investing so much time, effort and resources into the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative? To that end, we received some insight at the Rolex Awards for Enterprise ceremony held this June in Washington. Here are three reasons why the brand is so invested in making a difference and saving our fragile planet.
“Perpetual” is a word that is important to Rolex because of the company’s history. Not only is it inscribed on the Oyster watches, because it never needs winding but it goes to the heart of a philosophy that has driven the company since it was launched more than a century ago by a remarkable man called Hans Wilsdorf. His vision and values continue to shape the company today. Particularly, his insistence on always taking the long-term view. In the 1930s, Hans wanted to test his watches in real conditions and started to supply them to explorers. This involvement led to a fascination and commitment to exploration that has never faltered. It was also the origin of our relationship with National Geographic, that can be traced back to the first ascent of Mount Everest. The two organisations are now collaborating on a series of new expedition to track climate change in extreme places. This partnership with National Geographic is part of the Perpetual Planet initiative, in which Rolex is supporting individuals and organisations trying to find solutions to the problems the world is facing.
