In the latest sign of Rolex's financial wherewithal — and its desire to be more strongly associated with environmental causes — the brand has decided to accelerate the pace of its Rolex Awards. A program that previously operated on a two-year cycle will now run annually, effectively doubling the frequency of its support for explorers, innovators and scientists. This year, Rolex has shortened the name, too, from "Rolex Awards for Enterprise" to simply "Rolex Awards."
Founded 50 years ago, after then-Rolex CEO André J. Heiniger said the company had "a responsibility to take an active interest in improving life on our planet," the awards differ in that they are given for new or ongoing projects, not necessarily for past achievements.
Since 1976, the brand says, Rolex's backing has helped protect 32 major ecosystems, 57,600 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest and 137 endangered species, while contributing to the discovery of hundreds of new species. Laureates have also planted more than 50 million trees and developed 50 new technologies across environmental and scientific fields.
The program, which falls under the Perpetual Planet Initiative and is separate from the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation’s philanthropic activities, is run from Rolex’s headquarters in Geneva. In the future, the company plans to take a more active role in selecting applicants. Instead of waiting for submissions, Rolex will identify potential candidates and their projects and invite them to apply. For the first time in Rolex’s history, all five laureates this year are women, hailing from Indonesia, Nigeria, Peru, China and the U.S.