In 2025, Rolex Embraces Resilience and Failure in Its New Message

(Credit: Rolex via Youtube)

Rolex introduced a new tagline in 2025, “Reach for the crown,” which is a new way for the brand to talk about achievement. It’s an interesting departure from its earlier slogans. For decades, from Mercedes Gleitze’s channel swim to “Men who guide the destinies of the world wear Rolex watches,” and more recently “A crown for every achievement,” Rolex underscored the success rather than the struggle that precedes it.

This year’s new slogan was first seen in a video announcing Leonardo DiCaprio’s arrival as a Rolex Testimonee. Despite being one of Hollywood’s most celebrated figures, DiCaprio famously spent years chasing an Oscar. The film ends with him finally holding the statuette, but only after viewers see failure, frustration and resilience: a skier crashes, a tennis player misses, a golfer collapses, a race car shatters and a sailboat nearly capsizes. Even Roger Federer is shown wiping away tears. This was unprecedented for a Rolex promotional video.

Rolex’s new YouTube series, “Rolex presents,” which spotlight its Testimonees, makes a deliberate point of showing the struggles they faced before achieving success. The brand’s new philosophy is that a trophy matters when it reflects the long road taken to reach it, including the effort and the setbacks along the way. It’s not just about holding the crown; it’s about reaching for it.

In DiCaprio, Rolex Finds a New Kind of Voice

Leonardo DiCaprio. (Credit: NatGeo)

Unlike Roger Federer, Leonardo DiCaprio works hard to avoid the spotlight. When he is indeed spotted, he’s usually dressed in black, ducking behind face masks and baseball caps, slipping from back entrances into waiting SUVs. He grants few interviews and keeps a low public profile. For a luxury brand like Rolex that relies on celebrity exposure, choosing him as a Testimonee feels almost counterintuitive.

On Earth Day, Rolex released a one-minute video featuring several environmental advocates, including DiCaprio. While watches have little to do with saving the planet, Rolex’s decision to partner with the actor underscores a more values-driven form of marketing, one that is still rare in the glitzy world of luxury, especially in an age of Instagram and constant visibility.

Dr. Piers Sellers (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio (R). (NatGeo)

The clip, released earlier today, opens with a voiceover from DiCaprio: “There is a sense of urgency that we all must do something pro-active about this issue.” The quote comes from a backstage press conference at the 2016 Oscars, just after he addressed climate change in his acceptance speech.

Research shows that 82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with their own, and they’ll vote with their wallet if they don't feel a match, while three-quarters of shoppers reported parting ways with a brand over a conflict in values. (And 72% say they think companies overstate their sustainability efforts.)

In that light, DiCaprio’s role is less about selling watches and more about underscoring Rolex’s commitment to the planet. The brand’s main plans for DiCaprio aren’t necessarily to be spotted wearing a Rolex, but to be the personification of one of its most important values.

For the First Time, DiCaprio Seen Wearing the Daytona Le Mans

Leonardo DiCaprio. (Photo credit: @dicaprio.photos/Instagram)

Leonardo DiCaprio, now an official Rolex Testimonee, was spotted courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game with his father, George DiCaprio, stepmother Peggy Ann and niece Normandie DiCaprio — wearing the coveted Rolex Daytona Le Mans in white gold, one of the shortest-lived productions of any modern Rolex.

DiCaprio has appeared courtside three times since December, each time sporting a discontinued white-gold Daytona. It’s clear the Daytona has become his go-to Rolex.

The “Le Mans” Daytona ref. 126529LN on his wrist Thursday, with its reverse panda dial and red “100” marker on the bezel, has quickly become one of the most sought-after modern Rolex watches, especially following its discontinuation in white gold last year.

Rolex, DiCaprio and the Oscars Moment

Leonardo DiCaprio at a pre-Oscars party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 1, 2025. (Photo credit: Backgrid via TMZ.com)

One of Rolex’s biggest nights is about to take center stage. The Academy Awards, broadcast to more than 200 countries, has long been a marquee moment for the brand, but this year, it carries even more weight. It’s the first Oscars since Rolex signed a major film star as an official ambassador.

On Thursday, Rolex unveiled images of its signature Greenroom, the backstage retreat it has designed for the ceremony since 2016. This year’s theme — restoration of the natural world — draws inspiration from Rewilding Chile and Rewilding Argentina, conservation initiatives supported by the brand’s Perpetual Planet Initiative.

Rolex’s one-minute spot that will air during the broadcast will feature appearances by filmmakers James Cameron, Alejandro Iñárritu, Martin Scorsese and Kathryn Bigelow before arriving at Leonardo DiCaprio, his first time speaking in a Rolex commercial. “Every time I would get tired of a scene and not want to persist, I would say: pain is temporary, but films are forever,” DiCaprio says.

The ad closes with a shot of a Day-Date 40 in Everose gold, Sundust dial, the same model that will be displayed in the Greenroom, according to Rolex.

Whether DiCaprio will attend the ceremony remains unclear. While not a nominee, Hollywood insiders suggest he may make an appearance to support longtime friend Adrien Brody, a Best Actor contender for The Brutalist.

On Saturday, DiCaprio was seen at a pre-Oscars party in Beverly Hills, the first time since his partnership with Rolex was announced. The actor, often photographed without a watch, was spotted wearing a Day-Date in Everose gold.

With DiCaprio as Its Ambassador, Rolex Should Play the Long Game

Few figures in Hollywood command the level of global recognition that Leonardo DiCaprio does, making him the most prominent actor to represent Rolex since Paul Newman. DiCaprio presents a rare opportunity to fill a long-vacant role in the Rolex pantheon: the modern successor to Newman.

Newman’s association with Rolex was organic, shaped not by a contract but by his own affinity for the Daytona, which became an extension of his persona. That consistency transformed it into an icon, ultimately leading to the model’s record-breaking status at auction.

For a new generation of collectors, however, Newman is more familiar as the voice of Doc Hudson in Cars (2006) than as a Hollywood legend. Like Björn Borg or Sir Jackie Stewart, Newman’s allure may fade with time, yet no clear successor has emerged.

Unlike many Testimonees who rotate through multiple models, Rolex would be wise to resist treating DiCaprio as just another brand ambassador. Instead, Rolex should mirror the Newman playbook, associating him with a single timepiece — one he wears consistently on red carpets, at environmental summits and on film sets.

In the long term, this could elevate a watch’s status allowing it to develop a distinct identity — much like the “Paul Newman Daytona.”

DiCaprio presents a rare opportunity to recreate that magic. The key isn’t giving the actor a collection of watches; it’s having him wear one that defines him.

Analysis: Rolex’s Subtle Announcement

(Photo credit: Rolex)

How Rolex decided to announce that one of the world's biggest actors is now the face of the brand is an interesting study in marketing — and a rare strategy in an industry that loves the spotlight.

Rolex issued no press release and made no social media posts formally announcing that Leonardo DiCaprio had joined the Rolex family. His profile appears today on the brand’s official website, but not on the homepage; instead, it is tucked within the “Rolex Family” section, accessible only after a few clicks.

Rather than releasing a dedicated video celebrating DiCaprio’s partnership, Rolex published a one-minute montage featuring many of its Testimonees, set to L’estasi dell’oro by Ennio Morricone. Among the tennis players, golfers, race car drivers and skiers, DiCaprio appears twice — each time for less than a second. That was the announcement.

Yet, the video itself is unlike any other promotional piece made by Rolex. DiCaprio, despite being one of Hollywood’s most accomplished actors, famously spent years without an Oscar win.

Midway through the clip, Rolex does something unexpected for a video celebrating its ambassadors’ successes: a skier crashes, a tennis player misses a shot, a golfer collapses to his knees, a race car breaks apart and a sailboat teeters on the verge of capsizing. Even Roger Federer is shown, head hung low, wiping away a tear.

But in the third act, the video pivots back to triumph. Persistence and endurance, it suggests, are what make greatness. A crown is not bestowed; it is reached for. The final ambassador shown is DiCaprio, smiling, as he claims his long-awaited Oscar.

Will Leonardo DiCaprio Pull a 'Daniel Craig' at the Oscars?

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Now that Leonardo DiCaprio has officially joined Rolex as a brand ambassador, the question is whether he will play the kind of strategic teasing game Daniel Craig has mastered with Omega.

Less than a week before the Oscars, Rolex made waves Tuesday by announcing DiCaprio’s induction into the Rolex Family. As the award ceremony’s main sponsor this Sunday, Rolex has a golden opportunity to generate serious buzz if DiCaprio steps onto the red carpet — or even an after-party — sporting an unreleased Rolex. With Watches and Wonders less than five weeks away, a well-placed wrist shot could build anticipation.

Craig, a seasoned brand ambassador for Omega, has become known for subtly introducing timepieces before their official release. At the 2024 Governors Awards last November, he arrived wearing an unreleased bronze-gold Omega Seamaster Diver 300, setting collectors into a frenzy. The watch was officially released last week, validating months of speculation. (Craig did the same thing the year before with a white-dial Speedmaster.)

This strategy may be unlike Rolex. But Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour has made business moves that have often stunned the industry. DiCaprio is the most prominent actor the brand has had since Paul Newman.

Rolex’s sister brand Tudor has played the tease game, most recently with its turquoise Black Bay Chrono spotted on the wrists of David Beckham and Jay Chou before its official debut. That strategy is increasingly adopted by other brands to spark conversation.

DiCaprio’s Oscars attendance is still uncertain. He isn’t nominated, but Hollywood insiders suggest he’ll be there to support his longtime friend Adrien Brody, who’s vying for Best Actor in The Brutalist. If DiCaprio does show up, all eyes — and lenses — will be locked on his wrist.

Leonardo DiCaprio Is the New Face of Rolex

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex is expected to announce on Tuesday that Leonardo DiCaprio is the newest brand ambassador — a move that aligns with Rolex’s broader Perpetual Planet Initiative, coming less than one week before the Oscars and five weeks ahead of Watches and Wonders.

It was only a matter of time before the actor — whose environmental advocacy aligns with the brand’s values — joined the Rolex family.

DiCaprio’s partnership with Rolex comes on the heels of several collaborations with Martin Scorsese, a longtime Rolex Testimonee whose alliance with the brand dates back almost a decade.

The number of shared projects between Scorsese and DiCaprio — Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2010), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) — is among the highest for director-actor collaborations, underscoring a close friendship that may have led to an introduction to Rolex executives.

Adding another layer to the Rolex partnership narrative is filmmaker and ocean explorer James Cameron, a stalwart Rolex representative who famously directed DiCaprio in Titanic.

As reported by Coronet, DiCaprio was seen wearing a Rolex Daytona at an NBA game last December. It wasn’t the first time the actor was wearing a Rolex watch, but it was an unusual sight nonetheless.