The Close Ties Rolex Maintains With the World of Cinema

Not only have Rolex watches played their own role on the wrists of legendary characters of the silver screen, but the Swiss watchmaker extends its support of artistic and technical excellence in filmmaking in various other ways.

Rolex actively encourages the preservation and transmission of the cinematic arts, promotes excellence and celebrates progress by accompanying living legends as well as young, emerging talents through its Testimonees – Martin Scorsese and James Cameron – its partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the institution, the awards and the Academy Museum in Los Angeles), Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation and the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

The Oscars ceremony – the highlight of the annual film season – is a unique celebration of the excellence, inspiration and technical genius it takes to make a masterpiece. For the eighth consecutive year, Rolex was a Proud Sponsor of the Oscars ceremony held on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. With a live telecast to more than 200 territories worldwide, this unique event does more than celebrate cinema – year after year it helps shape the landscape of cinema worldwide.

The Oscars represents infinitely more than a recognition by one’s peers. It celebrates inspiration and emotion, as well as the production process, the technical expertise and all else that goes into the making of a film. To borrow a favourite expression of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, it is an ode to “a work done handsomely”. Cinema is at once an art, a science and an industry, and the Oscars ceremony shines a light on every one of its facets.

In its capacity as a Proud Sponsor of the Oscars ceremony, Rolex is the official host of the Greenroom, the antechamber of the Oscars. Here, nominees and presenters gather inside a specially designed lounge before and after stepping onto the stage – some returning with a coveted statuette.

Each year, Rolex develops a unique immersive experience and a new décor for the Greenroom. This year, it provided a representation of a light and delicate vegetal environment, using the image of fans as inspiration. The concept integrated essential elements from nature – organic structures and chlorophyll – and aimed to create harmony between them through a chromatic universe.

The shapes within this vegetal universe recalled details such as the fluting on watch bezels and the brushed metal surfaces of watch dials, transmitting their luminous vibrations. On display in the Greenroom was the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 in 18-carat Everose gold with a slate ombré dial. A watch of great prestige, the Day-Date has only ever been made from precious metals and is instantly recognisable, partially thanks to its emblematic President bracelet. Shimmering in the vegetal décor of the 2024 Greenroom, the stately presence of the Day-Date conveyed the momentousness of the Oscars ceremony. Like legendary films, the Day-Date claims its own place in history, unfailingly appropriate for a paramount situation.

The Governors Awards – of which Rolex is also a sponsor – marks the beginning of the Oscars season. They honour the great names of cinema and are presented in recognition of a lifetime of remarkable achievements.

Historic Partnership

In 2017, Rolex sealed its partnership with the film industry’s highest authority, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – becoming the Exclusive Watch of the Academy, Proud Sponsor of the Oscars, and Exclusive Sponsor of the Governors Awards. Rolex is also a Founding Supporter and Official Watch of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Accordingly, the watch company promotes excellence, the perpetuation of knowledge, the conservation of the art, and rise of new talent. The Academy’s mission is to celebrate all aspects of the film industry, preserve its legacy for future generations, spark inspiration, and connect global audiences through their passion for cinema. This long-term partnership underscores the convergence of the values shared by Rolex and the motion picture arts.

Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative

For more than a half a century, Rolex has partnered with some of the world’s most talented artists and leading cultural institutions to celebrate excellence and contribute to perpetuating artistic heritage, creating a link between the past, present and future. Through the Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative, a broad portfolio of arts that extends through music, architecture, cinema and the Rolex mentoring programme, the brand confirms its long-term commitment to global culture.

In all these endeavours, Rolex supports artistic excellence and the transmission of knowledge to future generations, who in turn pass on and preserve the world’s cultural legacy.

Incidentally, the word ‘Perpetual’ is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its illustrious history, Rolex has registered over 600 patents.

At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of movements, cases, dials, and bracelets. Furthermore, in addition to arts and culture, Rolex is also an active supporter of sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.

Featured image: Rolex hosted the 96th Oscars Greenroom