MECHANICAL ROOTS
World of Watches|Festive 2021
Rolex has had a long history with film, from the appearance of the watches on the wrists of iconic actors, to its current relationship with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
MECHANICAL ROOTS
Although progress changes how we work and produce finished products for consumption, our language often does not keep pace. Take the movies, for example, which are sometimes called films. Well, most movies these days are shot, edited and screened digitally, making the term film a bit anachronistic. If you look a little more closely at the word movie, you will discover its quirky origins. Just consider the terms motion picture and moving pictures, and then see if you have a eureka moment when you think of the word movie. Of course, no one thinks of films as motion pictures anymore, except during Oscar season because the full name of the Academy that hands out the awards is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Somewhere in all this lies the connection between watchmaking and filmmaking, and their shared origins in mechanical arts and sciences. As plenty of people are aware, cameras were not always powered by electricity, and filmmaking was mainly about mechanical energy and chemical processes. More directly, films create the illusion of motion by showing us 24 still frames a second, which of course is a feat of precise timing. No watchmaker actually uses this example, to our knowledge, by way of establishing links with cinema, but we like this synchronicity. In any case, both watchmaking and filmmaking are recognised cultural activities that capture something essential about human experiences.

This idea struck us when we received the news in September that AMPAS had opened its Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, with Rolex as a Founding Supporter. Rolex is already the AMPAS’ Exclusive Watch and Proud Sponsor of the Oscars ceremony, which is the official description from the press release on the opening of the museum.

Esta historia es de la edición Festive 2021 de World of Watches.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición Festive 2021 de World of Watches.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE WORLD OF WATCHESVer todo
DARING VENTURE
World of Watches

DARING VENTURE

Tudor partners Swiss Watch For New Boutique at The Exchange TRX.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
GEEKING OUT
World of Watches

GEEKING OUT

The biggest artisanal watch enthusiasts gather in Singapore for a weekend unlike any other in our region of the world.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
INDEPENDENCE DAY
World of Watches

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Once seen as niche players, independent watchmakers are increasingly visible within the industry as reflected in this year's edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.

time-read
10 minutos  |
Legacy 2024
DYING OF THE LIGHT
World of Watches

DYING OF THE LIGHT

Hamilton updates the Khaki Field Murph once again, this time with a sparkling new white dial and a robust stainless steel bracelet.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Legacy 2024
OPEN SECRET
World of Watches

OPEN SECRET

Ernest Borel left no stone unturned when creating the Grandeur Skeleton duo.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
GOTHIC INSPIRED
World of Watches

GOTHIC INSPIRED

Ernest Borel's Grandeur Big Date leans into the famed European architectural movement.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
LIGHT TOUCH
World of Watches

LIGHT TOUCH

Maurice Lacroix adds ultra-light titanium options to their ever-expanding Aikon collection.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Legacy 2024
LAST WORD
World of Watches

LAST WORD

Longines introduces a smaller version of the Spirit Zulu, this time in titanium.

time-read
1 min  |
Legacy 2024
RACING PEDIGREE
World of Watches

RACING PEDIGREE

Bell & Ross brings the worlds of motoring and aerospace together in the BR-X5 Racing.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Legacy 2024
AUTUMN HUE
World of Watches

AUTUMN HUE

Grand Seiko continues its celebration of the 20th anniversary of Calibre 9R with the limited edition SBGA499.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Legacy 2024