The Rolex Awards for Enterprise was set up in 1976 by André J. Heiniger, then CEO of Rolex. Conceived as a one‑off celebration meant to mark 50 years of the Rolex Oyster, the world’s first waterproof watch, it drew so much international interest that Rolex transformed it into an evergreen, biennial programme instead. Since then, it has supported more than 160 laureates of over 50 nationalities, whose projects have benefited humanity and/or the planet in more than 65 countries worldwide.
“We initiated the Rolex Awards for Enterprise out of a conviction that we had a responsibility as a company to take an active interest in improving life on our planet,” shared Heiniger, “and in the desire to foster values we cherish: quality, ingenuity, determination and, above all, a spirit of enterprise.”
Today, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise is subsumed under the brand’s Perpetual Planet Initiative, which debuted in 2019 as the overarching programme for all of the brand’s conservation efforts.
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF Recognition
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise is unique in several ways. For a start, it does not retrospectively honour past accomplishments; rather, it supports new or ongoing projects. Application criteria are also highly atypical. In the spirit of recognising original, visionary projects that can improve lives and protect our planet, as well as the expertise and will to execute them, the Awards only requires candidates to be aged 18 and above—no other academic or professional qualifications are needed.
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