The World Beneath

Backed by Rolex, Sylvia Earle is determined to protect our oceans with her Mission Blue initiative

In September 1979, oceanographer Sylvia Earle was strapped to the front of a small submarine and dropped into the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. When she reached the seabed and unfastened herself, Earle was 381 metres beneath the surface, setting the world record for the deepest untethered dive.

The marine biologist and explorer has worked tirelessly to bring attention to the crisis in our oceans. She’s been a Rolex ambassador since 1982, and her most ambitious project, Mission Blue, is backed by the watchmaker as part of its Perpetual Planet initiative, which was launched in 2019 to help redefine our relationship with the blue planet by finding solutions to Earth’s environmental challenges.

The word “perpetual” holds a special place in the vocabulary of Rolex. For nearly a century, it’s been inscribed on every Oyster watch built at the company’s manufacture in Switzerland. Used to describe something that never ends, the “perpetual” philosophy has come to reinforce the watchmaker’s conservation efforts. Since the 1930s, brand founder Hans Wilsdorf has supported intrepid explorers, mountaineers and scientists as well as their quests to the toughest places on Earth. Perpetual Planet has become a way for Rolex to continue Wilsdorf’s legacy.