Groundbreaking innovations
2000
Calibre 4130 is a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex in 2000 for the Cosmograph Daytona and incorporates a chronograph function with a reduced number of components.
2002
The Rolex mentoring programme was founded in 2002 to encourage talented individuals through a unique programme of one to one mentoring with a major figure in their artistic discipline. Over more than a decade, the Rolex mentoring programme community has expanded across continents and cultures, and includes major creative artists of different generations and backgrounds.
Learn more about the Rolex mentoring programme
2005
Rolex developed and patented the Cerachrom bezel for specific Professional models to ensure lasting beauty and functionality even after exposure to the most extreme conditions. Fashioned from extremely hard ceramic material, it is virtually impervious to scratches, and its colour is unaffected by ultraviolet rays. Its diamond polished surface presents an exceptional lustre. The engraved 24-hour graduations are coated with a thin layer of platinum.
2005
After five years of research, Rolex created the blue Parachrom hairspring. Crafted from a paramagnetic alloy, it is unaffected by magnetic fields and up to 10 times more resistant to shocks than a traditional hairspring. Historically, the unique blue colour of the hairspring has been a sign of prestige reserved for only the most accurate timepieces.
Learn more about the movements of a Rolex
2007
The Yacht-Master II is the first watch in the world equipped with a programmable countdown featuring a mechanical memory. This function is accessed via the rotatable bezel thanks to the Ring Command, a system developed by Rolex and patented. This regatta chronograph countdown allows skippers to cross the start line with perfect timing.
2012
Rolex presented a brand new innovative model, the Sky-Dweller, a technological masterpiece intended for world travellers. It offers a dual time zone as intuitive to read as it is easy to use, as well as a particularly innovative annual calendar named Saros – in tribute to the astronomical phenomenon which inspired it – that requires only one date adjustment a year. To set its functions quickly and easily, it is also equipped with a new interface: the Ring Command system.
Discover the Sky-Dweller
2012
On 26 March 2012, filmmaker and explorer James Cameron made a historic dive to the deepest part of the world’s oceans, the Mariana Trench in his submersible. It was the first manned dive to the deepest part of the Trench, known as Challenger Deep, since the pioneering two-man Trieste expedition of 1960.
2012
The Rolex Deepsea Challenge is an experimental diving watch certified waterproof up to 12,000 metres (39,370 feet), entirely designed and built by Rolex to resist the extreme pressure in the deepest reaches of the oceans. Setting the record for the deepest diving watch in the world.
Discover the Rolex Deepsea Challenge