Mastering the power of mechanics. Developing the precision of manual techniques. Controlling risk to determine the ideal trajectory. Rolex and motor sport have been linked since the 1930s, at the height of the pursuit of speed records. These ties have been continuously strengthened as the discipline has evolved, in a shared quest for technical advancement. Today, Rolex partners the sport’s most esteemed figures, revered endurance championships and leading events.
The mechanics of progress
The shared history between Rolex and motor sport has always been about progress. It began in the 1930s when racing driver Sir Malcolm Campbell set his greatest land speed records. On his wrist he wore an Oyster, which he exposed to the extreme conditions of motor racing.
Today, the partnerships between motor sport and Rolex have developed with a new challenge in mind, one of an energy efficiency that stretches the limits of performance even further.
Doing better with less: this is the two-fold sporting and environmental challenge that racing teams and manufacturers are taking on. They all face stringent competition rules and timetables to achieve these new goals.
Since its founding, Rolex has been committed to the dynamics of progress and supports motor sport in this transformation.
The degree of perfection that has been reached is no coincidence.
Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex
Rolex, at the heart of motor sport
Rolex enjoys a long-standing partnership with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The ACO has organized the 24 Hours of Le Mans - the world's oldest and most prestigious endurance sports car race - since its inaugural edition in 1923 while the Swiss watchmaking brand has been the race's Official Timepiece since 2001. The ACO also oversees the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the world's leading international sportscar championship. Since 2016, Rolex has served as Official Timepiece of this series, with which it shares a quest for excellence and commitment to continually push the boundaries of engineering and human endeavour.
In 2025, Rolex becomes the Official Timepiece of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the IMSA (WeatherTech) SportsCar Championship. Since 1992, the brand has been Official Timepiece of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the premier event of the racing series, and has partnered the Daytona International Speedway – home to the gruelling round-the-clock race – since it opened in 1959.
Rolex also partners the 12 Hours of Sebring, which, together with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, forms the Triple Crown of endurance racing.
These iconic events, institutions and racing circuit express the quintessence of the qualities that drive motor sport: the mastery of mechanical power and a passion for innovation, precision movement and risk management in the quest for the ideal trajectory.
Superlative expressions of automotive legend, endurance racing and the WEC symbolize the perpetual quest for excellence, making every success a springboard for new conquests.
