Rolex's Sustainable Practices In Watchmaking
The Swiss watchmaker's all-encompassing sustainability development strategies provide a benchmark for watchmaking and beyond.
Rolex, positioning itself as a trailblazer among its peers, declares its commitment to being a responsible and dedicated manufacturer of sustainable products. Beyond mere rhetoric, these words epitomise its dedication to enhancing its environmental and social impact.
The company has aligned its sustainability practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to provide a global framework that guides Rolex toward tangible actions fostering sustainable economic, social, and environmental development that is sustainable on a worldwide scale.
This alignment transcends the boundaries of watchmaking, reflecting a comprehensive commitment to a better and more sustainable future. Leveraging its existing initiatives, the brand has drawn up an inventory of its existing measures and identified areas for improvement. This work also supports the strategic thinking involved in developing its sustainability policy.
Rolex firmly believes that longevity is an inherent quality ingrained in both the company and its creations. This philosophy is epitomised by the enduring nature of its wristwatches, which are regarded as symbols of infallibility. The company’s precision engineering and impeccable craftsmanship are deliberately employed, ensuring that their wristwatches endure for multiple lifetimes when properly cared for and serviced at recommended intervals.
Rolex guarantees the best maintenance and repair services through the Rolex World Service, with the goal of providing a first-rate servicing over time. It also offers the chance to purchase certified second-hand watches, guaranteed by the brand, with the aim of preserving, maintaining and guaranteeing what is already in existence. While today’s new models carry a five-year warranty, older models receive a two-year assurance, underscoring Rolex’s unwavering commitment to excellence.
Over the years, Rolex has meticulously directed its efforts toward enhancing environmental responsibility across its offices and production facilities. Several years ago, Rolex introduced a series of actions that enable it to track its supply chains and thus guarantee the traceability of its raw materials.
Demonstrating its commitment to transparency, Rolex implemented its own ISAE 3000 Type 1 certified traceability program. The company adheres to numerous international certifications and regulations governing the myriad raw materials, metals, and precious stones employed in its creations. This holistic approach highlights Rolex’s unwavering dedication to stringent environmental standards throughout its operational ecosystem.
In prioritising sustainability, Rolex focuses on its people, including employees, partners, and customers. The brand ensures the wellbeing, health, and safety of the brand’s employees through thoughtful hiring and retention practices that promote diversity and inclusion.
Professional development and continuous learning opportunities are emphasised. Rolex also guides and supports its suppliers, service providers and official retailers in their actions to promote sustainable development and guarantees that its customers receive reliable and durable products of the highest possible quality. In 2022, a charter was introduced for partners, formalising a voluntary commitment to people and the planet, encouraging collaborative efforts for the greater good and the well-being of future generations.
Rolex implements sustainability strategies comprehensively throughout its business by deploying specialised departments and committees at various levels of its corporate governance structure.
The Sustainability Strategy Committee, established in 2020 at the Executive Team level, focuses on overseeing sustainability initiatives. In 2023, the Sustainability Advisory Council was formed to provide guidance on sustainable development challenges, including climate change, biodiversity, water, raw material traceability, and human rights.
The Impact and Sustainability Department, reporting to the Executive Team, coordinates and implements the company’s sustainability strategy in Switzerland and relevant markets. It also assesses and enhances Rolex’s actions in the non-financial domain.
The Sustainability Steering Committee, formed in 2020, supports the Sustainability Strategy Committee, representing various divisions within Rolex. Finally, the Ethics and Compliance Committee, created in 2023, manages risk across supply chains and oversees the implementation of due diligence and compliance strategies, including reports raised through the Rolex alert system.
The company’s approach to sustainability is deeply rooted in its historical commitment to supporting human achievement, dating back to Mercedes Gleitze’s English Channel swim in 1927 and the successful Mount Everest conquest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. In alignment with this mission, contemporary Rolex established its suite of Perpetual Initiatives.
This includes the Perpetual Planet Initiative, which actively supports explorers, scientists, and environmentalists in their endeavours to better understand and preserve the planet. The initiative aims to inspire future generations to continue this crucial work.
The second aspect, the Perpetual Arts Initiative, addresses sustainability from a cultural perspective by directly supporting prestigious institutions and major cultural events in architecture, cinema, music, and other fields.
The brand’s extensive sustainability commitments and strategies emphasise the immense scope of sustainable development. With the foundational proclamation that “Rolex is a responsible and committed manufacturer of sustainable products”, it has pledged and remains duty-bound to implement a comprehensive sustainable development strategy. This commitment is driven by the importance of preserving its watchmaking know-how is passed on, ensuring its relevance and excellence not only today but for many generations to come.
