Rolex - Grand Prix Watches

Rolex was founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis in London. Chosen for its ease of pronounciation in any language, the name Rolex was registered by founders Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in 1908. Rolex produced trench watches during World War I, and afterwards the company relocated to Geneva due to poor economic conditions in the UK at the time. Rolex has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation since 1960.

Pre-Formula 1

The association between Rolex and Formula 1 was predated by the company’s earliest forays into motorsport in the 1830s with Sir Malcom Campbell, perhaps best known for pre-F1 Grand Prix and land speed record exploits. It was the city of Daytona, Florida, where Campbell had set several records, that would go on to shape what’s perhaps the most iconic Rolex model, the Cosmograph “Daytona” which has gone on to enjoy an inseparable association with motorsports.

Sir Jackie Stewart

Any fan of F1 and/or the Daytona will likely know that three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart is a longtime ambassador of Rolex. Stewart has featured in Rolex ads, and owns a plethora of Rolex watches. Some were courtesy of his F1 successes, such as a Daytona for winning the Monaco Grand Prix or a King Midas gifted to him for winning his first F1 title while others were personal purchases.

Grand Prix de Monaco

According to an article on Hairspring, several Rolexes with engraved case backs were awarded at the Monaco Grand Prix during the 1990s. While they were more than likely unofficial in the context of F1-related licensing, they did involve otherwise blank case backs. The exact quantity of these timepieces is not publicly known.

Official Timekeeper of Formula 1

Rolex became the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 in 2013 after taking over from Hublot, and has also since served as the title sponsor of individual races such as the Australian Grand Prix. Tudor, the sister brand originally conceived by Hans Wilsdorf as a lower priced alternative to Rolex, has also joined the F1 grid in 2024 as a sponsor of the Visa Cash App RB F1 team. Rolex revealed that they were ending their F1 tenure that same year, with TAG Heuer officially announced as its replacement on January 1, 2025.

Nico Rosberg

Despite having been retired from F1 for two years by then, former world champion Nico Rosberg was signed by Rolex as an ambassador in 2018. The initial announcement was for a three-year deal.

Mark Webber and Jenson Button

Former F1 drivers Mark Webber and Jenson Button also appear in the Rolex Family section of the company website, along with the aforementioned Sir Jackie Stewart.

Webber became a Rolex Testimonee in 2017, four years after his final F1 season, while Button joined the Rolex family in 2022.

Artisans de Genève

The closest we get to official Rolex F1 watches is by independent studios such as Artisans de Genève, a renown independent Geneva-based watchmaking workshop. Artisans de Geneve have worked with former F1 drivers including Juan Pablo Montoya, Rubens Barrichello, and Mika Häkkinen to create custom Daytona models: La Montoya in 2018, La Barrichello (in both stainless steel and rose gold) in 2019, and the Mika Häkkinen Challenge in 2021.

Skeleton Concept

Paris-based studio Skeleton Concept has also worked with former F1 driver Pastor Maldonado around 2021 to create a bespoke Pastor Maldonado Concept Rolex Daytona, using a reference 116520 Cosmograph Daytonaa as a base. In addition to Maldonado’s personal piece, 45 additional examples were created and available for sale.