Compared to some of the sporting events it sponsors, Rolex doesn’t give out a whole lot of watches during Monterey Car Week, which culminates in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance; but the timepieces it does award are highly coveted to say the least. Last year the iconic Swiss brand decided to make the Concours a showcase for its Rolex 1908 Perpetual dress watch, first launched in 2023 and named after the year the brand’s founder Hans Wilsdorf registered the name “Rolex” in Switzerland.
Inspired by one of the first Rolex watches fitted with the now famous Perpetual rotor, the 1908 is “a reinterpretation of traditional horological style imbued with the brand’s quintessential expertise and aesthetic heritage,” Rolex notes. The most “retro” amongst Rolex’s designs, it makes a fitting presentation watch, specially engraved, for the Best of Show prize at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which this year went to a unique 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo with wooden coachwork.
Nearly 30 Years of Partnership with Pebble Beach
Rolex has partnered with the Concours for nearly 30 years, and these days it also sponsors other Monterey Car Week events including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion; the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance; and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. In the past legendary F1 driver Sir Jackie Stewart has served as Rolex’s chief Testimonee at Car Week events; this year his fellow Testimonee Tom Kristensen, the Danish racing driver who holds the record for the most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine, was Rolex’s man on the spot, which included serving as a Honorary Judge.
Kristensen, who fittingly wore the Rolex Daytona “Le Mans”, which we recently named as Rolex’s coolest new limited-edition release in years, commented, “Pebble Beach is a stunning setting, and it’s a privilege to return and to judge alongside so many seasoned experts. In this role, I’m tasked with finding the definition of elegance. For me, it is a combination of authenticity, design and prestige – a quality shared by these cars and by Rolex watches. To win Best of Show is an extraordinary achievement, celebrating both the owner and the vehicles’ journey.”
The Quail: 20 Years with Rolex as Official Timepiece
At The Quail, Kristensen has on hand to help Rolex celebrate 20 years as Official Timepiece of the event, where a rare 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 was awarded the Rolex Best of Show prize, becoming the newest car ever to win the award. Owner Art Zafiropoulo received a specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 “honoring his enduring commitment to preserving automotive excellence.” We suspect Zafiropoulo might have been happier with a Rolex Daytona, but again the Datejust’s elegance suits the tenor of the event.
Jenson Button at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
At the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway meanwhile, another Rolex Testimonee, British F1 driver Jenson Button, who won the F1 World Drivers’ Championship in 2009 and also wears a Rolex Daytona Le Mans, served as Grand Marshal of this year’s event and raced behind the wheel of a 1996 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. “The event brings together incredible cars from racing’s very beginnings through to a modern era and, every year, there’s something new to discover,” he commented. “To celebrate the heritage of the sport I care so deeply about” – we’d add that Rolex itself does as well – “is a real privilege.”
Celebrating Heritage, Design, and Prestige
Rolex’s presence at Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance underscores more than just sponsorship – it highlights the deep connection between timeless watchmaking and automotive artistry. Whether it’s awarding a Rolex Datejust, showcasing the 1908 Perpetual, or seeing Testimonees like Tom Kristensen and Jenson Button take part, Rolex continues to align its name with events that embody authenticity, design, and prestige. Just as the cars celebrated on the lawn and the track carry forward legacies of craftsmanship and innovation, so too do Rolex watches, reinforcing the brand’s enduring role as both a guardian of tradition and a symbol of excellence.
