Rolex Celebrates 50 Years with Five Global Changemakers
Rolex celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Awards program by naming five women from Indonesia, Nigeria, Peru, China, and the United States as the 2026 Laureates. Originally launched in 1976 to commemorate the Oyster wristwatch's anniversary, the program has supported numerous Laureates across over 67 countries, leading to significant environmental and social impacts, including the planting of 50 million trees and the protection of 137 endangered species. The program is now part of the Perpetual Planet Initiative and will continue to support projects focused on environmental conservation, science, health, and technology. The 2026 Laureates include environmental scientist Binbin Li, who aims to protect wild pandas in China; forest conservationist Farwiza Farhan, working to defend the Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia; and medical geneticist Pardis Sabeti, who will develop a portable diagnostic tool for virus outbreaks in Sierra Leone. Additionally, conservationist Rachel Ikemeh is recognized for her efforts in saving the Niger Delta red colobus monkey, while chemical biologist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza has linked Amazon deforestation to the decline of stingless bees. Rolex plans to share the individual stories of each Laureate in order to raise awareness about the critical issues they are addressing.
