Geneva, June 2023 – One hundred years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has come to this moment. The culmination of a century of technological advancements, extraordinary human endeavour and heroic performances, which Rolex has supported as the Official Timepiece since 2001. In just over a week’s time, from Saturday 10–Sunday 11 June, the oldest and most prestigious endurance race will celebrate its centenary at Circuit de la Sarthe in north-west France, witnessed by an expected record-breaking crowd of 300,000 people. With renowned manufacturers returning to the sport, all attempting to cover the greatest distance in this ultimate race against time, global interest in the 24 Hours of Le Mans has never been stronger.

Since its first running in 1923, driver and machine have navigated some of the most demanding conditions around the 13.626 kilometre track. From dusk until dawn, epic contests have been staged and legends created. Nine-time winner and Rolex Testimonee Tom Kristensen is the most decorated driver in the history of the race and takes on the role of ambassador for the centenary edition. He says:

At 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 10 June, the Rolex clock will begin to count down the 24 hours of this year’s eagerly anticipated race. The capacity 62-car field features the new Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) machines and many of the sport’s biggest names, including the reigning champions, No. 8 Toyota Gazoo Racing. Striving for a sixth consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, the Japanese marque will compete alongside four of the world’s leading manufacturers – Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche – in the top Hypercar class. Toyota has shown relentless skill and precision to triumph in the opening three rounds of this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and leads the standings as the competition heads into its cornerstone race. Strengthening its relationship with endurance racing, Rolex became the Official Timepiece of the WEC in 2016 and continues to champion the series’ quest to push boundaries and test influential new technologies on racetracks around the globe. 

Reflecting the innovative spirit at the heart of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the pioneering Garage 56 car joins the grid, aiming to be the first of its kind to complete the race. Jenson Button, a Rolex Testimonee and the 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion, will co-pilot the stock car alongside NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson and sportscar specialist Mike Rockenfeller. Button says:

Rolex is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race with an original version of its legendary chronograph. Crafted in 18 ct white gold, this new watch sports a Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic; on the tachymetric scale, the number ‘100’ in red ceramic evokes the race’s centenary. Standing out against the bright black dial are intense white counters whose graphic design is inspired by a traditional Rolex dial. The Oyster case is fitted with a transparent back and an Oyster bracelet. This original timepiece is equipped with an exclusive movement, calibre 4132, which allows the hours of the chronograph function to be counted over twenty-four hours – another nod to the race – instead of the model’s usual twelve. This movement incorporates the Chronergy escapement, Paraflex shock absorbers, and bridges decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève. The cut-out oscillating weight in 18 ct yellow gold is fitted with an optimized ball bearing. Like all Rolex watches, this special version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist.

ROLEX AND MOTOR SPORT

Rolex’s close ties with motor sport date back to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s World Land Speed Record successes in the 1930s, when he became the first driver to break the 300 mph barrier (483 km/h) at the wheel of his car, Bluebird. Since then, Rolex’s presence in motor racing has grown steadily, its support extending to revered endurance events such as the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship. In 2013, Rolex became associated with Formula 1®, the pinnacle of motor sport, having supported Rolex Testimonee Sir Jackie Stewart since 1968. The three-time FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion has been joined by fellow high achievers from the world of motor sport: Tom Kristensen, the record nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner; Mark Webber, the multiple Formula 1® race winner and 2015 FIA World Endurance Champion, and Jenson Button, 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion. Most recently, Jamie Chadwick, Indy NXT driver, three-time W Series Champion and the sport’s most exciting young female talent, became part of the Rolex family.The brand also has a global appreciation for classic automotive events steeped in elegance, beauty and tradition, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the Goodwood Revival.