Mountains

A better understanding of the planet

Speleologists, volcanologists and extreme explorers are not afraid to defy their own limits and push back the horizons of the known world. Instrumental in situations of complete solitude when visual reference points no longer suffice, the Explorer II is their trusted ally, from the Poles to the depths of the Earth.

Cave exploration

Rolex Testimonee since 2022

Francesco Sauro

Francesco Sauro

Understanding the evolution of life through speleology

Francesco Sauro is an Italian geologist. One of his favourite sites for study is in a very remote region of South America, on the border of Venezuela and Brazil. This is the home of the tepuis, the table-top mountains that contain underground caves where no human being has ever ventured.

Sauro organizes and leads his expeditions himself. Together with his team, he abseils into the bowels of the Earth. By exploring these underground caves, he gathers valuable clues that aid in our understanding of the evolution of the biosphere. His explorations have led to the discovery of unique species, including bacterial colonies that teach us about the evolution of life on Earth. Sauro was a 2014 Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate.

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Haroun Tazieff

Rolex Testimonee from 1972 to 1998

Haroun Tazieff

Haroun Tazieff

Taking the pulse of the Earth

Haroun Tazieff greatly impacted his generation. A multidisciplinary scientist and pioneer in volcanology, he was instrumental in raising awareness of the need to protect the environment. It was his thirst for discovery, for a deeper understanding of the world, that led this qualified mining engineer and speleologist to study volcanoes. His aim was to measure the temperature changes in the gases and magma produced by eruptions.

During his explorations, Tazieff faced intense heat and extremely high levels of sulphur dioxide. He wore the Explorer II over his thermal suit. In 1972 he wrote to Rolex, “My watch has just passed, with flying colours, its first – and extremely demanding – volcanic test, in very aggressive gases on Mount Etna. It worked perfectly, which was not the case for the watches of my teammates.”

Rolex Testimonee since 1999

Alain Hubert

Alain Hubert
Alain Hubert

Science and exploration to preserve the planet

Alain Hubert discovered his passion for the great outdoors while tackling the Himalayas. And it was while exploring the two Poles that he became aware of the urgency of environmental issues.

The civil engineer’s achievements include the longest crossing of Antarctica, at over 4,000 kilometres. During his many expeditions, he collects scientific data that will assist in combating the devastating effects of global warming. The information gathered is used to understand the evolution of ecosystems.

Hubert, for whom field observation is essential, says, “The Explorer II is a simple watch, and on expeditions, I always want to take simple devices with me.”

Felicity Aston

Felicity Aston
Felicity Aston

A race against time

Felicity Aston was the first woman to cross Antarctica alone: a 59-day, 1,800-kilometre journey on skis. But beyond the desire to break records, it was the devastating effects of global warming that drove Aston to lead new expeditions, this time to the icy expanse of the North Pole in the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition in 2018. An eyewitness to the devastation at hand, the great explorer and meteorologist founded The B.I.G North Pole Expedition (Before It’s Gone). Supported by Rolex, this exploratory mission is led by six women. Their aim is to document the Arctic landscape and the consequences of climate change within the context of the accelerated melting of the Arctic ice pack. For Aston, this vital mission is above all a race against time: “In a few years, we will no longer be able to walk on the Arctic Ocean, so it’s urgent to collect this vital data while there’s still time.”