With all the technological advancements and innovations regularly emerging from the world of haute horlogerie today, it is almost hard to fathom a time when mechanical wristwatches were seen as finicky timekeepers, valued more for their looks than their reliability. Harder still to imagine that this era was as recent as the early 20th century — a mere two generations ago. But it was Rolex that changed everything.

Deeply dissatisfied with the unreliable state of horology in his day, founder Hans Wilsdorf made it his life’s mission to transform the wristwatch from a mere piece of jewellery into a reliable instrument capable of keeping up with the movements of individual wearers and the vagaries of their increasingly active daily life. To accomplish this, he focused on three key innovations:

The first was to be able to produce small movements as precise as marine chronometers, the absolute references of the period. The second, to develop a robust and waterproof case to protect the movements from external factors such as dust, moisture, splashes and perspiration. And the third, to fit the watch with a self-winding system that would offer the wearer greater convenience on a daily basis. By 1931, he had achieved all three goals.

Modern-day Rolex has not only carried that spirit of uncompromising excellence into the 21st century—it has expanded on it. Today, every Rolex watch bears the title of “Superlative Chronometer,” a promise of exceptional quality expressed through eight core pillars: precision, waterproofness, autonomy, robustness, simplicity, craftsmanship, comfort, and durability.

Setting New Standards

Precision is the eternal pursuit of all watchmakers, but few have taken it as seriously as Rolex has from day one. In 1910, a Rolex became the first wristwatch to obtain a chronometric precision certificate from an official rating centre, and just four years later, it received a Class ‘A’ certificate from the Kew Observatory in England — the highest authority on chronometric precision at the time. Today, that authority is the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), and while all Rolex movements are COSC- certified, that alone was not enough. In order to be declared a ‘Superlative Chronometer’, the finished and assembled watch must then pass the Superlative Control tests. This certification, unique to the Rolex Manufacture, guarantees an exceptional precision of –2/+2 seconds per day, surpassing COSC’s standard of -4/+6 seconds per day.

Rolex proudly holds the distinction of being the inventor of the world’s first waterproof watch, the Oyster, introduced in 1926. However, it has never rested on this particular laurel. In 1953, Rolex enhanced this innovation by introducing the Twinlock crown, which paved the way for the Triplock crown in 1970, followed by the Ringlock system in 2008. Furthermore, it is not just the watches that are impervious to water and dust; the environments in which these watches are manufactured also maintain closely monitored humidity and air purity levels.

Watches in the Oyster Perpetual collection have a minimum water resistance of 100 metres, but Rolex has built in a safety margin of up to an additional 10 percent for base models and an extra 25 percent for diving watches. The Deepsea Challenge models, boasting an incredible water resistance of 11,000 metres, are additionally tested in ultra-high-pressure tanks to ensure they can withstand pressures at depths of 13,750 metres. The Oyster Perpetual designation signifies that a watch is not only waterproof but also self-winding, with an average autonomy of about 72 hours when unworn and unwound.

Quality In Simplicity

Rolex watches are meant to be worn, which is why the Manufacture goes to great lengths to safeguard its timepieces against the rigours of daily life. This begins with the selection of only the highest quality materials, such as its proprietary Oystersteel and RLX titanium cases, as well as the vivid and scratch-proof high- tech Cerachrom bezels and bezel inserts. The robustness of Rolex watches is also assessed through tests that reproduce exposure to extreme conditions. There is a device that subjects the watches to a pressure of 4.5 tonnes; one that drops them from 20 different positions; as well as one that pounds them mercilessly. These tests ensure that the superlative performance of each watch will remain undiminished, whether it is strapped to the wrist of a mountaineer, a navigator, a deep-sea diver or a polar explorer.

Since its creation, Rolex has been driven by the conviction that mechanical simplification is a measure of performance and reliability. The Cosmograph Daytona, for instance, despite being a showcase of timing expertise par excellence, is composed of only 314 components. The same goes for the development of the Saros annual calendar. Unveiled in 2012 on the Sky-Dweller, this annual calendar requires only an additional four gear trains and two gear ratios to display the date. Even operating the Sky-Dweller is an exercise in simplicity, thanks to the Ring Command system, which allows the wearer to effortlessly set the date, month, local time, and reference time using the rotating bezel and crown.

Metiers d’art (artistic crafts) is evident in every detail of a Rolex watch, regardless of how utilitarian the model may be. From the way the middle cases catch and reflect light to the optimised geometry and curvature of the watch case and bracelet, every millimetre adheres to Rolex’s exacting standards of aesthetic artistry. Even its glamorous gem-set watches follow the same principles, with craftsmen selecting only the highest-quality stones and setting them with exceptional mastery and polish.

Tested and Proven

The comfort of the wearer, a quality brought to the fore by the advent of the wristwatch, has become an essential part of the quest for excellence that Rolex has embarked upon. Continuous improvements in wearability have resulted in innovative features like the Oysterlock safety clasp and the additional Easylink, Rolex Glidelock and Fliplock extension systems.

While wear and tear are inevitable, Rolex is committed to mitigating their effects. The sheer variety of machines the company has developed for stress-testing its products is staggering. Some machines are dedicated to shaking bracelets, while others continuously open and close the clasps. There are machines that soak watches in chlorine and salt, spray them with sand, and subject them to intense heat or cold. However, machines cannot replicate every scenario, so prototypes are worn by real people for years before the final watches are ready for series production.

This extreme — some might even call it draconian — approach to quality control has always been a priority at Rolex. And so every Rolex watch is, in every sense of the word, a superlative masterpiece.

This article first appeared on WOW’s Legacy Issue #75

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Last year, Chevrolet demonstrated that the 2025 Corvette ZR1 could achieve a top speed of 233 mph. It’s not just fast in a straight line, though.

Chevrolet took the ZR1 to five of the most famous American racetracks, setting new lap records at every single one of them.

The Corvette ZR1 completed a lap of Road America in 2 min 8.6 seconds, beating the Porsche 911 GT3 RS’ time by 5 seconds.

At Road Atlanta, the ZR1 clocked a lap time of 1 min 22.8 seconds, beating the previous best time of 1 min 24.8 seconds set by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

The ZR1 outpaced the McLaren Senna at the VIR Grand Course by 2 seconds. The new lap record now stands at 2 min 32.3 seconds. It also holds the lap record of 1 min 52.7 seconds at Watkins Glen.

The new ZR1 is the most powerful Corvette ever built. It is powered by an LT7 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 featuring a flat-plane crankshaft. It generates 1064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque and revs to 8000 rpm.

• Porsche and Michelin have developed the Pilot Sport S 5 N0 tire with Michelin for the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS
• The street-legal tire is designed for use on wet tracks and in cooler conditions
• The tire will be available exclusively through Porsche dealerships

Booking a track day in advance only to have the weather turn sour when the time comes is a dilemma many track enthusiasts have experienced. Many leading track tires are notorious for delivering very little grip in the wet due to their reduced tread pattern, but Porsche recently teamed up with Michelin to develop a street-legal track tire designed for use in wet and cooler conditions.

The tire is based on Michelin’s latest Pilot Sport S 5 tire, which was launched a couple of years ago, initially on the Aston Martin DB12. Porsche’s version is classified as the N0 version, keeping the tradition where Michelin’s N-marked tires are normally specially developed for Porsche models.

Porsche said to think of the new tire as the opposite of Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 R semi-slick tire, which is designed for dry tracks in warmer environments. But beyond just being a track tire, Porsche said the new rubber is suitable for use as an everyday tire in countries with predominantly wet weather, in both cool and warm climates. The optimum temperature is between 40 and 60 degrees F.

Key characteristics that help the tire’s performance in the wet include a tread pattern with four large central grooves that are a relatively deep 7.4 millimeters, helping to dissipate more water. A high proportion of silica in the rubber compound further improves grip on wet surfaces and supports the tire in reaching operating temperature faster, Porsche said.

The result of all these measures is improved grip—and faster lap times—in wet conditions. However, another bonus is a relatively high level of resistance toward wear, helping extend the period between changes.

“The Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 gets up to temperature very quickly,” Jörg Bergmeister, a racing driver and now Porsche brand ambassador, said in a statement. “In wet conditions and low ambient temperatures, it offers outstanding levels of control and predictability when changing direction.”

The Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 N0 tire will be available exclusively through Porsche dealerships, and initially for the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS only, in sizes 275/35 ZR 20 for the front and 335/30 ZR 21 for the rear. The exact timing of availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.