Rolex Collaborations: Every Partnership the Brand Made Beyond the Watch World

Rolex has done a lot of collaborations since their beginning, corporate or institutional, a lot of them we know, but some are still under the radar. We don’t have a complete list, just information gathered from passionate people or watches that appeared at auction. 

Rolex insisted that they don’t make watches, they make tools. From the beginning, the founder, Hans Wilsdorf, saw the world as a testing ground and people from different sectors: pilots, divers, explorers etc, as the validators of his product. 

Normally, this vision gave rise to one of the most diverse and unexpected portfolios of corporate relationships in Luxury Brand History. 

From Coca-Cola, PanAM or Greyhound Bus Lines, Rolex collaborated with everyone that wanted to put their logo on Rolex watches. 

In this article I want to create a comprehensive list with all the Rolex collaborations made and what it represented.

Unlike other watch manufacturers that kept their business tight to haute horlogerie, Rolex, at least for the better part of the 20th century, has forged partnerships with energy companies, airlines, beverage giants or supermarket chains.

Some of these Rolex collaborations became iconic, and some watches now sell for multiple of their original price. I also wrote an article Rolex vs Omega and analyzed 2 giants competing for the best watches.

Aviation – Probably the most successful Rolex collaborations

Of all Rolex collaborations history, none is more iconic or had a more lasting impact on horology than Rolex-Pan American World Airways in the early 1950s. As the golden era of commercial aviation started, Pan Am’s intercontinental routes demanded a practical solution to a problem that existed back then, tracking multiple time zones at once. 

Rolex had stepped in and solved the problem with the creation of GMT-Master, a watch featuring a fourth hand that completed a full revolution every 24 hours and a rotating bezel that had two marked 12 hour periods . Just like the Longines Spirit Zulu Time which we reviewed. 

This allowed anyone, but especially pilots, to track home and local time at the same time at a glance. The model issued to Pan Am was the reference 6542 which had the now iconic red and blue bezel, nicknamed Pepsi! Rolex Pepsi became part of the airline’s official flight kit on long trans Atlantic or trans Pacific routes. 

GMT-Master is one of the most recognisable Rolex models in history and also the watch that established a template for a category of watch (dual or multi timezone complication). 

Aviation Heritage

The partnership between Rolex and Pan Am  wasn’t the only connection with aviation for the watchmaker. The Air King was introduced in 1945 and it was created to celebrate the Royal Air Force pilots of the Battle of Britain. Air King became one of Rolex’s primary watches when it came to corporate award programmes across industries. 

Saudi Arabian Airlines commissioned a custom-dial Rolex Oysterdate watch with the airline logo. These watches were awarded to employees and associates as prestige gifts. Some watches appeared in auction houses and collectors circles.

Deep Sea-From Air to Water

From the 1970’s up until 2008, Rolex collaborated with COMEX (compagnie Maritime d’Expertises). If the collaboration with Pan Am gave birth to the most famous model, the COMEX partnership gave the brand one of their most technically significant ones. 

COMEX was founded in 1962, in Marseille, and they specialised in deep saturation diving for the offshore oil industry. So not the perfect working conditions, in fact these conditions could be lethal for man or equipment. 

Rolex stepped in again to save the day, and at the initiative of Rolex CEO, Andre Heiniger, a partnership was established in the 70’s. The French diving company had received models like Rolex Submariner or Sea-Dweller with the COMEX logo on the dial. The partnership was symbiotic, a Diving company using one of the best Diver Watches in the world. 

This provided Rolex with a great opportunity to test their watches in an extreme real-world testing environment. From this partnership, one of the most important mechanical innovations took birth, and I’m talking about Saturation Divers. 

The problem that Diver watches had in the past was the fact that if a watch was in constant pressure for a long time, helium atoms would damage the seal during decompression causing crystals to blow off as the gas expanded. So after Rolex and COMEX did some testing in hyperbaric chambers which contributed to the development of the helium escape valve, like the one we have on Omega Seamaster. 

The first helium escape valve appeared on a Rolex Submariner reference 5513/5514, and after that on Sea-Dweller reference 1665. The helium escape valve remains a standard feature for professional dive watches. 

Each watch in partnership with COMEX was issued with a special serial number, and casebacks were engraved with individual unit codes. For example French assignments had the country code 115 while the code 119 was used for COMEX broader deployment allowing them to know which diver had which watch. 

Surviving pieces are rare and COMEX Sea-Dweller with reference 1665 has a price of $150,000-$200,000 in today’s market. The collaboration with COMEX ended in 2008 but it was not the full end, because Rolex and COMEX still test together the watches. 

Corporate collaborations. Logo Dials and Prestige Awards

Starting with the 1950s and up until the late of the 90s, Rolex had a programme that today seems impossible to imagine. They allowed corporations, government entities and organisations to commission watches with their own logos printed on the dial or engraved on the back of the case. 

Of course, these watches were never sold publicly, they were used just for internal rewards, service recognitions or milestone trophies. The result is that now we have a variety of co-branded Rolex Watches that became some of the most collectible objects in the watch world. 

Domino’s Pizza 1977 -present

Probably the second most known Rolex collaborations, after Pan Am which resulted in a great watch. History tells us that this collaboration did not come through a board or representative meeting from each company, it actually started with a bet. 

In 1977, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, Tom Monaghan was wearing a Bulova watch with the company logo. One collaborator that owns a franchise from Domino’s asked what he needed to do to earn that watch, and the franchisee managed to do exactly that, so the watch went on his wrist. 

That moment was the beginning of a tradition for Domino’s Pizza. At first, they gave away SEIKO watches for some years. Then Monaghan, the owner of Domino’s Pizza turned the notch up a little and the prize was a Rolex Air-King reference 5500 , which at that time was priced at $800. From that moment, any franchise manager who achieved $20,000 in weekly sales for four consecutive weeks earned a co-branded Rolex with the Domino’s logo on the dial.

Later the target was raised to $25,000. It is worth mentioning that those watches weren’t aftermarket modifications, but produced directly by Rolex for Domino’s. The watches were ordered by Schlandered & Sons in Michigan where also Domino’s had the headquarters.

At first, the earlier models had a full colour Domino’s logo position at six o’clock, other variants had the logo tilted at 45 or 90 degrees, some in color, others in black and white. Around 2003, Rolex decided not to print logos on their dials, so Domino’s decided to go with a steel applique riveted to the bracelet link. 

The partnership ended in 2022 and it was replaced by Omega. Not the same impact I would add. 

At the beginning it was just a curiosity, but now Rolex watches with Domino’s logo could reach a price of $20,000 or more at an auction. 

Coca-Cola from 1950 to 1970

Coca-Cola used to give Rolex Oyster Perpetuals for 25 years of service awards. Most of the watches featured the Coca-Cola logo alongside the “25 years of service” text.

The majority of watches have the logo in black but there are some models as well that have the traditional red Coca-Cola logo. Those models are very rare and obviously more desirable. The most common reference is the Oyster Perpetual reference 1003. These watches are the earliest examples of American corporate culture that adopted Rolex as its prestige reward. 

Chevrolet- Diamond Jubilee Rolex

General Motors division, Chevrolet, commissioned Rolex Datejust watches, including the reference 16018 in gold. They did this in order to mark the brand’s Diamond Jubilee. These watches have the Chevrolet logo and they were gifted to the dealers, executives and top performers within the Chevrolet. 

Winn-Dixies Stores from 1980s to 1990s

Winn-Dixie is a Florida based supermarket chain and they ran a decade-long Rolex award programme. Each truck driver that achieved ten years of safe driving received a co-branded Air-King reference 14000 with a Winn-Dixie logo.

It also produced a different variant for members of the company’s “Protective Maintenance” team that reached the same milestone. The models for Protective Maintenance team are considered rarer than the drive ones and both feature a distinctive logo design that reflects the company’s rebranding in the mid 1990s.

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch is the brewer behind the Budweiser brand. It was one of the companies that used Rolex watches ad emp-loyee recognition awards. Co-branded Rolex watches having the Anheuser-Busch logo were issued as part of the company’s incentive programme. 

Greyhound Bus Lines

Like Winn-Dixies Stores, Greyhound Lines awarded co-branded Rolex Air-King to drivers who completed ten years of safe driving. This was an early example of awarding a Rolex watch as a safety incentive in the transportation sector. The Greyhound dial watches are rare and rarely appear on the open market. 

Hallmark Cards

Hallmark is an American giant when it comes to greeting cards and they also used co-branded Rolex Air King as part of its performance incentive programme. Rolex with Hallmark logo were awarded to top-performing distributors and managers from the company’s extensive retail network. 

New York Yankees – World Series champions 1956

In 1956 New York Yankees won the World Series Championship, so Rolex supplied a special trophy watch to them. A  Rolex Oyster Perpetual having the “Yankees 1956 World Series Champions” was among the gifts given to the team. One of the most notable recipients is Yogi Berra. 

New York Jets -Superbowl III 1968

The New York Jets victory in SuperBowl III is one of the most celebrated moments in NFL history. Rolex produced a commemorative Oyster Perpetual reference 1005 with a custom dial marking the occasion. The watches were issued in 1968 and are extremely rare and represent an early entrance of the Rolex in the world of American football. 

Cotton Bowl Classic

Cotton Bowl Classic is one of America’s oldest college football bowl. They commissioned a special Rolex Datejust with the bowl’s logo. These watches were awarded to participants, officials and sponsors. 

Oil,Gas and Petrochemicals – A watch for one of the most richest industries

The global oil and gas industry is the sector with most Rolex special produced watches. And we can see why they have a lot of money. From the refineries of Saudi Arabia to the drilling platforms of the Gulf of Mexico, Rolex became a standard prestige award for achievements.

There are more than 20 distinct oil, gas and petrochemical companies that are documented as having orders for logo-dial Rolex between the 1960s and the 1990s.

 We will discuss some of them here . 

Halliburton

One of the world largest oilfield service companies issued Rolex Datejust watches for significant service anniversaries. Some variants come with the Halliburton name printed on the dial, others use the name arranged at the hour-marker positions around the dial instead of standard indices. It’s something different and an unusual dial design that makes these watches distinctive in the world of Rolex collaborations. 

Saudi Arabian Refining and Aramco

The world’s largest oil company and its subsidiaries ordered Rolex watches on multiple occasions. Saudi Aramco ordered Oysterquartz references with refinery logos for 1967 until 2017. SAMAREC (Saudi Arabian Marketing and Refining Company) which later merged with ARAMCO also commissioned Rolex Datejust and Oyster Perpetual Date watches with enamel logo dials and some of the company’s names were in both English and Arabic.

BANOCO from Bahrain issued Air-King watches bearing the company’s logo in place of the six o’clock text. 

Pool Intairdril

It’s an oil conglomerate with operations in Brazil. They rewarded employees with a Rolex Air-King after achieving a specific number of accident-free days on an offshore rig. Unlike other corporate award watches, those from Pool Intairdril included the company logo on the dial and personal engravings on the case back. 

A rarer Oyster  Perpetual Date variant was awarded to the winners of the company’s “RIg of the Year” competition. It has a distinctive globe in a P logo that makes the watches immediately recognizable.

Mid-Continent Supply Company 

They issued co-branded Rolex Watches to long-tenured employees. The company supplied equipment to oil operators across New Mexico and Texas. The company was eventually acquired by T.Boone Pickens Natural Resources. The watches issued by them are among the more obscure oil-sector Rolexes but represent a fascinating snapshot of mid-century American oil Industry. 

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Quarles Drilling Corporation 

Quarles Drilling Corporation is a Louisiana based company that awarded Rolex Air-King reference 5500 with the company logo to employees as service awards. The company doesn’t operate independently anymore, and the watches awarded by them are now relics of a chapter in American energy history. 

Saudi Industrial Resins and Other Middle Eastern Companies

Saudi Industrial Resins it’s a leading supplier of polymer resins in the MENA region, is among several smaller Middle Eastern petrochemical companies that commissioned logo-dial Rolex watches. Shell and Exxon branding has also appeared in the market and on the Rolex dials, reflecting how thoroughly the oil industry adopted Rolex’s prestige award model across international operations. 

Tiffany & Co. – Maybe the most famous retailer partnership

From the 1950s, TIffany was authorised to retail Rolex watches in the United States and uniquely to co-sign the dials with the TIffany name below the Rolex logo. This is maybe the most significant and historically important of Rolex’s outside world partnership.

For decades these double-signed dials appeared on a wide range of Rolex references, including the Datejust, Day-Date, Explorer II, Submariner and others. The most important and well known models are the ones with the famous Tiffany Blue dial which combines Rolex engineering and Tiffany’s signature color, that now commands extraordinary premiums. 

At auction, TIffany signed Rolex watches usually sell for two or three times the price of the same unsigned models. 

The partnership ended in the early 1990s when Rolex cut ties with Tiffany and ceased honouring warranties on watches bearing the co-signature. A move that reflected Rolex’s growing plans on controlling its own brand presentation. 

In 2021, a Tiffany-signed Patek Philippe Nautilus caused a global sensation when it was sold for millions above the estimate, reigniting the interest in all double-signed luxury watches. 

Kings and Generals – Rolex collaborations and Diplomacy

Not only companies have ordered co-branded Rolex’s, but also heads of states, or kings have done so, and Rolex was quick to supply.

Sultanate of Oman – The Khanjar Dials

It is one of the most mysterious and exclusive Rolex collaborations. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman, who ruled the country from 1970 until his death in 2020, commissioned Rolex watches bearing the Khanjar emblem, a curved ceremonial dagger above two crossed swords that serves as the national symbol of Oman.  It was used as gifts to visiting heads of state, senior diplomats and in some documented instances, to members of the British Special Forces. 

These watches are special and extraordinary for a couple of reasons. First, Rolex moved its own signature to a different position on dials to accommodate the Khanjar emblem. Something almost unthinkable when it comes to Rolex and their rigid policies. Second, the watches were never sold commercially, their only path into private hands was through the recipient. 

Third, the precise quantities and full distribution history remain unknown. Khanjar Rolexes sell for substantial premiums and are considered among the most culturally significant watches the brand has produced. 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – UAE

The ruler of Dubai, is the other noted Gulf royal with a documented history of ordering custom-crest Rolex Watches for diplomatic and personal gifting purposes. Rolex produced dials with the UAE state crest for these occasions, placing them in the same tradition as the Omani Khanjar watches. It is documented that Rolex had produced watches with custom dials for at least 15 different government crests and national seals across its history. 

Rolex collaborations in Modern Era – Public Partnerships and Special Editions 

24 Hours of Le Mans- Centenary Daytona 

In 2023, Rolex for the first time in the modern era, Rolex produced a limited edition watch to mark the centenary of the 24 hours Le Mans which Rolex has sponsored since 1992. Rolex launched Le Mans Daytona, a white gold Cosmograph that visually referenced the Paul Newman Daytona from the 70s but they also incorporated elements drawn from Le Mans iconography. This model was produced from July 2023 to April 2024. 

Vienna Philarmonic Day-Date 2024

At the beginning of 2024, Rolex announced a partnership with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the most important classical music institutions.

This collaboration resulted in a special Day-Date watch with the orchestra’s famous gold bullion  coin which is one of the best selling bullion coins in the world. This release marked a step ahead for Rolex when it comes to arts on watches. 

Science and Exploration – Watches as instruments

Reaching for the sky- Griffith Pugh and the Everest Expedition in 1953

Funny thing, but Rolex doesn’t publicise this achievement tha much, even though it is one of the earliest and technical collaborations that Rolex had. It was with British physiologist Griffith Pugh, a key figure in the British Mount Everest Expedition from 1953 led by Sir John Hunt. 

Pugh had contributed to physiology and high-altitude survival equipment which were vital to the expedition’s success. He worked directly with Rolex before and after the climb. He had a correspondence with Rolex London’s Office in which he sent technical feedback on the performance of Rolex watches in extreme cold and altitude. 

Rolex didn’t make all this public, but this collaboration was important because it contributed to the brand’s refinement of their Oyster line in high-altitude conditions. 

Mariana Trench 1960

Deep dive and High altitude. This is what Rolex is all about. On 23 January 1960, Don Walsh, a US Navy Liutenant piloted with Swiss oceanographer Jaques Piccard the bathyscaphe Trieste into the Mariana Trench which is the deepest point in the earth’s oceans. They descended to 10,916 meters. 

Strapped to the hull of the vessel was a Rolex experimental prototype called the Deep Sea Special. The watch survived 9 hours at depth under extreme pressure. With the information gathered, Rolex developed the Sea-Dweller and, decades later the Rolex Deepsea Challenge. 

James Camron descended to the same trench in 2012 aboard the Deepsea Challenger wearing a Rolex Deepsea Challenge prototype.  If you want to know more about Dive Watches you can check the guide we created.

Rolex collaborations- Miscellaneous and Curiosities

The freemasons

Masonic lodges in the United States are documented as having commissioned Rolex Air-King watches with the Masonic emblems, typically the square and compass symbol. They were used for award or ceremonial purposes. 

These watches are in a curious position in Rolex History because they didn’t serve a corporation or a governmental purpose, but a fraternal one. These watches are uncommon on the open market but are well-documented among collectors. 

AB Trucking and Small Businesses

An unexpected artefact of the Rolex logo’s dial era are watches with the logo and names of small businesses A GMT-Master from 1979 having the name “AB Trucking” is among the examples cited by vintage dealers. It is an example of how broadly and indiscriminately the co-branding programme was applied. 

Similar examples exist from drilling companies, distribution companies and regional contractors.  Basically, Rolex was willing to print anything for any paying customer.  Strange how things change in time. 

Levi’s Youthwear

There is a  Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date reference 1500 having the Levi’s Youthwear logo. It is documented by the collectors. So, the fashion apparel sector was not entirely absent from the Rolex’s corporate dial programme. 

The Meaning of all this Rolex collaborations

Well, this is it, I tried to put together everything I found about Rolex collaborations, I’m very sure I missed a lot of them, but this article can be improved over time. 

What do I like about this? Well, it’s an interesting story, part of Rolex history, and it shows us that even then they took seriously the idea that their watches belonged wherever excellence was being pursued. 

Maybe that’s why Rolex is associated with success and wealth. Nowadays you can have all the money in the world and still can’t get a Rolex without waiting for it. Strange how times change.