Rolex’s commitment to exploration goes back nearly 90 years. Be it climbing high peaks or plumbing the depths of the oceans, the Swiss watchmaker has incorporated practical experience in the development of its timepieces. In 1953, Rolex timepieces were a part of the expedition that saw Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay scale the Everest; based on the feedback, Rolex rolled out the Oyster Perpetual Explorer series shortly after.
An idea that started out as the development of tool watches has evolved over time—in 2017, Rolex branched out into exploration linked to ecological preservation with the National Geographic, its ally since 1960. Under its recent Perpetual Planet Expedition partnership, the two have come together to support individuals and organisations that are using science and technology to understand climate change and devise solutions. The latest in this series is the expedition in the Southern Andes in South America, which happened earlier this year. A team of National Geographic explorers and scientists installed a weather station—the highest in the Southern and Western Hemispheres—just below the summit of Tupungato Volcano.
The aim of the Perpetual Planet Expeditions is to build upon and understand the impact of climate change on vulnerable water towers—significant mountainous and glacial regions that are a supply source to millions. In keeping with that, the new weather station—set at a height of 6,505m above sea level—will collect data to be used to analyse weather modelling and water-resource management. It will function alongside lower stations that were installed in December 2019—one at the upper Aconcagua basin, 70km northeast of Santiago, and two others on the neighbouring Tupungatito volcano. The two-week expedition, which began on February 19, was co-led by Dr Gino Casassa, a National Geographic explorer and head of the glaciology and snow unit of the Chile Ministry of Public Works, and Dr Baker Perry, a professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
“With the installation of the highest weather station in the Americas, scientists will have a window into atmospheric processes in the high Chilean Andes,” says Perry. “One of the most vulnerable water towers in the world, these mountains provide critical freshwater to more than six million inhabitants in nearby Santiago. The expedition is contributing to a Perpetual Planet by pushing the limits of scientific discovery and exploration to the highest reaches of the planet.”
The Tupungato volcano expedition follows the 2019 Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, the largest scientific expedition ever undertaken to the Everest, which made history with the installation of the world’s highest weather station. A team of more than 30 people—including scientists from Nepal’s Tribhuvan University—set up a network of automated weather stations (with the highest located at 8,400m above sea level) reaching the sub-tropical jet stream (powerful winds at high altitudes that are extremely difficult to track). The weather stations now provide data which helps in determining snow and ice projections. The National Geographic-Rolex partnership keeps the spirit of exploration alive and ready to meet 21st century challenges.