The Connection Between Watches & Cars Is Deeper Than We Think: One-On-One With Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button

Heading into my first-ever Monterey Car Week with Rolex this year, I had two contrasting sentiments: on the one hand, I felt confident that I knew what to expect, having edited, read about, and researched many past Monterey Car Weeks (The Quail, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance®—what more could there be?); on the other (very polarizing) hand, I realized I actually had no idea what to expect. With an angel and devil on my shoulder pulling me in different directions as I arrived at The Inn at Spanish Bay, I decided to embrace the latter feeling—that I truly didn’t know what lay ahead. And that, I discovered, was the true beauty of my first Car Week.

The weekend is divided into three events: The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering; the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which celebrated its 50th anniversary of historic racing; and the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex. Each event boasts its own sense of pride and individuality in what it brings to the industry, creating quite a dynamic weekend. 

A brief digression into the history of Rolex’s relationship with motorsport — Rolex’s longstanding connection with motorsport began in the 1930s, marked by Sir Malcolm Campbell’s historic World Land Speed Record achievements, where he became the first driver to exceed the 300 mph (483 km/h) barrier in his iconic car, Bluebird. Since those pioneering days, Rolex’s involvement in motor racing has grown, supporting legendary endurance events such as the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. 

Then, in 2013, Rolex further solidified its commitment to the sport by becoming a partner of Formula 1®, the pinnacle of motor racing. This continued its legacy of collaboration with racing legends like Sir Jackie Stewart, a Rolex Testimonee since 1968, and a three-time FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion—among others. Beyond competitive racing, Rolex shares the same enthusiasm for restoring the beauty of vintage cars, both pre- and post-war (my personal favorite became the 1930s and 1940s, as the weekend took a wild turn for me in rediscovering my late grandfather’s passion for collections cars). 

It became clear that Rolex also takes great pride in celebrating classic automotive events characterized by elegance, beauty, and tradition, such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and the Goodwood Revival. For over 25 years, since partnering with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® in 1997, Rolex has demonstrated a deep appreciation for preserving motoring heritage, supporting events that honor the enduring artistry and legacy of classic cars while evolving the industry into the modern era.

All of which is to say, the relationship between cars and watches is the industry’s ‘tale as old as time.’ And while I can certainly attest to that from numerous collaborations I have covered over the years — like TAG Heuer and Porsche, Richard Mille with McLaren, Roger Dubuis with Lamborghini, and so on — sitting down with Rolex Testimonee and 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion, Jenson Button, opened my eyes to another dimension in the deep, deep relationship. 

Within the first few minutes of chatting with Jenson Button at The Quail on Friday—during his third year attending Car Week, making him a true veteran—he made a profound statement that unintentionally shaped my weekend: “I love hypercars, and I love sports cars,” Button began, “but I think I am like a lot of people in the industry in that I love the connection to cars. I think people are struggling to find that nowadays with the more modern cars out there. For me, it’s about the connection to the car—not just how fast it will go.”

Connection is often what I build my timepiece interviews around, so hearing this ‘buzzword’ immediately made me more interested in cars than I expected. Ahead, we go one-on-one with Button as he reveals his connection to Rolex, his personal parallels between motorsport and watches, and more.

HAUTE TIME: What is your history with Rolex; how did you get connected to the brand? 

JENSON BUTTON: So I’ve been a testimony for almost three years of Rolex now; it’s the only brand I’ve pushed for so long to be part of, but it’s a brand that I love, and it comes from the first year I raced in Formula 1 with my late father who was with me through my whole career. We bought the exact same Rolex Daytonas together in 2000. So I still have that watch; I actually have it here with me (the Rolex Daytona in steel with the black dial). That was my first splurge when I got into Formula 1, and then my father, for his 70th birthday, asked if I would be interested in buying him a Rolex. And I’m like, wow, okay, Dad, we’re going big for your 70th. He showed me a picture of this watch — it was a rose gold Daytona with a black leather strap and brown dial. I wasn’t sure if it worked [aesthetically], but I got it for his 70th birthday, and sadly, he passed away not so long after that, so I have the watch now. I didn’t think that those colors would work, but it’s unbelievable, the watch is very special. 

It’s the moments in time with Rolex; it’s all about the memories. Watches are like perfume or music—something that takes you back to a moment in time. 

HT: What is the connection between motorsports and a watch for you? 

JB: It’s the mechanical side that I love. It’s the Formula 1 car; everything is moving at a much higher resolution than a watch. But the thing that I love about a watch is the mechanism. For example, a gearbox in a Formula 1 car has to be so precise to work. The difference between a gearbox and a Formula 1 car is that you have a lot of oil, so it’s easier for the cogs to fit together. Whereas with a watch, well, not every watch, but pretty much all watches have oil, but it’s minimal, right? So, the precision is that it needs to be more precise than even a Formula 1 car, which is crazy. 

Formula 1 is all about precision and pushing the boundaries, and that’s what I love about motor racing, especially Formula 1. And that’s what Rolex is all about. Their connection to motorsport, for decades — like the Daytona watch comes from a race — is something special. 

HT: What about Rolex made you so keen on the brand?

JB: It was the connection to motorsport. I wouldn’t have thought of it if it didn’t have that immediate connection to motorsport. But because it’s been around motorsport for so long, that connection really pulled me to the brand. And also that memory of the first moment I got that first watch [with my father]. 

HT: Do you associate a certain race or career highlight with a specific timepiece? 

JB: The big one for me has always been Daytona. Racing at Daytona this year was the first time I had ever competed there, and it happened just after my 44th birthday, which made it even more special. Finally, getting the chance to race in that event, the goal is always to win. The most incredible thing about that race is that everyone wants to win—not just for the victory itself, but to get a Rolex. It’s about winning the Daytona Rolex, and actually winning one means so much. People spend millions of dollars on motor racing, and it all comes down to winning a watch. That’s what Rolex represents to many people, especially the Daytona.