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It may unfold on the other side of the world, yet it remains one of the most thrilling weeks for car lovers everywhere, especially devotees of classic automobiles. Every August, for five days, the Monterey Peninsula in California welcomes thousands of visitors and dozens of historic cars across four distinct events: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, το Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, το Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Thanks to these “romantic” efforts, lovers of elegance and vintage automobiles have the chance to travel back in time, to the golden age of motoring. The link that unites them is Rolex, which for roughly three decades has been at the heart of these gatherings. The Swiss watchmaker first partnered with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® in 1997.
On 17 August 2025, at the famed 18th hole of the celebrated Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and before 20,000 spectators, the renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® reached its conclusion. A field of 229 cars contested the prestigious “Best of Show”. The title ultimately went to a historic Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo, a 1924 machine with wooden coachwork and a sporting temperament, which made its triumphant debut after almost two years of meticulous restoration. And as tradition dictates, its two owners, Penny and Lee Anderson, received a specially engraved Rolex Perpetual 1908 – a discreet tribute to the obsession with detail, respect for materials and thoroughness they showed in restoring the rare automobile. These are, after all, virtues that define every high-quality mechanical masterpiece.
Tom Kristensen, nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a member of the Rolex family of Testimonees, served as Honorary Judge. The Le Mans legend reflected on the essence of elegance: “Pebble Beach is a stunning setting, and it’s a privilege to return and to judge alongside so many seasoned experts. In this role, I’m tasked with finding the definition of elegance. For me, it is a combination of authenticity, design and prestige – a quality shared by these cars and by Rolex watches. To win Best of Show is an extraordinary achievement, celebrating both the owner and the vehicles’ journey. The Hispano-Suiza is a truly deserving winner.”
Away from the coast, in the hills of Monterey, another major happening unfolded from 13 to 16 August. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion had it all: from early-twentieth-century automobiles to modern endurance racing machines, which faced off at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a circuit built in 1957. Grand Marshal for this year’s edition was F1 World Champion Jenson Button, who drove a 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. Old and new in delightful coexistence.
The third Monterey event took place on 15 August, in the green oasis of The Quail Lodge & Golf Club. At the 22nd edition of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,
for which Rolex has been Official Timepiece for two decades, a 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 claimed the title of Rolex Best of Show. A rare automobile, and the newest model ever to take the award in the event’s history. Its owner, Greek-American Art Zafiropoulo, was presented with a specially engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36, honoring his commitment to preserving automotive excellence.
On 14 August, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex set off: 190 classic cars thrilled the crowds, taking on a 104.6-kilometre round trip that traced the dramatic scenery of Big Sur and crossed Bixby Bridge. Spectators had the chance to witness a “moving museum” in action.
But it was not merely a parade of historic automobiles; it is also a key factor in judging at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where performance is weighed alongside elegance. Since 2007, Rolex has served as Presenting Partner of this ceremonial route, which also functions as a kind of dress rehearsal for the grand finale, the Concours itself.
If you are searching for the thread that ties all the above together, it lies in Rolex’s DNA and in its long-standing, qualitative relationship with motor sport: from Sir Malcolm Campbell’s land-speed record in the 1930s, the partnership with Daytona’s high-speed circuit in 1959 and the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph in 1963, to title sponsorship of the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1992, Official Timepiece status at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001, and partner and Official Timepiece of the Formula 1 World Championship from 2013 to 2024. The list is long and Rolex’s philosophy is clear: respect for history, an obsession with precision, and recognition of human endeavor. These are elements you feel everywhere in Monterey: in the details of wooden coachwork, in the roar of a V12 at dawn, in the hands of a watch that measures not only time, but the moments truly worth remembering.
