Rolex 1 Million Dollar Grant Aids OSU-Okmulgee Watchmaking Program

Rolex is well known as the world's most famous manufacturer of luxury watches.  Less obvious, is the brand's philanthropy in regard to promoting the education of watchmakers, who are becoming increasingly vital to the industry at large as growing numbers of fine timepieces from brands across the industry are sold and will eventually require service.  
Rolex has agreed to become the exclusive underwriter of the Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee Watchmaking and Microtechnology Program, which has been in operation since 1946, and has earned a respected position serving the needs of the national watchmaking community.

"The decision by Rolex to become the exclusive industry financial underwriter of our watchmaking program provides us the opportunity to fulfill our long-standing goal of offering a true world-class program,” said Bob Klabenes, OSU-Okmulgee President.  Klabenes also commented, "Our students, faculty and staff feel both privileged and humbled by Rolex’s decision to partner with our program. This is a historic step.”

The funding of the OSU-Okmulgee watchmaking program is one of many such investments for Rolex in the future of the watchmaking industry.  In 2001, it established a 5-year, $1 million dollar grant to the North Seattle Community College in Washington state, and in 2004, it supported a similar grant to aid Minnesota's Saint Paul College watchmaking program.  Rolex is also responsible for establishing the Lititz Watch Technicum in 2001, a non-profit foundation in Pennsylvania that has graduated over 50 watchmakers.  Beyond the United States, Rolex has also promoted watchmaker training through additional educational facilities in Tokyo, Japan and Mumbai, India.