RMW Creative Director Colin Rex lives for the long haul — the dusty roads, off-map detours, and the kind of days that leave a mark. This past year, he took our Rolex Explorer II on a whirlwind of assignments: glacier trekking in Iceland, climbing volcanoes in Guatemala, and a rugged road trip across the Bolivian altiplano, logging time across four continents and a year’s worth of weather. We caught up recently for a chat about where he’s been, what he’s chasing, and how he finds value not in perfection, but in patina. Dive into the conversation below, and stay tuned for more adventures in Rugged Luxury from Rocky Mountain Watches.

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People may not realize it, but they’ve been seeing your work for years at Rocky Mountain Watches. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat! Folks might not know, but were you a watch person before working with RMW?

I wouldn’t say I was ever a watch person specifically, but given my outdoor industry background I’ve always been gear-conscious and into having the right tool for the job. If something is on your wrist or in your pack for days at a time, it needs to be well-made, and it needs to serve a purpose. It’s been super cool learning more about that world through working with RMW, and has definitely opened my eyes to the nuanced craftsmanship and real-world function that make certain pieces so special.

Love that. That’s a large reason I think us working together has been great. Here’s to more of that! Tell me a little more about yourself. What’s something about you people would never guess just from following you?

Social media can distort reality a bit and put too much focus on the finished product. For me, the point is so much less about the shot of the waterfall with the rainbow in front, and so much more about waking up at the perfect camp spot that morning, the stop at the hole-in-the-wall diner that night, the new shortcut or scenic route along the way that makes the trip that much more memorable. Whether I’m in New York City for fashion week or tracking down a monolith in the desert, the highlight of any adventure for me is the thrill of the chase.

I’m going to need you to take me to fashion week, btw. Inside the “chase” currently, what story are you personally trying to tell through your life and work?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about presence and how to stay rooted in a place rather than always chasing the next thing. After years of constant movement, I’m trying to take a breath and focus more on what’s close to home. This year, that means spending more time in the high country in Colorado, finding my bearings among the red rock canyons of Utah, and giving myself the space to reflect a bit more on the work I’m putting out. I’m realizing the story right now has a lot more to do with depth than breadth.

What kind of projects are you chasing right now, creatively, personally, professionally, whatever, to align with that mindset of presence?

I’m hungry for more editorial work — projects that involve a clear brief, some research, and an element of the unknown. I love when there’s a narrative to anchor the visuals. Personally, I’m chasing more free time to be up in the mountains this summer, and realizing I’m more motivated than I thought I was to cross a bunch more fourteeners off my list. Professionally, I’m excited to do more meaningful work with clients and collaborators whose ambitions mirror my own, and continue to emphasize storytelling and authenticity.

You go on a lot of trips, and have taken watches like the 5 digit Explorer II “Polar” all over the world. What’s that like? (I really, really need to start traveling with you on these trips…)

I’m so incredibly lucky to do this for a living, and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Whether I’m heading back to Iceland for the tenth time or landing somewhere totally new, I’ll never get sick of working with new people and gaining new perspectives. It’s been amazing to spend time with something as storied as the Polar, which traveled to four continents with me last year and never missed a beat. It saw rainstorms in New Zealand, snowfields in the Rockies, the humid jungles in Central America, and faded into the fabric of life on the road, which is probably the highest praise it could earn.

Within these travels for RMW, would you say your personal photography style has changed or evolved along the way?

Totally! I think it’s easy to chase the big, sweeping landscapes and bucket-list destinations when you’re getting started, and there are so many people who do that so well. If you’re looking out over Inspiration Point at Yosemite, there’s a good chance the more interesting scene is happening behind you. I’d rather save the postcard shot for someone else and focus on the moments that make up the masterpiece. That sense of curiosity and context — part natural beauty, part human imprint — is so much more compelling.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, what’s your personal philosophy when it comes to style, gear, and adventure? Do you feel that aligns with Rugged Luxury at all?

I definitely wouldn’t say I relate very much to ‘luxury’ in the sense of flash or polish, but I think there’s some overlap there with well-made goods that are built to last. I’m always striving for efficiency when I’m packing for a shoot or a multi-day trip, and gravitate toward versatile gear that covers all the bases. It’s super important that everything around me can hold up in bad weather or rough terrain, and not feel out of place in an airport or a big city. In that sense, there’s a ton of common ground with the RMW approach — fast and light, less is more, no weak links.

It’s no secret that the watch world is rife with consumerism. How have you approached creating content with RMW that is authentic?

I think the most important thing has been staying grounded in experience. We’re not faking it. We’re not just staging shots to look adventurous, we’re really out there. If there’s a volcano in the background of the shot, it’s because we climbed it. If there are scratches on the case, you can trust they were well earned. That kind of honesty really matters to me, and it clearly does to RMW too. I think we’ve done a great job of making sure the gear supports the adventure, not the other way around.

Given that answer, let’s say I hand you a backpack, a plane ticket, and one watch from our safe. Where are you going and what watch is it?

Right now? Send me to Svalbard with something that can handle salt spray, sub-zero temps, and long hours of Arctic exposure. I’ve always been drawn to cold, remote landscapes, and this one has been high on my list for years. We’d spend a week on a small boat chasing polar bears and sculptural icebergs through the fjords, and end the trip with a dystopian concept shoot based around some Sherp ATVs and the Doomsday Seed Vault. Stark, cinematic, slightly surreal — that’s as good as it gets. Do I get to pick the backpack?

And for a big one, how would you define Rugged Luxury?

What really resonates with me about RMW is the tools, not jewels approach. Rolex didn’t design the Oyster case to live in a safe; they built it to dive deep, to get scratched, to survive. To me, Rugged Luxury describes something that isn’t too precious to be used: the real value comes from putting it through its paces. On a watch that’s been through some weather, some heat, a few sketchy river crossings, wear and patina aren’t flaws — they’re proof of a life well lived.