Rolex Becomes Official Sponsor for The U.S. Open

...The Perfect Fit...


The U.S. Open

Rolex Becomes Official Sponsor

The three greatest games are tennis, golf, and chess, and this is a great story about tennis and golf. Rolex has been a supporter of Tennis for many decades as well as being the Official Timekeeper for Wimbledon. Rolex and the U.S. Open recently announced Rolex has become the tournaments Official Timekeeper and Official Timepiece immediately and will debut with preparations for the upcoming 2018 US Open which will run from August 27, 2018, to September 9, 2018. Citizen was the previous official timekeeper of the U.S. Open for more than a quarter century.

The U.S. Open recently said that at the 2018 US Open, Rolex timepieces and clocks will be visible throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including the signature clock that is affixed to the outer façade of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

There are famous Rolex Clocks all over the world at places like Pebble Beach, and Wimbledon, so we will probably see something like the one in the photo below.

Speaking of Billy Jean King and Arthur Ashe, one thing they have in common is their love of Rolex. The more I think about Rolex becoming the lead sponsor of The US Open, the more it seems like a perfectly natural fit. 

Arthur Ashe was one of the greatest tennis players in history, and every time I watch the US Open and I see the Arthur Ashe Stadium, I think of the photo below:

"I only wear Rolex." –Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe pictured above in 1970

The US Open recently released the following statement:

Swiss watchmaker Rolex, a longtime supporter of tennis, has become an official sponsor of the US Open and will serve as the tournament’s Official Timekeeper and Official Timepiece starting immediately with preparations for the 2018 US Open.

At this year’s tournament, Rolex timepieces and clocks will be visible throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including the signature clock that is affixed to the outer façade of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In addition to its new US Open sponsorship, Rolex will sponsor the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, completing its sponsorship of all nine Masters Series events.

The new multi-year partnership between the USTA and Rolex also includes Rolex's support of the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla., as well as the programs of the USTA Foundation, the official charitable arm of the USTA, which assists under-resourced youth.

“Rolex is a true champion of tennis that shares the USTA’s passion for the sport,” said Gordon Smith, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, USTA. “As we celebrate 50 years of the US Open, we are delighted to welcome this iconic, luxury brand as a partner, and we are thankful for their support of the USTA’s mission to grow the game.”

Rolex has supported tennis for the last 40 years, beginning with its association with Wimbledon in 1978 and serving as Associate Sponsor and Official Timekeeper of the Australian Open.

“It was only natural that Rolex would seek to build on its Grand Slam heritage, in this case through an association with the USTA and its flagship tournament, the US Open,” said Stewart Wicht, President and CEO of Rolex Watch USA. “The partnership brings together two organizations who share a passion for quality, excellence, precision and performance.”

The US Open, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, will take place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9 in New York

World class tennis players who wear Rolex are common as we see in the photo below of Björn Borg & John McEnroe.

Speaking of Björn Bjorg and John McEnroe, we see them below with the greatest tennis player of all time, who happens to be a Rolex Ambassador, and that is Roger Feder.

 In the photo below we see Björn Borg chatting with now former Rolex CEO Gian Riccardo Marini, and not only is Björn Borg still wearing Rolex, but he is also a Rolex brand ambassador.

Please Help Kickstart Céline Cousteau's Upcoming Documentary

Please Help Kickstart

Céline Cousteau's

Upcoming Documentary

I recently interviewed Céline Cousteau which resulted in me writing a huge article about her and her amazing family. In that highly comprehensive article, I went into great detail about her legendary grandfather, Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

 Céline Cousteau Pictured Above

Céline recently launched her Kickstarter campaign to help complete her upcoming documentary named Tribes On The Edge. Céline is close to meeting her goal of raising $40k to complete her documentary. If you haven't made a pledge on Kickstarter please do so, and if you already made a pledge, please consider increasing it to help her meet her funding goal. She is less than $4,000 away from her goal and could use your kind and gracious contribution...

The world needs Jacques Cousteau now more than ever and since he is no longer with us, we should all be thankful that many of his incredible descendants— including Céline—are following in his footsteps...

Tribes On The Edge 

Documentary Launched on Kickstarter

Céline Cousteau recently launched her Kickstarter campaign for her documentary titled Tribes On The Edge. Please click on the play button below to see her exciting project and be sure to support her Kickstarter campaign to help finish her film. 

Ralph Lauren & Rolex...

...Rolex Super-Coolness... 

Ralph Lauren

Pepsi Rolex GMT Master

What does Polo by Ralph Lauren and Rolex have in common? They are both highly iconic brands that hit the apex of their success in the 1980s as the fashion world returned to a clean-cut look. 

Ralph Lauren is one of the top American designers and he has been wearing Rolex watches for 5 decades. The photo of him below was taken at Martha's Vineyard in 1981 by Bruce Weber and shows him wearing his Pepsi Rolex GMT Master. Ralph Lauren is a big Rolex collector and has been for many years. 

In many ways, Polo and Rolex are similar in the sense that they are both timeless, sporty and elegant. Also, Polo and Rolex are very similar in many ways, as they are both really the gold-standard for successful branding in each of their fields of endeavor.

This next photo shows Ralph Lauren with his beautiful wife Ricky on the beach in 1986. Notice they are both wearing Rolex Sports watches. It is fascinating when you think about it, that this photo was taken 32 years ago. In other words, today it is extremely common to see a woman wearing a man's Rolex sports watch, however, 32 years ago, you almost never saw it.

This next photo shows Ralph Lauren with his brother, Jerry Lauren, and they are both wearing Rolex sports watches. Jerry Lauren has been the head of the Polo menswear line since its inception.

I recently spoke with a former Polo Ralph Lauren employee who told me:

"Ralph use to hand out Rolex GMT's in the 80's—like candy—to his favorite and deserving employees during the holiday season as gifts. Ralph especially gave GMT's to his Creative Services employees, which were the ones who would do the windows in the Polo Mansion in New York."

Ricky Lauren is pictured below in earlier years wearing a ladies Datejust on an Oyster Bracelet.

Ralph Lauren not only wears Rolex watches but has featured them in many of his ads over the years like the one below from his 1995 Polo collection which features Tyson Beckford wearing his Rolex GMT Master. This photo was also taken by Bruce Weber.

Ralph Lauren was always a big fan of Cary Grant and later in Cary's life, Ralph had the chance to meet him as we see in the photo below.

In the more recent photos below we see Ralph Lauren still wearing a Rolex GMT.

1955: The Very First Rolex Day-Date

1955

The Very First Rolex Day-Date

It never ceases to amaze me how timeless Rolex watches are, and in this photo, we see the very first Rolex Day-Date model which was patented by Rolex in 1955 and introduced at Basel Fair in Switzerland in 1956, which is 62 years ago!!! I love the red date wheel along with the red Day-Date designation on the dial. The Rolex Day-Date is commonly referred to as  The Rolex President, which is a fascinating story in and of itself.

My old friend, John Goldberger wrote in and included the photo below and said:

Dear Jake,

This is the first Day-Date with its original dial! The Day-Date showed today in your blog came from the Rolex collection but its dial is redone like many other dials in the Rolex Geneva collection!

Ciao John

It is worth noting that the Rolex Day-Date pictured above [36MM: Case Number: 134636, Caliber 1055] is the earliest know Day-Date in existence. It was manufactured in 1956 and sold in Italy, and the all details on the watch are original including the dial. The original hands on this watch are dauphine hands and the baton markers are pointed. Rolex later updated the hands and baton marker to make them all rectangular. 

I actually prefer the old-school style dauphine hands and markers which are late art-deco, which was a mid-century design known as Populuxe, which is reminiscent of 1959 Cadillac tailfin. Also, notice the date wheel was red, and in the photo below from Mondani Editore, we see an early Rolex Day-Date point of sale display which is showcasing a Reference 6511.

This is kind of a Rolex Mythbuster of sorts in the sense that the very first Rolex Day-Date models [Reference 6511 and 6510] came ONLY with Jubilee bracelets as seen in the photo above as well as the Rolex magazine ad below. When Rolex introduced the Day-Date at Basel Fair in 1956 it only came in 18Kt pink or yellow gold on a Jubilee bracelet. 

1956 Basel Fair Rolex Ad introducing the Rolex Day-Date Model

On July 23, 1955, Marc Huguenin from Rolex in Geneva filed a patent application #323982 (pictured below), which featured a seven toothed star wheel which sat on top of a 31 tooth calendar wheel. Both wheels were ratcheted once ever twenty-four hours at midnight.

The "President" bracelet would be added a year later in 1957 with the introduction of the Rolex Reference 6611, which featured an improved caliber 1055 that had a new free sprung Micro-Stella balance. This new model was also the first to feature the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" designation on the dial. Notice the original Day-Date model pictured above has a dial designation that reads, "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test."

Kate Upton Supermodel & Actress

...Rolex Super Hotness...

Kate Upton

Supermodel & Actress

Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date

There are supermodels, and there are Supermodels, or maybe I should say, there are supermodels, and there is Kate Upton. Kate Upton is considered to be one of the most beautiful woman alive today, and as we see in the image below, she appeared on the 100 Year Anniversary of Vanity Fair.

Kate Upton is pictured above wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust on an Oyster Bracelet, an in the photo below she is photographed on a private jet, sporting her yellow gold Rolex Day-Date, which looks fantastic on her!!!

Kate Upton is pictured below with her then-fiancé, Justin Verlander at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. Justin Verlander is a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and notice they are wearing his and hers, matching yellow gold Rolex Day-Date models. Justin and Kate got married in 2017.

Kate Upton is pictured above and below with Rolex Ambassador and Golf Legend, Arnold Palmer, who passed away the year before last in September. The Summer before last I published a fascinating story about The British Open, that featured Arnold Palmer.

Kate Upton appears in the video below with famous photographer and fellow Rolex wearer, Terry Richardson. Kate Upton was doing a photo shoot in New York with Terry Richardson, and he got her to do this impromptu 'Cat Daddy' dance back in 2012 when Kate was only 19 years old. So far this video has gotten over 27 Million Views.

Greg Norman: Hodinkee Talking Watches

...Rolex Coolness...

Greg Norman

Hodinkee Talking Watches

Hodinkee just posted a superb interview with Greg Norman where he talks about his love of watches and shows off some cool watches from his collection. There are a few interesting tidbits in this story. One is that Greg Norman was a Rolex brand ambassador in the past. The other interesting thing is that Greg is wearing a Panerai on his wrist, but they don't talk about it which seems strange to me.

Below are some photos of Greg Norman wearing Rolex watches back in the 1980s and 1990s. These photos are from my story on The Open. Greg Norman won The Open in 1986 and 1993. In 1993 Greg Norman set the record for the lowest score over 72 holes at The Open, winning in only 267 strokes. In the first photo below we see Greg Norman wearing his yellow gold Rolex Submariner.

In the photo below we see Greg Norman sporting his yellow gold Rolex Daytona.

In the photo below we see Greg Norman with Jack Nicklaus, and both are wearing yellow-gold Rolex models. Greg Norman is wearing a yellow gold Rolex Daytona, and Jack Nicklaus is wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date.

Lume Shot Of The Year: Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand

...Lume Shot Of The Day...

Gary's Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand

I couldn't make up my mind which way I like this image cropped, so I am sharing both with you ;-)

Val Kilmer: The Iceman Returneth

...Rolex Ice Coolness...

Val Kilmer

The Iceman Returneth

Val Kilmer has lived an amazing life which includes being a very successful Hollywood actor. For some reason when I think of Val Kilmer I think of the role he played as Iceman in the 1986 mega-hit movie, Top Gun. The photos below of Val are from Top Gun and they show Val rockin' a Pepsi GMT-Master.

I Feel The Need...

...The Need For Speed!

Speaking of Top Gun, the sequel to Top Gun which is named Top Gun 2 is being filmed and Val Kilmer will be acting in it. Val Kilmer is pictured below taking a selfie that shows him wearing his "COOL AS ICE" Top Gun T-Shirt.

The artwork on Val Kilmer's t-short seen above is a line drawing illustration taken from the classic photo of Val seen below sporting his equally classic Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master.

Val Kilmer apparently wore two different Rolex models in Top Gun as we see him below sporting a two-tone Rolex Datejust (which is totally 1980s :-) as opposed to the GMT-Master on his wrist which is seen above. 

What is more eighties than wearing a Rolex GMT-Master and a two-tone Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet? The only thing I can think of is Tom Selleck as Magnum PI!!!

Speaking of which, we will soon see the remake of Magnum PI, which is coming to ABC this fall.

Val Kilmer is pictured below with Tom Cruise in the epic 1986 movie Top Gun and notice Tom is wearing a black Porsche Pilot's Chronograph watch which features a Lemania 5100 movement. 

Below is the original trailer for Top Gun which starred Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer.

#Day1 pic.twitter.com/7jjPL277Es

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) May 31, 2018

Top Gun
Submariner
This is an interesting piece of Rolex Top Gun movie trivia. In the original Top Gun movie, toward the end of the movie, when Tom Cruise's character is helping Iceman, he pulls the brake on the Russian Mig, and we see Tom Cruise's wrist with a Rolex Submariner [Reference 5513] on it as seen in the photos below.

The "continuity error" showed a real U.S. Navy Fighter pilots wrist who happened to be wearing a Rolex Submariner, despite the fact that Cruise wore a Porsche Chronograph :-)

Take My Breath Away by Berlin was the title soundtrack to Top Gun which reached the Number 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1986. Talk about Deja Vu all over again!!! The Top Gun soundtrack was a huge hit and reached the number one position in the 1986 U.S. Billboard 200.


Danger Zone was another epic and iconic 80s song from the Top Gun Album, which was performed by Kenny Loggins.


If you have ever wondered where the Top Gun metaphor came from you can find out below as we see from the original 1955 Top Gun movie poster.

FA-18 Hornet Fighter Pilot Rolex GMT-Master
Speaking of real Top Guns and since we are on the subject of a Top Gun pilot wearing a Rolex GMT-Master, I thought it would be cool to share this story with you. What's the coolest job in the world? Perhaps being an actual U.S. Navy FA-18 Fighter Pilot like the actors portray in Top Gun. As we see in the photo below, the real-life FA-18 pilot is sporting a two-tone Rolex GMT-Master. FA-18s cost $38 Million each, and are amazing flying machines.

The screenshot above that shows the FA-18 pilot wearing a Rolex GMT-Master was taken from the video below.

An Amazing Career

Val Kilmer has enjoyed an amazing acting career, from playing Iceman in Top Gun (1986) to playing Batman in Batman Forever (1995,) to playing Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) to playing Doc Holiday in Tombstone (1993). He was also in Willow (1988), and played Simon Templar in the 1997 adaptation of The Saint. In 2006 he played FBI Special Agent Paul Pryzwarra in Déjà Vu, and Dieter Von Cunth in MacGruber (2101).

Tom Cruise

Risky Business

Tripping on all this Top Gun movie info made me feel really nostalgic so I thought I would share more about Tom Cruise. I distinctively remember what an icon movie Risky Business was when it debuted in 1983.

Tom Cruise was so cool with his Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses and driving his parents Porsche 928. I remember back in the early 1980s, the Porsche 928 was all the rage and then some.

1984 Rolex Daytona Brochure Cover

I remember back in 1984, how the Porsche was the coolest car, and here is a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona brochure cover featuring the Porsche 928S. Very Cool...

Speaking of the Porsche 928, here is an original brochure from Jake's Car World.

Back to Tom Cruise and Risky Business. Below is the original theatrical trailer for Risky Business, which is like a deja vu time machine.

Tom Cruise is pictured below with Rebecca De Mornay who costarred with Tom in Risky Business. Tom is sporting his Ray-Ban Wayfarers and Polo Ralph Lauren shirt in the photo below.

Rebecca De Mornay is pictured below years later wearing her two-tone Rolex Ladies Datejust.

Tom & Rolex

Tom Cruise is famous for wearing Rolex watches in movies as well as in his personal life. Below is a historic timeline of Tom and Rolex not only wearing them but also staring in his movies.

The Color Of Money 

(1986)

The first time I ever noticed Tom Cruise with a Rolex was in the Academy Award Winning 1986 movie titled The Color Of Money.

The Money Shot

Tom Cruise Holding Paul Newman's Rolex Datejust

In the next photo, we see a screen-shot taken from The Color Of Money, that shows Tom Cruise playing with Paul Newman's Rolex Datejust in the movie. Of course, this close-up helps to make a solid positive I.D., as a stainless steel Rolex Datejust. Notice the bezel has no fluting, thus making it a straight stainless steel bezel.

Rain Man 

(1988)

After finding out his autistic brother can count a deck of cards, Charlie Babbitt, played by Tom Cruise, pawns his yellow-gold Day-Date to buy suits for him and his brother (Dustin Hoffman) and a seat at a blackjack table at the Caesars Palace Casino.

Cocktail

(1988)

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go, Jamaica

Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo

That's where you want to go to get away from it all

Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand

We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band

Down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

oh I want to take you down to

Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow

That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Martinique, that Montserrat mystique

We'll put out to sea and we'll perfect our chemistry

And by and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity

Afternoon delight, cocktails and moonlit nights

That dreamy look in your eye, give me a tropical contact high

Way down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

oh I want to take you down to

Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow

That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Port au Prince, I want to catch a glimpse

Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo

Now if you want to go and get away from it all

Go down to Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

oh I want to take you down to

Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow

That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

Tom & Suri

Ghost Protocol

(2009)

Tom Cruise is pictured below holding his adorable daughter, Suri. Tom is wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust on an Oyster band. In the photo, Suri is trying to cover her ears, because they are just getting ready to go for a helicopter ride above New York. What a great and fun dad!!!

Knight & Day

Ghost Protocol

(2010)

In 2010 Tom Cruise starred in Knight & Day with Cameron Diaz who wore a Submariner as seen below.

Mission Impossible

Ghost Protocol

(2011)

In 2011 Tom Cruise starred in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, which was the fourth in the series of Mission Impossible movies. Basically, Tom Cruise plays an American James Bond kind-of-guy. I actually really enjoyed watching the movie because it was so well done, and the special effects were great! In Mission Impossible, Tom wore a Tudor Heritage Chronograph as seen below.

Jeremy Renner is pictured below sporting his stainless steel Rolex Submariner in the Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.