In Search Of Robert-Palmer Bradley

...In Search Of...

Robert-Palmer Bradley

Rolex Mystery Puzzle Piece Revealed

Single Red SEA-DWELLER

Sells for over $700,000

Nine days ago, I published a story named "In Search Of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Rolex Mystery Puzzle Piece, with Rolex Mystery Man." In that article, I shared the previously unpublished image below of Jacques-Yves Cousteau talking to a man who I said looks like Jacques Piccard but is not. The mystery man is Deep-Sea pioneer Robert Palmer Bradley.

Two days ago, in Geneva, Switzerland, Philipps Auction House successfully auctioned Robert Palmer Bradley's for 708,500 Swiss Francs which is just over $705,000. I wrote a story about this watch coming to market last month, in which I showcased Bob Bradley's ultra-rare Single Red SEA-DWELLER which is pictured below:

I first saw the image at the top of this story when Jose from Perescope.com shared it with me. Jose received the photo from Robert-Palmer Bradley's son, who he recently interviewed. Jose wrote an AMAZING story about Robert-Palmer Bradley which I highly recommend reading. 

In the photo below we see Robert-Palmer Bradley standing next to the DEEPSTAR 4000 Submersible which was designed by the famous Rolex Submariner Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Notice the "NEL" logo on the Submersible which stood for the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory. Today NEL has been renamed to "NUC" which stands for Naval Undersea Center.

In the photo below, taken in 1966, we see the complete crew of the Westinghouse DEEPSTAR 4000, posing with Walter Cronkite.

In the next photo, we see Bob Bradley wearing his Rolex  Submariner while tracking DEEPSTAR 4000 form the ocean surface.

Jose and I have been working on the History Of The Rolex SEA-DWELLER timeline poster pictured below on the all-new 12.9 inch iPad. Jose recently updated the poster to add in the DEEPSTAR 4000 information.

To see all the amazing detail in the SEA-DWELLER Timeline poster below right-mouse-click on it to open it in a different browser window. You can also purchase an amazing high res version of the poster in the Timelines section of Perezcope.com.

This is where this story gets really profound. Jose, while doing research on the history of the Rolex Sea-Dweller discovered a Rolex brochure from 1975 that documented the fact that Rolex formally introduced the Sea-Dweller in 1971. This was four years after Robert-Palmer Bradley began testing the Single Red Sea-Dweller prototype.

Rolex introduced the Single Red SEA-DWELLER at BaselWorld in 2017 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Single Red SEA-DWELLER prototype. The Single Red SEA-DWELLER is one of my absolute favorite Rolex watches today, so much so I kept a super-detailed diary on wearing it.
Robert Palmer Bradley is pictured below earlier in his career when he was a U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot. He was staitioned on U.S. Navy Aircraft carriers and traveled all over the world.

Robert "Bob" Palmer Bradley developed a love of the sea and scuba diving while in the Navy, which led to his involvment with Jacques-Yves Cousteau and DEEPSTAR 4000. In the future I hope to share more insight into his career achiements.

Studio Shot of the Day:1957 Rolex Chronograph

...Studio Shot of the Day...

1957 Rolex Chronograph

The Rolex Chronograph pictured below was made in 1957 and features dual scales on the dial in red and blue. It is amazing how many different looking models Rolex has made in its history!

Stan Lee Belongs To The Ages 1922-2018

I AM IRON MAN!!!

Stan Lee

Belongs To The Ages

1922-2018

Stan Lee, the American comic-book writer, editor, actor, publisher, and film producer passed away today at age 95. Earlier in his career, Stan was the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, as well as the Chairman. Stan is probably most famous for creating Spider-Man.

Stan Lee wore a stainless steel Rolex Datejust on an Oyster braclet and in the photo above we see his white dial with Roman numerals.

Stan Lee created and launched Spiderman with Steve Ditko's illustrations in August of 1962:

As a child I spend many afternoons watching the Spiderman cartoon on the Boob Tube...Talk about a Deja Vu sandwich!!!

Stan Lee and Marvel Comics (MC) launched The Incredible Hulk Comic Book in May of 1962.

The Incredible Hulk was adapted into a TV show in the late 1970s that featured Lou Ferigno as The Incredible Hulk. Notice in the old-school photo that Stan was wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust...

Marvel Comics and Stan Lee launched The Iron Man Comic Book in March of 1963.

The Marvel Comic portfolio over time has grown into a multi-billion dollar empire.

Wei Koh Interviews Geoffrey Hess...

Wei Koh 

Interviews

Geoffrey Hess
There is a Confusious proverb that says, "A single conversation with a very wise man is worth more than ten years of study", and whenever I listen to Wek Koh, I know I am in for an amazingly deep intellectual conversation. In the interview below, Wei Koh interviews Geoffrey Hess who is the CEO of AnalogShift.com and they have a really deep conversation in the current state of collecting vintage watches.

In the video Geoffrey Hess says one of the most profound things I have ever heard on the subject of watch collection:
"The average vintage watch collector is searching for an equilibrium between passion and investment. Passion is what drives us to buy these watches. It’s what gets us excited. We make sense of the world through narrative; through stories; through objects and events that connect to our aspirations. That’s what passion is. That’s what keeps you up at night. That’s what drives you to buy a watch." 
—Geoffrey Hess

Single Red SEA-DWELLER Lume Shot...

...Lume Shot Of The Day...


Single Red SEA-DWELLER

Palace Of Fine Arts

San Francisco, California 

I took the Rolex Lume shots seen below in front of the Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco, of the Single Red SEA-DWELLER. I could not make up my mind as to which image I like better, so I am sharing both. The first image shows only the markers, hands and bezel pearl glowing, and the lower photo shows much more dial detail.

Hans Wilsdorf Mystery Man Revealed

Hans Wilsdorf

1953 Mystery Man Revealed

There are so many times when I see photos of famous people with other people in the photo, I don't recognize—and I naturally wonder who they are? This happened when I published the photo below of Rolex Founder, Hans Wilsdorf. I assumed the man standing in the photo below was a Rolex watchmaker or executive, but as they say, "Never Assume!"

I am excited to share the standing man's identity. He is J. Farren-Price, and the photo was taken in late 1953 at Rolex global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It turns out J Farren-Price was Australia's original Rolex agent—in a relationship that began back in the early 1950s. J. Farren-Price has also been the longest standing Patek Philippe agent in Austrailia, which goes back to 1977.

The Rolex advertisement below was featured in The Sydney Sun-Herald Newspaper on Sunday December 13, 1953. The ad is fascinating as we see a Tudor Aqua, and a stainless steel Rolex Triple Date Moonphase [Reference 8171] for only 74 Pounds!!! That same watch today could easily be worth $150,000, if not closer to a Million dollars!!!!

The most interesting part of this revelation is not so much in discovering the identity of J. Farren-Price, but in the way, I learned about it. You see, Jake's Rolex World has readers all over the world who regularly conduct their own investigations into Rolex history and write-in to share their insight with me— and that is exactly what happened with this story. Alan, who is located in Asia regularly researches Rolex history and writes in to share his findings with me, which in-turn I pass along to you—my readers. 

This never ceases to amaze me—that we have developed an international network of Rolex history investigators that slowly and methodically keep putting together disparate pieces of the Rolex history puzzle!!! Thank you very much, Alan, for researching and sharing your valuable insight with us!!!

So who exactly, is J. Farren-Price? It turns out J Farren Price is a Luxury Jeweler and Watch Store located in Syndey, Australia which remains a Rolex authorized dealer to this day. J. Farren-Price founded his namesake store in 1942, and in the video below we see his son, J Farren-Price talking about how they celebrated their 75 year anniversary in 2017.

Alan also included the article below which has some fascinating tidbits in it. Keep in mind Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mount Evest in the summer of 1953, just several months before the ad below was printed. 

ROLEX Cellini Dual Time

...Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day...

ROLEX Cellini Dual Time

39MM Reference 50529 in Everose Gold

1966 Chrysler Imperial Brochure

1966 Chrysler Imperial Brochure

Featuring A Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date

You don't often see Rolex watches used in other brands advertising, but in this 1966 Chrysler Imperial brochure, we see a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date featured. Paul, who is a reader of Jake's Rolex World found this image and sent it in. Paul is a fan of vintage Chrysler automobiles and he found this image in this cool 1966 Imperial Brochure.

It is fascinating to see how in 1966, the Rolex "President" (Yellow Gold Day-Date) was positioned as The International Mark Of Success. This vintage 1966 ad, which features a Rolex Day-Date is totally Mad Men! 

At the time the above 1966 ad was published, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson was in the White House Oval Office wearing his Rolex Day-Date as seen below.

The Rolex President

U.S. President Lyndon Johnson

Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date

White House Oval Office 

Washington D.C. 1965

Just for frame of reference, I am including the 1966 Rolex ad below, that refers to the Rolex Day-Date as "the president's watch."

Speaking of Mad Men, what is cooler than Jon Hamm in Mad Men, playing Donald Draper wearing his Rolex Explorer as seen in the images below!!!

When I reflect back on the TV show Mad Men and how amazing it was, it kind of Deja Vu's me out. It was sooooo gooooood...

Rolex Wrist Shot of the Day: GMT Pepsi

...Wrist Shot Of The Day...

Quentin's Ice-Cold Pepsi GMT

We are heading into Winter in the Northern Hemisphere again, and soon we should see some snow. So I thought it would make sense to take a look at Quentin's vintage Pepsi GMT-Master.

Even though this Pepsi GMT-Master is now considered a vintage Rolex it seems strange to me. I have been so used to seeing the new Pepsi with the Ceramic bezel and Jubilee bracelet that seeing a Rolex Oyster bracelet on a Pepsi looks almost foreign to me. Speaking of which; I wonder if Rolex will surprise us by bringing the Oyster back on the stainless Pepsi? I sure hope so as it is an amazing combo...

Rolex CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters 2018 Highlights

Rolex CSIO  Spruce Meadows Masters 2018 Highlights
The 58th Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is just around the corner and will run from December 6-9th in Geneva, Switzerland. So I thought it would be a great time to reflect back on Rolex 2018 aquestrian events so far. Enjoy the beatuiful footage!