Alva Ross "AJ" Kitt is an American World Cup alpine ski racer and he competed in four Winter Olympics. He was featured in several Rolex ads back in the 1990s as seen below.
1996 U.S. Alpine Ski Team Ad
David Concannon sent in this great U.S. Alpine Ski Team Rolex ad from 1996 that features legendary skier A.J. Kitt.
Beautiful, Iconic, Timeless, Talented, Feminine, Smart, Charismatic, Elegant, Stunning, Simple, Georgous. These are just some of the adjectives that come to mind when I think about Grace Kelly...
Who is the most beautiful and elegant woman that ever lived? Some might say, Sophia Loren, while others might say Princess Grace is arguably the most beautiful and elegant woman that ever lived. One thing both beauties shared is their taste in the finer things in life, including both wearing Yellow Gold 26MM Rolex Lady Date watches.
In the photo below, we see Princess Grace of Monaco wearing her yellow gold Rolex Lady Date in 1972.
The photo above and below were taken at a swimming competition in Palm Beach, Monte Carlo in 1972. Princess Grace is extremely chic and stylish, and she is wearing a Pucci beach dress. Princess Grace is pictured below while attending a swimming commotion, and she is sitting next to her husband, Prince Rainier, and her their children, Prince Albert, Princess Caroline, and Princess Stéphanie are sitting below them. If you look closely you can see Princess Caroline is also wearing her two-tone Rolex ladies Datejust.
In the two photos below taken in 1978 in New Jersey, we see Princess Grace with her daughter, Princess Caroline, who also wears Rolex watches. It is not so easy to see, but in the photo below we see Princess Grace wearing her Rolex Lady Date.
In the next photo below, also taken in July of 1978 in New Jersey, we see Princess Caroline with her husband, Philippe Junot, and in this photo, we get a good shot of his two-tone Rolex Datejust.
Princess Grace is pictured below with Princess Caroline in 1973, and they are both wearing Rolex watches.
Princess Caroline is pictured below on the cover of People Magazine in 1978, and she is wearing her two-tone Lady-Date Rolex.
Princess Grace is pictured below wearing her yellow gold Rolex Lady-Date.
This next photo shows Princess Grace at home working on an art project collage, and we see her ladies Rolex President bracelet on her wrist.
A Royal Rolex Affair
A Movie Star Becomes Royalty
Grace Kelly grew up in a wealthy Philadelphia family. She met Prince Rainier of Monaco at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival while she was promoting her movie 'To Catch A Thief', which she co-starred in with Cary Grant.
Princess Grace was an amazing style icon known for her timeless femininity. In the photo below we see Grace Kelly with Prince Ranier on January 5, 1956, as they arrive at the Philadelphia Country Club where they announced their wedding engagement.
Notice in the photo above and below Grace Kelly is carrying her Hermes purse, which over time became associated with her. Today it is known as the Hermès Kelly Bag.
Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are pictured below in Monaco during their wedding celebration.
Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are pictured below walking in London, England in 1959.
Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are pictured below visiting at the White House in Washington D.C., with President Kennedy and First Lady, Jackie Kennedy in 1963.
Princess Grace and Prince Ranier had three children: Princess Caroline of Hanover, 1957 (center), Prince Allbert II of Monaco, 1958 (left), and Princess Stéphanie, 1965 (right).
Prince Rainier, like his wife and daughter, also wore Rolex watches. In the photo below we see Rainier sporting a yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master (Mocha).
Prince Ranier is pictured below with his wife Grace, and daughter Caroline, and in the photo, he is wearing his Rolex Day-Date.
Prince Ranier is pictured below with his daughter Caroline at Princess Grace's funteral. You can tell by his facial expression that he is devasted.
An Amazing Acting Career
Academy Award Winning Career
To Catch A Thief
1955
Grace Kelly was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood in the 1950s, and one of her most famous roles was in A Catch To Thief, where she starred beside Cary Grant.
Mogambo
1953
Grace Kelly is pictured below with Clark Gable who she co-starred with in the 1953 movie named Mogambo. As we can see in the press photo below of Grace Kelly with Clark Gable which was a press photo from Magambo,Clark Gable is wearing his Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
Rear Window
1953
Grace Kelly is pictured below with Jimmy Stewart in the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film named Rear Window.
Grace Kelly Documentary
Grace Kelly
Reading The Silent World
Grace Kelly was a huge fan of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and in the photos below we see her reading Jacques-Yves Cousteau's seminal 1954 book, titled The Silent World. Jacques Cousteau went on to create an Academy Award Winning Documentary, which was based upon this book.
After reading Jacques-Yves Cousteau's Silent World book, Grace Kelly would become one of Cousteau's biggest supporters. In the photo below we see Prince Rainier III of Monaco with his wife, Princess Grace of Monaco, with Jaques Cousteau.
When we think about Jacques Yves-Cousteau, we often think of him aboard his beloved Calypso which is pictured below as she cruises past Monaco's Oceanographic Institute, which Cousteau was the Director of for 40 years, from 1957 until he passed away in 1997. Monaco's Oceanographic Institute is the oldest Marine Museum in the world, as it was inaugurated in 1910 by Prince Albert, who was Monaco's modernist reformer. You can learn much more about Jacques Cousteau in Monaco in Part 2 of my story on the all-new Single Red Rolex SEA-DWELLER.
In this last photo, we see Jacques-Yves Cousteau standing pictured on the left, with his wife Simone Cousteau, pictured on the far right, along with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier in Monaco.
This is an amazing Rolex photo of the current ceramic Rolex LV Submariner bezel insert. If you look closely at the detail, it is incredible how the markers are etched into the ceramic!!!!
A few days ago, Andi from Munich, Bavaria wrote in and mentioned that fellow Rolex fanatic and memorable actor R. Lee Ermey had recently passed away. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at his career achievements as well as some of the Rolex watches he wore.
In the photo seen above, we see R. Lee Ermey wearing his Rolex Daytona. So you think you are an alpha male? R. Lee was probably best known for his role as a U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor in the movie Full Metal Jacket, which was about Vietnam. In his role as a Marine Drill Instructor Sergeant, he gives a knock-down-drag-out performance of a hardcore alpha male, which would make most men who think they are alpha males, seem like girly-men (to use a Schwarzeneggerism :-)
The only other movie scene I can think of in another movie that comes close to being this over-the-top is Alec Baldwin's 'Always Be Closing' speech from Glengarry Glen Ross. R. Lee Ermey earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in his portrayal as Marine Corps drill instructor, in Stanley Kubrick's Academy Award-nominated 1987 movie, Full Metal Jacket. Stanley Kubrick famously directed many iconic movies like Lolita (1962), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Clockwork Orange, The Shining (1980), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
R. Lee Ermey began his acting career when he was cast by Francis Ford Coppola as a First Air Cavalry chopper pilot in the 1979 movie named Apocalypse Now.
WARNING: The video below is NSFW and contains a great deal of profanity and verbal abuse. Normally I would not post a video clip like this, but R. Lee Ermey's performance, as seen in the opening of Full Metal Jacket is considered by many to be one of the most engaging and emotionally charged performances in a military movie. Once again, please use discretion if you decide to watch the video below as it contains a great deal of swearing.
I remember seeing Full Metal Jacket in theaters when it came out, and this opening scene (above) actually shocked me. I remember when I turned 18 praying they did not bring the draft back, as the last thing on earth I wanted to do was have to go and fight in some stupid war, halfway around the earth. WARNING: The video below is also from Full Metal Jacket is also filled with profanity, but is another famous scene from the movie.
Below is an interesting 1987 review of Full Metal Jacket by Rex Reed.
R. Lee Ermey was in the Marines as we see in the photo of him below.
R. Lee Ermey is interviewed below discussing his role in Full Metal Jacket.
Gomer Pyle USMC
1964-1969
Talk about Deja Vu. I realize I am wandering off the reservation a little bit, but that is what I do on Jake's Rolex World...
When I was a small child, I watched a tremendous amount of TV. I learned so much about the world from the boob tube. One of my favorite shows, when I was a small boy, was Gomer Pyle USMC, which was a spin-off of the Andy Griffith show. It starred Frank Sutton, who was AMAZING as Sergeant Carter. Below is and excerpt from the first episite of Gomer Pyle.
One of the reasons I am including these videos from Gomer Pyle is that R. Lee's character in Full Metal Jacket references Gomer Pyle a few times in the movie, and there really are many parallels. This is perhaps part of the Stanley Kubrick genius.
A Serious Rolex Collector
R. Lee Ermey was a serious Rolex wearer as we see in the photos below which show him wearing a stianless steel Rolex Datejust on an Oyster bracelet, a yellow gold Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet, a Pepsi GMT-Master on a Jubilee bracelet, a two-tone Rolex Submariner on a Jubilee bracelet as well as a two tone Rolex Daytona.
Historically Rolex has always been extremely secretive and discreet, and no journalists in the past have ever been invited "INSIDE ROLEX" to explore and report on all four Rolex Manufacturing faclities in Switzerland.
In November 2013, this changed when Rolex invited Jake to take an unprecdented journey into the heart of Rolex to learn and report on everything he witnessed and learned.
This Super-Detailed 3 Part Story is a "MUST READ" story for anybody who wants to understand what really makes Rolex tick.
The Hans Wilsdorf Story: Founder Of Rolex
Rolex is one of the most recognizable brands on earth, but very little has been known about its real history. If you really, really want to understand what makes Rolex tick, I very highly recommend you read the fascinating story of Rolex's amazing founder–Hans Wilsdorf.
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