Nick Gould originally claimed he could read the engraving on the back of the clock, and it turns out "Eagle Eyes" was correct, which is fascinating as I could NOT make it out originally, even when I blew up the text super large, but Nick got it right, and here is what it said:
Nick Gould recently discovered this super cool Japanese Rolex Magazine ad for the GMT-Master, and beside looking really great, it seem to be one of the first ads fro the all black bezel GMT-Master which I believe Rolex first introduced in 1967-1968.
The earliest know photo I am aware of somebody rocking the all black bezel GMT-Master was Gunter Sachs who is pictured above and below rocking his all black bezel GMT-Master. Gunter was a German photographer, film director, mathematician, author and ultra successful industrialist. He was also married to the stunning Bridget Bardot.
I remember when I first saw this yellow gold Rolex Submariner photo on Instagram which was published by The Rolex Boutique in Tel Aviv, Israel and it blew my mind...talk about timeless...and therein lies a paradox of Rolex in the sense they are excellent time keepers, but they look so good, they transcend time...
If you are a regular reader of Jake's Rolex World, your are undoubtedly likely familiar with the 1958 Rolex GMT-Master brochure pictured below, but have you ever wondered what it's genesis is? Particularly with the image of the navigator rocking the Rolex GMT-Master? Continue reading to find out below:
Nick Gould discovered the image below in the WatchLibrary.org, and it shows the original image, and from this we may infer that the GMT-Master was superimposed onto the wrist of the navigator. I asked Nick how he discovered the image and he said, "Was a random discovery". But now you know why I coined the term 'Eagle Eyes' as a nickname for Nick:
I translated the text from French to English and it says:
"must then, by means of buttons on the receiver - which functions as a calculating machine - bring the two points one on top of the other until they form only one in the form of a vertical line. At this point, he will note where on the scale this line is. He will obtain a number that he will find on a special map and corresponding to one of the arcs of a circle whose center is the main transmitter.
He will carry out a similar operation with a group of transmitters located, for example, on the coast of Greenland or Iceland. The place where the plane is located will then be determined by the place where the two lines intersect, corresponding to the two numbers noted on the scale of the cathode ray screen.
WATCHES ON BOARD
As it has been possible to judge from this simplified description of two essential elements of a transatlantic flight, the flight plan and navigation, the measurement of time is an absolute necessity on board an aircraft. This is why it is equipped with several watches or chronographs. In addition to his pocket chronograph, the navigator also has a fixed watch among the flight instruments at his disposal,"
My best guess is that Rolex Director, René-Paul Jeanneret probably saw this image when it was originally published, and thought it was perfect for conveying the value proposition of the GMT-Master. In all my years of studying Rolex Magazine and Newspaper images, I have rarely seen watches superimposed like this:
One such image is the Jean-Claude Killy Rolex Explorer II (Orange Hand) Reference 1655 Rolex Magazine ad pictured below, where we see the watch appears to have been superimposed on his wrist. I could be wrong, but it this image has always looks kind of strange to me.
I am not going to go into detail on this now, but in my upcoming book series in Volume 3, which is named, "THE COMPLETE HISTORY, ROLEX MAD MEN, VOLUME 3 OF 25: 1953-1963", I do a deep dive into the real hardcore history behind the GMT-Master, and showcase some amazing never before seen or published information that sheds tremendous light on its true Genesis, which is AMAZING!!!!
When Rolex first mastered the production of the iconic Pepsi ceramic bezel insert, the excitement was palpable. They began with 'Cerachrom,' Rolex’s proprietary term for their high-tech ceramic bezels, initially crafting them in sleek black. Creating the vibrant red and blue combination, however, posed a formidable challenge, demanding innovative techniques to achieve the perfect color fidelity and durability. Through relentless ingenuity, Rolex triumphed, delivering the stunning two-tone Cerachrom bezel that has since become a hallmark of their GMT-MASTER craftsmanship.
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!"
Back on November 9, 2018 I shared 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 1877. 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.
It is hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving again on Jake's Rolex World!!! It has been another absolutely amazing year filled with growth and fascinating new Rolex historical content!!! I am now in my 18th year of publishing Jake's Rolex World and I still feel like I am just getting warmed-up with Rolex history. I have many, many more exciting pieces of the Rolex history puzzle to share with you in the future, as well as some major announcements coming up, including some REALLY cool new Rolex History stories, coming this holiday season, so be sure to stay tuned...
"The First Thanksgiving" painting by Jean Gerome Ferris (1863-1930)
2025 has been another "interesting" year for everybody—but nonetheless, I am very grateful to have so many great readers all over the world and I hope you have found some solace and inspiration in all the amazing Rolex history I have shared with you. So many of you have written in over the years to help correct my typos, as well as to share your valuable insight and enthusiasm, for which I am eternally grateful! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday as it gives us a chance to pause and reflect on how fortunate we all are to be able to experience this amazing miracle, known as life, on this spinning marble we all share–named Earth.
The Rolex add below is from the 1968 Summer Olympic Games which were held in Mexico City, Mexico. The boating events of the XIX Olympiad were held in Acapulco, Mexico, which is featured in the Rolex ad below.
It's hard to believe it has been more than a quarter century since the Coen Brothers cult classic movie, The Big Lebowski debuted with Jeff Bridges playing The Dude.
Jeff Bridges is one of the most famous Rolex wearers as he has pretty much only worn Rolex his whole life, not to mention his fatherLloyd Bridgesalso wore Rolex watches his whole life.
We see Jeff Bridges in the photos below from the 1976 King Kong movie and notice he is wearing his Rolex Submariner.
In these next two image from the classic 1984 movie "Against All Odds", we see Jeff Bridges wearing his Rolex Submariner and in the second photo, we see him driving a Porsche 911 Cabriolet.
In the next image, we see Jeff Bridges holding up his Oscar trophy for Best Actor and if you look closely you can see Jeff is wearing his fathers yellow gold Rolex Submariner.
The Dude Abides
Jeff Bridges, John Goodman & Steve Buscemi
Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi recently got together with the Today show to discuss the impact that The Big Lebowski had on the world. For many people, Jeff Bridges will always be The Dude!
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.
