Second Paul Newman Rolex Daytona

 

Second

Paul Newman 

Rolex Daytona

"BIG RED" Daytona Reference 6263

Coming to Auction with Philipps

Looking back in the rear-view mirror it was probably easy to surmise it was just a matter of time before Paul Newman's second Rolex Daytona came to the auction market as Philipps just announced they will soon be auctioning this second "Paul Newman Daytona Grail". I plan to publish a deep dive on this magnificent Rolex Daytona watch soon so stay tuned...This is going to be a fascinating holiday season...

And yes, I was the first to document and showcase the fact that Paul Newman's daughter Clea Newman owned and was wearing her father's second Rolex Daytona [Reference 6263] watch back on October 24, 2017.

"Dad gave it (his Rolex Daytona) to me straight from his wrist...and it had been given to him by my mother (Joanne Woodward), so although it is his watch, it is also somehow hers too, which makes it very much the most precious thing I own." 

—Clea Newman (Paul Newman's youngest daughter)

President Ronald Reagan Rolex ...[Chapter 12]

President Ronald Reagan Rolex

Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust: Jubilee Bracelet

California Summer of 1965

With the American Presidential Elections just around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to hop in The Rolex Time Machine and take a trip back to look at the history of The Rolex President...

Back in 2010 I discovered photos of Ronald Reagan wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet. These photos were taken during the Summer of 1965 on his California Ranch. Of course these photos were taken before he was even elected the Governor of California, so he was just an ordinary American Citizen who was semi-retired. In 2013, I discovered more photos of Ronald Reagan, while he was the President of The United States, wearing his Rolex.

"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." –Ronald Reagan

So this means, that Ronald Reagan is the second American President to wear a Rolex Datejust after Dwight Eisenhower. Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton wore Rolex Day-Dates, and I have heard Richard Nixon wore a Rolex, but I have still not been able to find a photo of him wearing a Rolex. I also think Harry Truman may have worn a Rolex Datejust, but I have not been able to document that either.

"I've often said there's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse." –Ronald Reagan

"Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we have ever known." –Ronald Reagan

The photo below shows President Reagan on his ranch in 1983 chopping wood, and his is still wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust.

I met President Reagan many years ago when I was a young man as we see in the photos below. 

One thing Ronald Reagan and I had in common is our eternal optimism. I remember President Reagan had the best handshake I have ever experienced. In particular, his handshake was flawless as it was neither to limp nor to firm—just right, and he had an amazing aura of that exuded warmth and dignity.

I had a fascinating conversation with President Reagan which I shared in My Rolex Story. When I think back on that time in U.S. History the words from the Barbara Streisand song come to mind when she sang the line from her hit song "The Way We Were": "Can it be that it was all so simple then, or has time re-written every line?"

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ROLEX PRESIDENT

Table Of Contents

Part 1: Genesis

Part 2: Reclamation

Part 3: Ike Likes Rolex

Part 4: Mamie, We Are Not In Kansas Any More (Rolex Loves Ike) Ike Likes Rolex

Part 5: President Eisenhower's Rolex

Part 6: The Podcast (With the owner of President Eisenhower's Rolex)

Part 7: Heaven

Part 8: The Eisenhower Legacy

Part 9: They Mystery of the JFK Rolex President 

Part 10: Everybody Wants To Rule The World-LBJ's Rolex President

Part 11: President Gerald Ford Gets His Rolex President

Part 12: President Ronald Reagan and his Rolex Datejust

>NEXT–Part 13: President Bill Clinton and his Rolex Day-Date

Part 14: Dick Cheney-The Rolex Vice-President

Part 15: President Obama and his Rolex Cellini

Part 16: President Trump - The Newest Rolex President

Part 17: Origins Of "The Rolex President" Watch Name

Part 18: The Rolex Precedent by Jake Ehrlich

Rolex X-Files...Wally Schirra

Update: I originally published this story on October 14, but Nick Gould (@Niccoloy) just made a major discovery that enhances the detail (pun intended) in this story. Nick reached out to Philip from MoonWatchUniverse to ask him if he had a higher-resolution NASA photo of Apollo 7 Astronaut, Wally Schirra, and you are looking at the result below. This photo is taken from a slightly different angle and reveals that Wally Schirra was wearing a Rolex Daytona Reference 6240 with a silver dial with black Subdials as pictured below: 

Rolex X-Files

The Right Stuff

Wally Schirra

1923-2007

Discovered Wearing Rolex Daytona Reference 6240 

in 1968 for his Apollo 7 portrait!!!

Horological investigator Nick Gould just made a game-changing discovery when he discovered this Official NASA portrait that shows Apollo Astronaut Wally Schirra wearing a Rolex Daytona Chronograph Reference in 1968!!! I showed the image to Paul Boutros from Phillips Auction house and he said "Very cool! And with screw-down pushers! Very likely a Reference 6240 in 1968."

In photo we see Schirra holding what appears to be a Hasselblad camera with a Carl Zeiss lens.

At first glance a person could easily dismiss Schirra's watch as being an Omega Speedmaster as it is clearly a chronograph with a black bezel, but upon closer inspection there are many tell tale characteristics that confirm Wally Schirra is wearing a Rolex Daytona including:

1. The Rolex Crown Coronet Logo on the winding Crown.

2. The drilled lug holes which Omega lacked.

3. The Screw Down plungers.

4. The riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelet.

This photo below of Wally Schirra was taken just before he took off aboard Apollo 7 and we see he is wearing a chronograph, which I always assumed to be an Omega Speedmaster. A great question is if Schirra wore his Daytona aboard Apollo 7?

Wally Schirra

Below is the original story I published on Wally Schirra on February 2, 2019, and it includes additional update I just made!:

Recently we took a look at NASA Astronaut, Frank Borman and today we are going to take a look at another famous Astronaut. Wally Schirra was one of the original Mercury Astronauts and he wore a Pepsi GMT-Master as we will see in this story. Schirra was not only the first astronaut to travel into space three times, but the first ONLY one to have flown in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions! The photo below of Wally Schirra with his family was taken on October 10, 1968, which was the day before he took off aboard Apollo 7.

Nick Gould recently pointed out an article published on Fratellowatches.com that featured an interview with Wally Schirra back in 2007 by Chuck Maddox in which Schirra reveals he received his Rolex GMT-Master from the Naval Academy Alumni in 1965.

The Original 7

NASA Mercury Astronaut Team

March 1, 1960 

Wally Schirra was chosen to be one of the original NASA Mercury 7 Astronauts, and he is pictured below with the other pilots who were chosen for the program. 

Pictured above we see the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) group portrait of the 'Original Seven' astronauts from the Mercury program as they pose in front of an Air Force Jet, in Florida, in January 1963. From left, Scott Carpenter (1925-2013), Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), John Glenn (1921-2016), Gus Grissom (1926-1967), Wally Schirra (1923 -2007), Alan Shepherd (1923-1998), and Deke Slayton (1924-1993).”

The photo below taken April 8, 1959 shows the seven NASA Astronauts of the Mercury program: Walter M Schirra, Deke Slayton, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Alan B Shepard, Virgil Grissom and Gordon Cooper.”

It is fascinating to note that to date I have documented 4 out of 7 of the Original 7 Mercury Astronauts wore Rolex watches!!!

Mercury Sigma 7

Below we see NASA Mercury Astronaut, Wally Schirra who was the fifth Mercury Astronaut to fly, in his Sigma 7, which achieved six orbits around earth. Wally Schirra then flew on Gemini 6A with Tom Stafford. Next he flew on the Apollo 7 mission.

This next image shows Wally Schirra during capsule testing for Gemini 6A.

This next image is one of my favorite NASA images of all time. It was taken December 12, 1965 and shows Walter R. Schirra Jr. arriving at Pad 19 during the Gemini 6 prelaunch countdown. This is the Right Stuff!

The photo below was taken on December 15, 1965 and shows Wally Schirra maneuvered the Gemini 6 spacecraft within 1 foot (30CM) of Gemini 7 which was its sister craft. The two spacecraft were not designed to dock with each other, but maintained this close approximation to each other for more than 20 minutes straight.

In the photo above and video below we see Walter Schirra's to the White House to visit President Kennedy.

In the photo below we see Wally Schirra with JFK at Cape Canaveral in November of 1964, just before JFK was assassinated.

In the photo below we see Wally Schirra on April 17, 1967, testifying before a House investigation subcommittee in a probe on the fire that occurred aboard Apollo I, in which three NASA Astronauts died. Wally Schirra is pictured below in between Donald Slayton and Alan Shepard. If you look closely Wally Schirra is wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master.

Apollo 7

In the photo below we see Wally Schirra's Rolex Oyster bracelet with his GMT-Master and the Nasa caption reads "Donald (Deke) Slayton, Director, Flight Crew Operations (l) at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, briefs Apollo 7 Astronauts from left: Donn Eisele, Walter Schirra, and Walter Cunningham. October 9, 1968. Scan by Ed Hengeveld. Caption by Kipp Teague"

In the photo below we see an official Nasa photo with a caption that reads: "Astronaut Walter M. Schirra, Jr., enjoys breakfast before boarding the Apollo 7 spacecraft. October 11, 1968. Scan by Ed Hengeveld. Caption by Kipp Teague."

For the image below the Nasa caption reads: "Apollo 7 astronauts breakfast with NASA officials. Walter Cunningham, second from left; Donn F. Eisele, second from left across table and Walter M. Schirra, Jr., next to Eisele. Kenneth Kleinknecht, Manager, Apollo S Spacecraft Office. October 11, 1968. Scan by Ed Hengeveld. Caption by Kipp Teague."

Nasa caption for image below reads: "Apollo 7 astronauts breakfast with NASA officials prior to their launch into earth orbit atop a Saturn IB space vehicle. Joining the trio at breakfast was James Webb, left foreground, former NASA Administrator. October 11, 1968. Scan by Ed Hengeveld. Caption by Kipp Teague."

In the photo below we see Apollo 7 Commander, Wally Schirra suiting up for Apollo 7 and notice he is wearing a really cool Omega Speedmaster on the outer sleeve of his space-suit!

This next photo of Wally Schirra appears courtesy of Philip and was taken on October 23, 1968 during the Apollo 7 Mission debriefing after the crew returned from the USS Essex recovery ship, and you can clearly see Schirra's Pepsi GMT-Master on his wrist. These facts beg the question of wether he wore his Rolex on the Apollo 7 mission?

The official NASA caption for the image above and below reads: "Apollo 7 astronauts (l-r) Walter Cunningham, Donn F. Eisele, and Walter M. Schirra, Jr., compare notes at a mission debriefing conducted today at the Kennedy SpaceCenter. October 23, 1968. Scan by Ed Hengeveld. Caption by Kipp Teague."

This next photo was also taken on October 23, 1968 shows Wally Schirra with fellow Apollo 7 Astronaut, Walter Cunningham, and we see Schirra rockin' his GMT-Master.

Schirra logged a total of 296 hours in space and after Apollo 7, he retired as a captain from the U.S. Navy, as well as NASA. He went on to consult with CBS News during their coverage of the following Apollo flights, and joined Walter Cronkite as the co-anchor for all 7 NASA Moon landing missions. Wally Schirra is pictured below in 1968 with fellow Apollo Astronauts, Jack Swigert and Donn Eisele. In this photo I believe it is likely both Jack and Wally are wearing their Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master watches.

Walter v. Walter

After WALTER Schirra retired from his astronaut career he became a special NASA commentator and host on CBS News where he worked side by side with WALTER Cronkite. Walter Cronkite told a story where Wally Schirra was apparently trying to get Cronkite to wear a Rolex Sports watch. Walter Cronkite said in his book titled, "Conversations with Cronkite" Shirra said to him: 

"What you need, Walter (Cronkite), is a Rolex, like the Astronauts. 

We have these special Rolex watches!" 

—Walter Schirra

As we see in the photo below Walter Cronkite wore a two-tone Rolex Datejust on a matching Jubilee bracelet. 

Walter Cronkite and Wally Schirra covered the Apollo 13 fiasco live on CBS News as you can watch below.

In the NRA magazine ad below from 1983 we see Wally Schirra discussing his passion for hunting and notice he is wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master.

Below we see a photo of Wally Schirra taken toward the end of his life and we see he was still wearing his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master.