This excellent photo from Stefano Mazzariol is of a first generation stainless steel Rolex Explorer II with a cream colored dial and white gold applied indices and matching hands. All later generation versions of this watch have a white dial with black applied indices with black hands.
Today, Tudor, which is owned by Rolex, introduced an AMAZING new model named The Black Bay Black, which pays homage to the vintage 1954 Tudor Submariner. This new model is amazing on so many different levels! It has a definite vintage look, and creates the opportunity for many people to own a beautiful vintage looking Rolex for around $3500.
The Tudor Black Bay Black is the third in a series of Tudor Heritage Black Bay models, with Tudor originally introducing the Red, and Blue bezel versus first.
Larry Ellison is the founder and CEO of Oracle as well as being the sixth wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of $44 Billion. $44 Billion!!!! That makes the $6 Million dollar man sound like chump-change :-) Larry is also the captain of Team Oracle which won the 2010 America's Cup in sailing, and in 2013 brought the American's Cup to San Francisco, and won the 2013 America's Cup in Race 19, which is the oldest trophy in world sport!!!
You can watch the 19th Race of the America's Cup, which took place on September 25, 2013 on San Francisco Bay, which is likely the most beautiful sailing regatta amphitheater in the world.
In 2013, Larry Ellison's Oracle Team U.S.A. staged what is probably the greatest and most spectacular comeback in the history of sports, where team Oracle came back from an 8-1 losing deficit, to win 8 straight races to capture the 2013 America's Cup. America' Cup is the most prestigious and sought after sailing regatta awards in the world of sailing.
1969 Rolex America's Cup Submariner Ad
The Rolex Submariner is "A Big Tough Watch"
Single Red Submariner [Reference 1680]
It is amazing to compare the difference between the 72 feet tall catamarans that are now being raced in the Americas Cup, and comparing them to the sailboats used in 1969, as seen in this vintage Rolex Submariner ad. It is also fascinating to notice the design of the Rolex Submariner has barely changed at all.
Talk about timeless design. Now the price is a different subject. A Rolex Submariner cost $205 in 1969, and 46 years later they cost around $8,000. The most interesting financial statistic, is the watch featured for $205 in 1969, today is worth around the same price as a brand new stainless steel Rolex Submariner, at around $8,000.
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.