"In the art of film-making, it’s the smallest details that bring a world to life. Only when every detail is just right can the audience be truly immersed. Rolex is proud to recognize the art and craft of film-making, and to have played a part in some of cinema’s most iconic moments." —ROLEX
Rolex Spotting
After the 'Rolex Watches In Cinema' commercial aired I identified all the movies, actors and actresses in the video above, which you can learn about below:
Peter Sellers
Pink Panther: A Shot In The Dark
Yellow Gold Rolex GMT-Master
1964
The opening scene I believe is from The Pink Panther series comedy movie titled, A Shot In The Dark, which featured Peter Sellers, as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, which is obviously a play on Jacques Cousteau. A Shot In The Dark was written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner, Blake Edwards, who later wrote, produced and directed the 1979 movie "10" which starred Bo Derek and Dudley Moore.
Paul Newman
The Color Of Money
Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust
1986
Next up we see Rolex High Priest, Paul Newman in a scene from the 1986 movie named, The Color Of Money.
Fay Dunaway
Network
Yellow Gold & Stainless Ladies Datejust
1976
The next scene is of Fay Dunaway from the 1976 movie titled "Network". In the scene we see Fay Dunaway wearing her yellow gold and stainless steel Rolex ladies Datejust.
Harrison Ford
Frantic
Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust
1988
Next up we see Harrison Ford, starring in the 1988 movie titled, "Frantic", and he is wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust with a white dial with back Roman numerals.
Dustin Hoffman
Marathon Man
Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master
1976
Next in the Rolex Celebrates Cinema we see Dustin Hoffman sporting his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master in the 1976 thriller movie titled Marathon Man.
Dennis Hopper
Speed
Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master
1994
In this next image we see Dennis Hopper from the 1994 motion picture titled, "Speed", sporting his Rolex GMT-Master. Speaking of GMT-Master and Dennis Hopper, he also produced and directed and starred in the cult classic, Born To Be Wild, which featured Peter Fonda wearing a yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master.
Apollo 13
Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master
1995
This next image is from the movie Apollo 13, and it shows two men wearing Rolex GMT-Master watches as they are watching for the Apollo 13 module to land in the ocean so it can be retrieved.
Bill Paxton
Titanic
Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner
1997
Jim Carrey
I Love You Phillip Morris
Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner
2009
Next up we see Jim Carry from the movie, I Love Your Phillip Morris, from 2009. We see him giving a gift of a yellow gold Rolex Submariner.
Marlon Brando
The Fugitive Kind
1960
OK. This one is easy for me, as it is Marlon Brando starring in The Fugitive Kind in 1960, where he gives Joanne Woodward a Rolex.
Nick Nolte
The Deep
Rolex Submariner
1977
This next movie, The DEEP, is one that always brings back fantastic memories. I remember seeing The DEEP in movie theaters in 1977, and it blew my mind. Nick Nolte was so cool wearing his Rolex Submariner, and Jacqueline Bisset was gorgeous. There is something so fascinating about aquatic movies that feature an actor wearing a Submariner.
Terrence Howard
Dead Man Down
Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date?
2013
This next clip is from the movie, Dead Man Down, and features Terrence Howard wearing either a Rolex Day-Date in yellow gold, or a Datejust.
Gabriel Byrne
The Usual Suspects
Rolex Submariner
1995
This next photo shows Gabriel Byrne from the movie, The Usual Suspects wearing a Rolex Submariner.
Owen Wilson
The Life Aquatic
Rolex GMT-Master
2004
Next we see Owen Wilson in the movie titled, "The Life Aquatic", wearing a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master.
David Oyelowo
Selma
Yellow Gold Rolex Datejust
2014
Next up we see David Oyelowo portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in the movie titled, "Selma".
Dr. King Martin Luther King Jr., wore a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date in real life as seen in the photos below.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [Letter from Birmingham, Alabama Jail, April 16, 1963]
"Why this watch? This watch is witness to words that moved nations. It's dared men faster. further. Worn by luminaries. Visionaries. Champions. It doesn't Just tell time. It tells History.
A recent Rolex ad campaign slogan says: "It doesn't just tell time. It tells history." If you closely study the images above and below, you will see the living personification of these words from Rolex.
Marlon Brando
Apocalypse Now
Stainless Steel Rolex GMT-Master
1979
In the next scene in the Rolex Celebrating Cinema video we see Marlon Brando from the movie Apocalypse Now, as seen in the image below. In is interesting to note that Marlon Brando is the only actor that appears in twice in the Rolex Celebrating Cinema video.
Guy Pearce
LA Confidential
Rolex Bubleback
1997
Benecio Del Toro
Che: Part II
Rolex GMT-Master
2008
Next up we see Benecio Del Toro staring in the movie titled, "CHE: Part II: Guerrilla".
Che Guevara wore a Rolex GMT-Master in real life, as seen in the photos below.
Charles Bronson
The Mechanic
Rolex Submariner
1992
The last piece of footage in the Rolex Celebrates Cinema video is of Charles Bronson starring in the movie named "The Mechanic", where he wore a stainless steel Rolex Submariner.
The opening scene I believe is from The Pink Panther series comedy movie titled, A Shot In The Dark, which featured Peter Sellers, as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, which is obviously a play on Jacques Cousteau. A Shot In The Dark was written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner, Blake Edwards, who later wrote, produced and directed the 1979 movie "10" which starred Bo Derek and Dudley Moore.
Three years after Peter Sellers wore a Rolex GMT-Master in the first Pink Panther movie, in 1967, he went on to play James Bond in the original Bond spoof titled "Casino Royal".
The reason I metaphorically refer to Paul Newman as a "Rolex High Priest" is because he wore his exotic white dial Daytona, as seen below, which is considered among vintage Rolex collectors to be one of the coolest and most collectable Rolex watches ever made.
Of course the most famous line from Network, was "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."
The next image seen below of Fay Dunaway was taken the morning after she won the 1976 Academy Awards Oscar for Best Actress In a Leading Role, for her performance in Network.
Faye Dunaway 1977 receiving Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Network
The photo below shows Apollo 13 crew member Jack Swigert wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master, as he prepares to take off to go to the moon.
The photo below shows Jack Swigert's actual GMT-Master he wore when he traveled to the moon and back aboard Apollo 13, which he gave to Rolex Director, Rene-Paul Jeanneret.
Rolex Director, Rene-Paul Jeanneret was so impressed with the gift Jack Swigert gave him, that in-turn he gave Jack Swigert a yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master on a matching Jubilee bracelet, as we see in the photo below.
Belongs To The Ages
1955-2017
The next piece of footage in the Rolex Celebrates Cinema is of Bill Paxton from the movie, "Titanic." In an ironic twist of fate, the Emmy Award-Winning actor, Bill Paxton passed away yesterday. His passing was shocking as he was only 61 years old, and also since I just completed the story on Titanic Director, James Cameron and Rolex. Bill Paxton wore a yellow gold Rolex Submariner in the movie, Titanic, as seen below.
Bill Paxton starred in many famous movie including Apollo 13, Titanic, The Terminator, True Lies, Twister, and Aliens. He was also the lead actor on the TV series Big Love, which ran from 2006-2011 on HBO.
Bill Paxton's family released a statement today saying he dies as a result of surgery complication. Man...life is fragile...
Bill Paxton's family released a statement today saying he dies as a result of surgery complication. Man...life is fragile...
Next up we see Jim Carry from the movie, I Love Your Phillip Morris, from 2009. We see him giving a gift of a yellow gold Rolex Submariner.
OK. This one is easy for me, as it is Marlon Brando starring in The Fugitive Kind in 1960, where he gives Joanne Woodward a Rolex.
In the two photos below we see Dr. Martin King Jr., along with fellow civil rights protestors as they are pushed backward by Mississippi state patrolmen on June 8, 1965. This was part of the 220-mile 'March Against Fear' that went from Memphis Tennesee to Jackson, Mississippi.
It Doesn't Just Tell Time.
It Tells History.
It Tells History.
"Why this watch? This watch is witness to words that moved nations. It's dared men faster. further. Worn by luminaries. Visionaries. Champions. It doesn't Just tell time. It tells History.
A recent Rolex ad campaign slogan says: "It doesn't just tell time. It tells history." If you closely study the images above and below, you will see the living personification of these words from Rolex.
In this next set of photos we see Marlon Brando wearing his Rolex GMT Master in the movie Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and Marlon Brando played Colonel Walter Kurtz. Notice his Rolex GMT Master is missing its bezel. The following set of photos were taken by Mary Ellen Mark from Apocalypse Now.
Next up we see Guy Pearce checking his Rolex Bubbleback to see what time it is.