Wednesday, February 06, 2019

SEALAB Documentary from PBS American Experience: Chapter 1





SEALAB Documentary


American Experience


Chapter 1 


On February 3rd I published a story announcing the upcoming PBS SEALAB Documentary coming up on The American Experience.  I am beyond exited to be the first to share this SEALAB Documentary Chapter 1 Preview with you!!!! This video is the first 9 minutes from the upcoming PBS SEALAB which will be released in its entirety on February 12, 2019.





The REAL History of


The Rolex 

SEA-DWELLER

Close to twelve years ago, just before I started publishing Jake's Rolex World there was a false Rolex myth that was perpetuated that put forth the idea that Rolex had developed the Rolex SEA-DWELLER model with COMEX, the amazing French diving company. 


I busted this falsely perpetuated myth and put forth the truth, which was that Rolex developed the SEA-DWELLER with the U.S. Navy SEALAB Aquanauts. Over the years I revealed this story in my 20 Part Series named "The Complete History of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER: Rolex's Conquest of The Ocean", which you can find the table of content for at the bottom of this post.

The image above is a painting of the U.S. Navy SEALAB that Jose took while in Panama City, along with the photo below of the SEALAB team posing with a 'Tiltin Hilton' sign. Scott Carpenter is pictured in the center of the photo with fellow SEALAB divers, and they are all wearing Rolex dive watches.





Dr. George Bond

The SEALAB program was the brainchild of Dr. George Bond who began his career in medicine as a backwoods Doctor in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.




Dr. George Bond is pictured above as well as at the top of the photo below. In the photo below Dr. Bond is with Walt Mazzone who was his right hand man during the U.S. Navy Project Genesis and Project SEALAB. Back on January 13, 2010 I interviewed Walt Mazzone for a podcast interview I have never published. Walt was 93 years old at the time. We ended up becoming friends and he shared a tremendous amount of SEALAB history with me. When I get a chance I plan to go through my archives and find and publish that interview.






Bob Barth


Dr. George Bond is pictured below with the U.S. Navy aquanaut, Bob Barth, who I also interviewed extensively over the years but have not yet published. Bob Barth was the U.S. Navy Aquanaut who conceptualize the helium release valve for the Rolex SEA-DWELLER and developed it with Rolex, working with fellow Aquanaut, T. Walker Lloyd who went on to become a Rolex U.S.A. Executive.


The photo below shows the SEALAB Underwater Habitat being towed on a barge as she heads out to the Pacific Ocean to travel down to San Diego in 1968.


The photo below shows Bob Barth's SEALAB Submariner he wore as he worked with Rolex to develop the SEA-DWELLER. This is a SERIOUS TOOL WATCH that went through hell and lived to tell an amazing story. Enjoy Chapter 1 of the SEALAB Documentary from PBS's American Experience and stay tuned as BEST IS YET TO COME!!!



U.S. Navy SEA-LAB Interview
1968 Bob Barth Interview
San Francisco Navy Yard

Walter Cronkite is pictured in the next two photos interviewing the legendary U.S. Navy SEA-LAB diver, Bob Barth. Bob Barth was a the only diver who dove on all the SEALAB 1, 2, and 3 missions.  



Bob Barth is pictured below during a SEALAB press interview wearing his Rolex Submariner pictured above or a SEA-DWELLER prototype.



Jose is the Horological Forensics Expert for Jake's Rolex World and also publishes the AMAZING Perezcope.com. Jose visited Bob Barth and interviewed him a few years ago, and in the photo below you can see Bob Barth is still wearing his SEA-DWELLER.


Jose is pictured above on the right at the SEALAB Museum in Panama City, Florida below with Museum Director Jim McCarthy, who was part of the team on SEALAB 3.


Jose and I collaborated on putting together the timeline poster seen below titled "HISTORY OF THE ROLEX SEA-DWELLER: Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean." You can download a free high-resolution version of this poster by right mouse clicking on the poster below and saving it. You can also purchase a magnificent high-res poster on Perezcope.com.







The Complete History Of
The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER


Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean


Table Of Contents