Monday, June 28, 2021

Every Rolex Tells A Story: U.S. NAVY GMT-MASTER


Every Rolex Tells A Story

 U.S. NAVY GMT-MASTER

This is a super-fascinating Rolex ad from the 1960s that offers a first hand account from a U.S. Navy Pilot who went through a harrowing experience with his trusted Rolex on his wrist when he was violently ejected from his airplane. This vintage Rolex ad appears courtesy of AdPatina.com.


 

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Wimbledon 2021: Roger Federer: On The Evolution of The Rolex Oyster







Wimbledon 2021

June 21 - July 12, 2021

It's that time of the year again and Wimbledon is in full swing so I thought it would be fun to hop in the Rolex Time Machine with Tennis G.O.A.T. Roger Federer and go back to 1926 to check out the first Rolex Oyster.


Roger Federer 

On The Evolution of The Rolex Oyster


I couldn't help but notice that there is a photo of Rolex's brilliant founder, Hans Wilsdorf sitting on the table next to Roger Federer. One thing Wilsdorf & Federer have in common is they are both The Greatest of All Time.




Nick Gould discovered the photo below and see Roger Federer at a 2021 Wimbledon Press conference and he is rocking his Rolex Oyster Perpetual with the yellow Stella style dial which is very cool.





Borg v. McEnroe

1980 Wimbledon




The rivalry between John McEnroe and Björn Borg is one of the greatest in history. Rolex created this really cool video so I thought it would be great to share a little more detail on their relationship.


In the photo below taken back in the early 1980s, we see Björn Borg and John McEnroe and they are both wearing Rolex Datejust watches.


In the photo below from 1980, we see André Heiniger with legendary tennis star Bjorn Borg on June 11. On the evening of Men's singles finals at Wimbledon. The 1980 Wimbledon Men's final match was between Björn Borg and John McEnroe was a dramatic struggle which went on for a long time with Borg prevailing. This amazing photo appears courtesy of S3C.







...Rolex Presents...

The Spirit Of Wimbledon
Four Part Series 
Wimbledon from 1877 to 2011

Rolex is the primary sponsor of the Wimbledon Tennis tournament, as well as being the official timekeeper. Rolex recently released this amazing four-part documentary on the history of Wimbledon and it is amazing!!!









Tuesday, June 22, 2021

2021 Laureate Rolex Awards for Enterprise Winner Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim


 Rolex Awards for Enterprise 


Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

2021 Laureate


Sunday, June 20, 2021

Jon Rahm Wins U.S. Open Rocking Sky-Dweller




Jon Rahm


Wins U.S. Open

Rocking Sky-Dweller



In the next photo below we see Jon Rahm with his parents on Fathers Day as they celebrate his win and notice his dad is wearing a Rolex Air King.



Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Rolex Worldwide Headquarters

 


Fall Is On The Way

Rolex Worldwide Headquarters

Geneva, Switzerland 

1995


The photo below of Rolex Worldwide Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland was taken in Fall of 1995 before Rolex increased the number of floors and changed the color from gold and brown to green. Under certain lighting conditions, the building could take on an orange look as seen below. If you want to learn much more about the history of Rolex headquarters architecture you can check out my story named, "Inside Rolex. Exploring What Makes Rolex Tick."





Monday, June 14, 2021

Rolex Giraglia – Preview 2021


Rolex Giraglia – Preview 2021




A historic and revered event in the Mediterranean yachting calendar, the Rolex Giraglia celebrates its 68th edition this year. Rolex has partnered the race and its organizers Yacht Club Italiano since 1998. In a break from tradition, and to ensure the race can be held safely during the current pandemic, the 241-nautical mile offshore race will run from locations in Italy, Sanremo to Genoa. The race’s emblematic symbol will remain the course highlight. Located one nautical mile off the northern tip of Corsica, the Giraglia rock and its lighthouse has attained mythic proportions and sits alongside the Fastnet rock (Rolex Fastnet Race), the Organ Pipes (Rolex Sydney Hobart) and Stromboli (Rolex Middle Sea Race) as a famous yachting landmark. Throughout its history the event has been defined by its camaraderie and team spirit and increasingly for the diversity and quality of the competing yachts. The 2021 offshore race commences on Wednesday 16 June. Discover more https://on.rolex.org/3v0wBYQ
 
Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Yacht Club Italiano, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

HODINKEE 1969 ROLEX SINGLE RED SUBMARINER

 


HODINKEE


1969 ROLEX SINGLE RED


 SUBMARINER 

[Reference 1680]


I couldn't help but notice Hodinkee offering for sale an AMAZING 1969 Rolex Single Red Submariner with a Mark II dial which includes a full set including box and papers. This fantastic beauty is for sale at $49,000.



What makes this watch so RAD you ask? In many ways this watch is the grandfather of the current Submariner. In other words, in 1969 Rolex introduced a revolutionary all-new Submariner which became the archetype for the modern Submariner. Methinks one of the reason I like this Single Red Submariner so much is that it reminds me of the Single Red SEA-DWELLER which deputed in 1967 in prototype form with a Date and Cyclops magnifier lens.

The is 1969 Submariner came with a new Reference Number of 1680, and was the first Submariner that featured a date feature and this new model was knows as the "Rolex Oyster Perpetual DATE Submariner." This model featured a depth rating of 200 Meters which was the equivalent of 660 feet.



This particular Submariner Hodinkee is offering for sale is a superb example with an excellent patina and as we see it comes with a "Full Set" that includes the original box, papers, brochure and other accessories. Basically the proud owner of this watch will own a magnificent vintage Rolex Submariner that is essentially a Rolex time machine. Check in out on HODINKEE.com





Hodinkee's Brandon Frazin offers this great description:

Another "Red" Submariner hits the shop this week; this one is a real beauty, complete with box, papers, and accessories. No matter how many times I see one of these, that little line of red text gets me going. This one is particularly beautiful with lovely custard-colored lume and an overall great vintage vibe. It features the sought-after Mark II dial, which is indicated by the "meters first" depth rating on the dial. Additionally, Mark II dials are known to go "tropical" or change color with age. You can find completely black dials or ones that have turned brown like a Hershey's chocolate bar. The dial on this example has stayed fairly black, but it does have a brownish look to it in certain lights and a real tropical feel in the metal – we'll need to keep tabs on this one to see how it looks in 20 years.


Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Rolex Hotness: Dr. Sylvia Earle...






Rolex Presents


Heroes of the Oceans

Rolex just published this amazing documentary featuring Dr. Sylvia Earle that discusses the past, present and future health of the oceans of the world we all share.











Below is a the original story I published on Dr. Sylvia Earle, and I also covered her involvement as the first female Aquanaut in Part 5 of my story about the all-new Single Red SEA-DWELLER.



The Complete History Of
The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER
Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean

Part 13: Dr. Sylvia Earle

The First Female Aquanaut

Dr. Sylvia Earle is a DEEP-SEA Pioneer with a list of career innovation and achievement that is mind-blowing. Her amazing career spans 64 years since she first began SCUBA diving back in 1953.




"The more we know, the more we realize there is to know."

—Dr. Sylvia Earle

Dr. Sylvia Earle is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and she has many nicknames including "Her Deepness", "The Sturgeon General" and "The Aquanette." You can learn much more about her current work by visiting her Mission Blue Sylvia Earle Alliance website, which is fascinating.




I Am Woman Hear Me Roar
In Numbers Too Big To Ignore

Dr. Sylvia Earle was on the 1970 NASA Tektite II Expedition and she is pictured below on the far left, along with her "Aquanette" team-members. Sylvia was really part of the first generation of divers that allowed a woman to do anything a man could.




Dr. Sylvia Earl in many ways is the living personification of the 1971 mega hit song, "I Am Woman" by Australian superstar singer Helen Reddy, which I remember listening to in my childhood. Grammy winner, Helen Reddy's signature song, "I Am Woman", became an international anthem for the Women's Rights Movement in the early 1970s:



Dr. Sylvia Earle is pictured below in the 1970s diving with "Sandy" the dolphin in the Bahamas.




In the photo below we see Dr. Sylvia swimming with a whale shark.





Dr. Silvia Earle is much more than an Aquanaut. She is a pioneering oceanographer, Botanist and Marine Biologist. She can see below as she prepares to dive in one of Dr. Phil Nuytten's innovate diving suits that allows the diver to remain unsaturated.




Dr. Sylvia Earle has appeared in many Rolex ads over the years including the three below. This first one from 2005 has a great tagline of "Job Description: SAVE THE PLANET."






Dr. Sylvia Earle is an amazing woman of incredible achievement and we will explore her history in her upcoming story and I hope to do a podcast interview with her as well. In the recent photo below we see her wearing a ladies Rolex on a President bracelet.



Aquanaut Dr. Sylvia Earle
How To Protect the Blue Heart of the Planet
TED PRIZE Winner for 2009

Rolex is an official sponsor of the amazing 2009 TED Talks and in this video, scientist and aquanaut, Dr. Sylvia Earle–who is an amazing Rolex Explorer–recently gave this incredibly insightful & inspiring 2009 TED PRIZE-winning speech:



Dr. Sylvia Earl is pictured below with the greatest explorer that ever lived—Jacques-Yves Cousteau.


Dr. Sylvia Earl is pictured below with they President Obama in 2016 in Hawaii. Notice she is wearing a 36MM Rolex Day-Date. Sylvia Earle has a fascinating Twitter feed you should check out and follow to keep up with her amazing exploration.










The Complete History Of
The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER
Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean

Table Of Contents