I am sad to report that amazing pioneering journalist, Barbara Walter passed away today at age 93. As we see in the photos below, Barbara Walters wore a yellow gold Rolex Lady Date...
Wikipedia perfectly summed up her brilliant career by saying:
"Barbara Jill Walters was an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including Today, the ABC Evening News, 20/20, and The View."
In one of the T. Walker Lloyd podcast episodes, T. Walker mentioned a famous female newscaster and I can't help but wonder if he was talking about Barbara Walters?
I have never been crazy about precious stones on a Rolex dial or bezel, but when Rolex began blinging out Rolex GMT II models in 2012 I thought is was so tastefully done. It really is a masterful work of art!!!
In an outreach that has extended for more than half a century, Rolex has partnered some of the world’s most talented artists and leading cultural institutions in disciplines including music and cinema. With 2022 coming to an end, Rolex congratulates these esteemed partners who have again set the benchmark for artistry at the highest level, as well as demonstrated a dedication to championing and preserving the arts. This ongoing commitment to perpetual excellence is one of the brand’s basic tenets.
Twenty-twenty-three will be unlike any other year. Rolex started its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program which means for the first time in years, it will be possible again to walk into a Rolex authorized dealer and buy a watch on the spot to crown an achievement — with a peace of mind rarely paralleled on the grey market.
But the biggest factor of 2023 is how quickly China fully reopens. Beijing recently abandoning its zero-tolerance approach to Covid likely means the luxury world will be again able to rely on China to be a locomotive of growth as the U.S. and European economies slow. China health authorities plan to lift Covid-19 quarantine requirements on international arrivals in January.
The Chinese market going back to pre-Covid demand might just be what the grey market needs to reverse the falling trends in value of second-hand Rolex pieces.
A survey in China of 1,500 adults with an annual income of over 500,000 yuan (USD 71,700) found that 88% of respondents expected to maintain or increase their spending on luxury watches over the next 12 months. Prestigious timepieces, especially Rolex, are an attractive alternative for wealthy Chinese at a time when authorities are cracking down on property speculation.
Still, it avoided a manufacture shutdown: The Swiss government as part of its energy-crisis contingency plans had big consumers of energy stop operating for up to a month if those plans are activated. The contingency plan is staying in place for the winter of 2023/2024 should the reserve levels trigger its execution.
Europe, however, will continue in 2023 to benefit from U.S. consumers coming with a strong dollar, making shopping of luxury products in Europe more attractive. The Rolex CPO program has already started in Europe, months ahead of the American market. In the U.S., authorized dealers worry they will capture enough inventory to offer as CPO. One manager of a well-established authorized dealer in California told me he currently has 20 pieces he could start selling this spring, but he doesn't think that will be enough.
Under his leadership Rolex has embraced YouTube, Instagram, and most recently Twitter. It brought back the Pepsi in steel and released a GMT with a crown on the left. At the same time, the brand hasn't been afraid to walk back a few design decisions; the Explorer is again at 36mm, and the Submariner lost its blocky case design. Last month and for the first time ever, it commercialized a watch that could go down to the Mariana Trench, a place Rolex had first visited in 1960. Mr. Dufour's company finished 2022 by buying 24 acres of land in rural Switzerland for 31 million CHF and plans to build a fifth manufacture.
Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour
Rolex has slowly switched the entirety of its watch lineup to a new generation of movements which feature a longer power reserve, but a few models remain, like the Milgauss and Cellini. The Daytona, which will mark its 60th anniversary in 2023, houses a movement that is more than two decades old. The Yacht-Master II's movement will be 10 years old in 2023.
Whether the U.S. will tip into recession sometime in the next 12 months could affect the Rolex market though, I predict, to a small degree. The super-affluent will continue to spend money and now they can spend it worry-free on CPO Rolex watches. But others, especially those with no spending history at ADs, will exercise a more timid approach until Rolex prices on the secondary market stabilize. Either way, demand for Rolex watches is still strong, and the reopening of the Chinese market will guarantee to make 2023 interesting.
Hi Everybody! I hope you are all having a great holiday season. In case you missed it, I highly recommend checking out this interview I recently conducted with Stan Barrett. Stan Barrett is one of the most interesting people I have ever known in the world of Rolex, and several weeks ago his 3 Rolex watches came to Auction at Sotheby's in New York. This Rolex history video ties together so many different aspects of Rolex's Quest for Speed!!!!
I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine who asked me about how and why I started Jake's Rolex World @RolexMagazine.com?
Earlier JAKE'S ROLEX WORLD @RolexMagazine.com Header pictured above
I will share the story with you: 15 years ago, when I started blogging about Rolex I needed a name, so I came up with "JAKE'S ROLEX WORLD" as I had so many fascinating anecdotes I wanted to share about my experiences with the Rolex brand. It's funny, because I almost didn't start my Rolex blog, as I thought to myself: "I LOVE Rolex, but I'm worried I might quickly run out of content as Rolex really only makes 5-6 trademark models!?!!" Thankfully I threw caution to the wind and started blogging like a mad man.
I created the slogan of "Exploring the Wonderful World of Rolex", and in retrospect I think it kind of reminded me of "The Wonderful World of Disney", which I remember from my childhood. Today my slogan reads: "Exploring The Perpetual World Behind The Crown", which to my way of thinking is a bit more Rolexy...
Speaking of funny, I am 56 years old today, and I mentioned to my friend that if somehow we were able to go back in time 20 years ago, when I was 36 years old, and bring me to today and show me, 'here you are in 2022 going on 2023, and you started a website named Jake's Rolex World @ RolexMagazine.com', I probably would have responded and said something like: "Are you Sure????!!!!! I think you must have the wrong Jake..."
In my craziest dreams I don't think I ever would have thought I would go on to become the world's leading Rolex historian, but that is the way it's worked out, and the truth is that I am still madly in love with capturing and sharing my insight on Rolex with my readers...And I can assure you that the BEST IS YET TO COME...
Reality is Stranger Than Fiction
Another supreme Irony is Rolex used to publish a precursor to The Rolex Magazine named "The World of Rolex", and we see the title cover of the front page pictured above from an issue published in 1995. For the record—to the best of my recollection—I never knew this publication existed, and only discovered it several years ago, and I was like 'Wow!!! What an amazing coincidence!?!!' It turns out it is a small world after all...
One of my favorite quotes sums it up perfectly:
“The vision recurs; the eastern sun has a second rise; history repeats her tale unconsciously, and goes off into a mystic rhyme; ages are prototypes of other ages, and the winding course of time brings us round to the same spot again.”
—Mystic Rhyme 1845
One More ROLEX WORLD
The precursor to the publication mentioned above was another Rolex Magazine named ROLEX WORLD, and we see the cover of the April 1975, which was No 4.
Paper v. Digital
When I look at the pages from the Rolex World Magazine from 1975, I can't help but think about how back then it was a paper only world, and despite this fact Rolex still prints a biannual The Rolex Magazine which is paper, I publish Jake's Rolex World online only 365 days a year, only digitally on the web...
When a man has a WORLD in his hands,
you expect to see a Rolex on his wrist...
From 1966 to 1968 Rolex featured an ad campaign that had a slogan that read "When a man has a world in his hands, you expect to see a Rolex on his wrist", and if you look at the Rolex Magazine ad below you see that slogan at the bottom.
The Certified Pre-Owned guarantee card, which displays the seal, officially confirms that the watch is genuine and guarantees its proper functioning. This card serves as an official certificate of authenticity.
LOGO FROM A 1950s ROLEX ADVERTISEMENT
The official logo of the CPO program is printed in green on a beige color. If the logo looks familiar it's because it is inspired from the engraving found inside the clasp of each Rolex watch. The rhythmic linear pattern around the word "ROLEX" is called an arabesque.
The arabesque logo made its appearance for the first time in Rolex advertisements of the mid-1940s, like this very elegant German Rolex ad from 1946. The war had just ended and the logo seems to bring some jubilee.
Notice again the arabesque in this 1947 ad in French.
Under Hans Wilsdorf's signature in this 1948 Season's Greetings ad in English.
1948 was a very good year for Rolex and the world of exploration. Rolex and Hans Wilsdorf were moving full-speed-ahead into a wonderful new era. In 1948 Hans Wilsdorf was 67 years old and despite his amazing achievements to date, the best had yet to come. Rolex USA was so excited about the level of progress, they published the following magazine ad which featured Hans Wilsdorf as the "Watchman of our Time." The arabesque is prominently displayed at the bottom.
In this next Rolex Christmas ad from 1948, we see Rolex marking its 40th anniversary with the new five-link trademark bracelet, the Jubilee bracelet, as seen below on this first generation yellow gold Datejust. The arabesque is now white on green.
The following three ads displaying the Rolex arabesque logo are all from the 1950s. I couldn't find any ads past the 1950s with that design.
Rolex celebrates Roger Federer’s journey of towering achievement and all-round tennis excellence. The brand treasures its enduring partnership with the sports legend and looks forward to maintaining those close ties as he embraces new paths, new challenges, beyond the playing court.
The timepiece Rolex unveiled a month ago surprised the watch community and industry experts. The new Deepsea Challenge is not only the first all-titanium example offered by Rolex, but it’s also the highest depth-rated watch ever to be commercialized, having undergone pressure testing to 25% more than the deepest point on the planet. Some say it is the most extreme watch. General Patton would have called the Deepsea Challenge a great example in gemology.
Still, Rolex's announcement it had unveiled a new diver in its collection was half the story, I felt. The other half was about Rolex's ability to rate a watch to a depth very few people had ever gone. In short, how do you build and test the ultimate watch of the deep from Switzerland, a country with ski slopes and lakes?
When I reached out to Rolex and asked about the pressure tank that was built to test the new Deepsea Challenge, I noticed the tank was referred to by employees of the brand as la cuve UHP.
Top of UHP tank has the same engravings as the watch.
Rolex's first Ultra High Pressure tank was built ten years ago, when it tested the experimental watch that would be strapped onto James Cameron's submersible in his record-setting solo dive in 2012. When the watch came out of the tank unscathed and perfectly ticking, the Rolex watchmakers and design engineers who were involved in the project burst into applause.
The brand updated la cuve UHP to test the highest depth-rated watch ever to be offered to the public. As it’s the case for other Rolex divers, the new Deepsea Challenge had to be tested to 25% more than the advertised rating; so, 25% more than the deepest point known on Earth. The tank had to be built big enough to accommodate more than one watch at a time to make large-scale production possible.
The tank alone is a feat of engineering worth writing about. The pressure chamber inside the UHP tank is less than 4 inches in diameter but can hold 3.5 liters of water (though less water is required for the test, Rolex told me). It can test up to 10 watches at a time, and it is completely built in grade 5 titanium to avoid any potential problems with magnetic fields.
When the tank was first developed with Comex's help, it was designed to sustain a mind-boggling pressure of 2,510 bars, or 25,100 meters of water depth. That's more than twice Mariana Trench's depth. For safety reasons, the tank was derated to 1,750 bars and equipped with an automatic relief valve. The support structure used for closing the pressure chamber can sustain a pressure of more than 100 tons when the watches are being tested, according to Rolex.
Watchmaking is all about attention to details. And so is watch testing. Rolex uses water that has been deionized when it conducts the pressure test. Deionized water, I learned, doesn't leave stains on the watch. All the testing is done at the site of Rolex world headquarters in Acacias, central Geneva.
A Rolex representative once told me that when the brand unveils a new collection each March, it always tries to show expertise not only as a watchmaker but also as a gem-setter — from the simple floral-motif Datejust 31 to the pavé-dial rainbow Daytona.
You could argue Rolex did it again this November with the Deepsea Challenge. The watch has undergone so much barometric testing, General Patton would have certainly called it a diamond.
Photo appears courtesy of Stan Barrett & Sotheby's Auction House.
Paul Newman (pictured below) owned and wore the stainless steel Rolex Daytona pictured above (center) before he gifted it to Stan Barrett. The photo above appears courtesy of Southeby's Auction house and shows Stan Barrett's 'Paul Newman Daytona' on the navy blue velcro strap Stan Barrett wore when he became the first human to break the speed of sound barrier driving the Budweiser Rocket Car back in 1979.
Stan Barrett said to me in an interview, "We were like father and son in some ways due to our 18 years age difference, but more than anything we were just great pals. We would spend countless hours talking about everything you could imagine!"
Bosom Buddies, Paul Newman and Stan Barrett
The Stan Barrett articles below were originally published years ago and have been updated for this article:
...A Special Message From...
Stan Barrett
All-New Documentary Updates Humanitarian Mission
I originally published Stan Barrett's story on August 14, 2016, and much has changed since then. Stan Barrett was Paul Newman's best friend and primary stuntman, and we see the two of them pictured together below in the last photo Stan took with Paul before Paul Newman passed away.
Paul Newman created his Hole In The Wall Camps and he said, "I wanted to create a safe and fun environment where these very sick children could go and have fun, be silly and most importantly just be children, and enjoy life."
I am truly humbled by Stan Barrett's amazing achievements, particularly his super-humble philanthropic work as witnessed in the video above. I think Stan and Paul are Angelic...I also believe that Stan Barrett is the living personification of the Rolex Daytona...
Note from Jake: Below is the original story I published on Stan Barrett, which I just updated significantly:
...Rolex Super-Coolness...
Stan Barrett
The World's First Supersonic Driver
Wearing A Special Paul Newman Daytona
Recently, I have been spending much time interviewing legendary stuntman, speed demon, NASCAR Race Car Driver, Pilot, and philanthropist, Stan Barrett. I was introduced to Stan by my good pal,David Concannon who is a famous explorer himself.
Stan Barrett was best friends with Paul Newman and if you think he looks a lot like Paul Newman, you are right. As a matter of fact, he was Paul Newman's stunt double in many famous movies, and another thing they shared was a love for Rolex. It was actually Paul Newman who turned Stan Barrett on to Rolex when he began giving him Rolex sports watches as gifts. Stan Barrett is pictured below in a recent photo, still wearing his loyal and trusted Pepsi GMT-Master.
"My Rolex watches have been like good luck charms for me—especially since many of them were gifts from my best pal, Paul Newman." —Stan Barrett
This is not only a fascinating story about man and machine but a story about a man's man who constantly pushed the envelope. As we will learn, Stan Barrett is The Real Deal. How real? He was a Golden Gloves boxing winner and has two black belts in Karate. Oh, and he used to work-out with Bruce Lee.
Stan Barrett is pictured below with his good pal, Paul Newman, and notice both are wearing Rolex sport model watches. The photo was taken in 1975 at a mud race track one weekend when they were filming the movie, The Drowning Pool. Stan is wearing his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master and Paul Newmanis wearing his trademark Paul Newman Daytona with the exotic white dial. Later in this story, we will delve into their friendship that lasted 40 years.
Let's go back to 1979, and take a look at the man who was the very first to shatter the Supersonic sound barrier on wheels, and his name is Stan Barrett.
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett wearing his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master and Rolex Daytona on his left wrist as he prepares to become the first man to drive a vehicle on earth past the speed of sound. The Rolex Daytona on his wrist is no ordinary watch. Stan Barrett's best friend, Paul Newman gave him that Daytona especially for the occasion of his attempt to break the sound barrier.
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett on his Budweiser rocket car, sporting his red K-Swiss sneakers just after shattering the Speed Of Sound Barrier, and notice he is still wearing two Rolex watches on his left wrist.
On Jake's Rolex World I specialize in sharing the stories behind the stories, and this is no exception. In order to really understand this story, I recommend first watching the two compelling video documentaries below, as they offer an amazing historical context.
The first video below showcases live video from the Stan Barrett's event when he drove the Budweiser Rocket Car past the speed of sound–right into the history books. I highly recommend watching this fascinating documentary.
The next video below shows the live coverage of the event from 1979, and I highly recommend watching it as well. It is particularly fascinating to gain Chuck Yeager's insight and passionate perspective.
Stan Barrett is pictured below just after becoming the first man to break the sound barrier on land, and that is no other than Chuck Yeager standing over him. Stan was recorded driving at 739.666 Miles Per Hour in the Budweiser Rocket car in 1979.
Paul Newman (pictured below wearing his famous exotic cream dial Rolex Daytona) gave Stan the Rolex Daytona he wore on his record-setting speed run in the Budweiser Rocket Car, but refused to attend, because he didn't want to see one of his best friends killed in a rocket car.
The Dating Game
Dating watches in not always easy and can be a slippery slope, just like dating in real life. It is believed Paul Newman received his Paul Newman #1 Daytona as gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward after he fell in love with racing cars, which was the result of him starring in the racing move named Winning in 1969. The best scholarship on dating when Paul Newman got his Daytona comes from Nick Gould's recent discovery of Paul Newman wearing his famous namesake Rolex Daytona at the latest in April of 1971 when he shot the racing documentary titled "Once Upon A Wheel" for ABC Television. The publicity shot below of Paul Newman wearing his Rolex Daytona #1 was taken on the set of the documentary.
It is crystal clear Paul was wearing his Daytona in 1971, as the show aired first on April 18, 1971. Nick's research shows Paul was wearing his Daytona in 1970 as well, as seen in this photo from 1970.
THE
Paul Newman
Daytona
#2
Rolex Daytona Reference 6262
The photo below was taken on Stan Barrett's birthday in which we see Stan's son, Stanton Barrett, who today is a famous NASCAR race car driver and stuntman.
Paul Newman was also Stanton Barrett's Godfather, and in the photo below we see Stanton Barrett wearing his father's Rolex Daytona that Paul Newman gave him back in the early 1970s.
Stanton Barrett wore the Rolex Daytona Paul Newman gave his father until recently when the Barrett's learned how valuable the watch is, and now the Rolex Daytona lives in a Safety Deposit box. It's difficult to guess how much this actual Paul Newman Daytona #2 is worth today, but I think its worth a fortune!!! Stan Barrett is pictured below hugging his son Stanton Barrett who is wearing his Paul Newman Daytona #2. Stan Barrett is pictured below with his son Stanton and Supermodel Carol Alt.
Stanton Barrett took the exclusive photo below of the Rolex Daytona his father wore when he set the land speed record. The Paul Newman Daytona #2 was a good luck charm gift from Paul Newman to his best friend, Stan Barrett in the early 1970s.
Stanton Barrett Barrett is pictured below wearing his Paul Newman, Paul Newman Daytona. Ironically, Stan Barrett told me that Paul Newman took this Rolex Daytona watch off his wrist when he have it to him back in the early 1970s around 1972 to 1973. This means Paul Newman had two Rolex Daytona models back in the early 1970s.
An Amazing Friendship
Stan Barrett and Paul Newman were best friends for four decades. Stan told me, "Paul and I were as close as two straight guys could be for over forty years, sharing many wonderful and fun times, and a few challenging days as well." The photo below of Stan Barrett and Paul Newman was taken in the early 1970s and shows Stan Barrett holding his cast which he cut off so he could go skiing with Paul Newman.
Stan Barrett and Paul Newman first met, when Stan began as Paul Newman's stunt double. Paul was 18 years older than Stan, and used to tease him by saying Stan was his illegitimate son since the looked and were built similar. The photo below was taken in Yosemite in 1975.
In the next set of photos below, we see Paul Newman climbing into the Budweiser Rocket to check it out. These photos were taken at Bonneville.
In the next image below we see Stan Barrett with his back to us, as he helps his best pal, Paul Newman climb in the Budweiser Rocket. In the photos, we see Paul Newman, who was an accomplished race-car driver struggling to get in the Budweiser Rocket, which demonstrates just how challenging it was to get in and out of.
In the next two images taken at the same event, we see Stan Barrett and Paul Newman sharing some smiles.
This next set of images is not only interesting but offers rare insight into Paul Newman's sense of humor. In this first image, we see Paul Newman and Stan Barrett hanging out at a NASCAR racing event where Stan was racing.
Paul Newman sent the signed photograph below to Stan Barrett as a signed memento. It is really funny if you think about it. Stan is saying "Can I open my eyes now?", and Paul's character says "No Autographs PALEASE!" Then Paul signed it, "Two dunces in search of character!"
I believe the photo below is one of the last photos of Stan Barrett and Paul Neman taken before Paul passed away. Stan told me "I really miss Paul and Hal Needham as they were my closest friends. Actually, they were more like kin."
The photo below is a recent close-up wrist-shot of the GMT-Master Paul Newman gave Stan Barrett, which Stan still wears.
The photo below, taken by David Concannon shows the case back engraving on Stan Barrett's Pepsi GMT-Master which reads"
"STAN BARRET, 739 MPH, MACH 1.0106, 12-17-79."
The Right Stuff
The Complete History Of The Rolex GMT-Master & Daytona
RolexX-Files
Rolex makes many famous and iconic watches, like the Day-Date, Datejust, Milgauss, and Yacht-Master. They also make the Rolex GMT-Master which historically has been a pilots watch, as well as the Rolex Daytona Chronograph, which was originally intended to be a racing watch. So a good question is what do the Rolex GMT-Master and Rolex Daytona have in common? Probably much more than most people realize, and that is kind of what this story is about, and I will go more into this later.
The Speed King
So now that you know Stan Barrett's story, lets go deep— really deep—into the story behind the story. On the surface, with Stan Barrett we see a man who set a number of world land speed records, back, to back, to back, but what does this all mean? In order to really understand, we need to get in The Rolex Time Machine and go back to the early 1920s. Enter, Sir Malcolm Campbell, known famously as The Speed King.
Sir Malcolm Campbell was English and was an early pioneer in setting land-speed records. In the photo below we see Malcolm Campbell in 1922 at Saltburn Sands in North Yorkshire, Wales in his Sunbeam V12, which had a 350 horsepower engine. He proudly named this Sunbeam, Blue Bird. On June 17, 1922 he set his first record when he drove it at 138.08 miles per hour.
Sir Malcolm Campbell was a Rolex fanatic and we see him below wearing his Rolex Oyster with a cushion case [Think Early Panerai Reference 3646 Art-Deco style].
Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf was so impressed with Sir Malcolm Campbell's achievements, he offered him to become the first male Rolex Brand Ambassador, and pictured below we see a 1930 Rolex magazine ad featuring Sir Malcolm Campbell.
Sir Malcolm Campbell set one land speed record after another, and in his later years of record setting, ended up in the U.S.A. racing his significantly updated Blue Bird up and down Daytona Beach in Florida.
The video below shows Sir Malcolm Cambell setting a new land speed record on the hard-packed sand of Daytona Beach, Florida.
This next photo shows Sir Malcolm Campbell breaking the 300 MPH Barrier @ Bonneville Flats in Utah.
The Right Stuff
Next in the line of men Barrier Breakers who wore Rolex watches is Chuck Yeager. The singed photo below from Chuck Yeager to Stan Barrett shows Chuck Yeager in front of his P-51 Mustang fighter plane he nicknamed 'Glamourous Glennis'. The photo was taken in England in 1944 at RAF Leiston, when Chuck Yeager was an Ace World War II fighter pilot.
After World War II, Chuck Yeager came back to the United States where he became a United States Air-Force Test Pilot.
On a clear California winter day, on October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager flew into the record books, as the first pilot to Break The Speed Of Sound. He did this flying his X-1 at an altitude of 45,000 feet (13,700 M), and of course, he did this wearing his faithful Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
The signed photo below was a gift to Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, from Chuck Yeager in 1954.
Chuck Yeager is a dyed-in-the-wool Rolex fanatic of the highest order. He was wearing his trusted Rolex Oyster Perpetual the day he broke the speed of sound barrier in 1947, and in the later photo below, taken in the 1950s, we see him wearing his Big Crown Rolex Submariner.
It turns out Chuck Yeager would play a vital role in Stan Barrett's success with breaking the speed of sound barrier on land, many years later at Edwards Air Force Base. After 9 runs at Bonneville, the Budweiser Rocket kept digging into the unstable salt surface which presented a serious safety issue.
Chuck Yeager was so engaged in the process, he took it upon himself to go directly to U.S. Air Force General Phil Conley who was the commander of the Edwards Test Center to seek permission to move the project to Edwards Air Force base.
Chuck Yeager was enamored with the project as well as Stan Barrett. So much so, he once said to Stan Barrett, "Driving that beauty looks like a lot of fun!?!!" He kept asking Stan when he could drive it, and then he put forth a proposal that he wanted to be the backup driver for setting the speed of sound record in the Budweiser Rocket. He asked to have his name painted on the outside of the Budweiser Rocket—listed as the Backup Driver.
So one day, after Stan set the record, he let his pal Chuck Yeager drive the Budweiser Rocket Car. The photo above is kind of funny because if you look closely, you notice Chuck Yeager is wearing Stan Barrett's racing uniform, as well as his K-Swiss shoes. Stan and Chuck ended up becoming good friends—a friendship that exists to this day.
William J. "Pete" Knight is pictured above and below in front of his X-15 Spaceship. Notice I said Spaceship and not airplane. The X-15 looks like an airplane, but airplanes can't leave the Earth's atmosphere like an X-15 could.
The Hypersonic X-15 Experimental Spacecrafts were made by a U.S. Company named North American, and they were rocket-powered aircraft. The X-Series began with the Bell X-1 that Chuck Yeager flew in 1947, and ended up with the X-15.
In the photo below we see William J. 'Pete' Knight's special X-15a he flew into the record books when he set the all-time speed record for level flight. A record that he holds to this day. On a clear winter day, on October 3, 1967, Pete Knight's X-15a took off from Edwards Air Force Base, attached to a B-52 Bomber. He hit Mach 6.7, and returned safely to earth.
Pete Knight's special X-15a had special 'abatement' white tiles on it, as they could withstand extreme heat. These tiles famously ended up being used on the Space Shuttle many years later to protect it as it returned into the atmosphere of earth at super-high speeds. As a matter of fact, the first Space Shuttle named Columbia landed at Edwards Air-Force Base on April 12, 1981.
Pete Knight is pictured below wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master he wore when he set the all-time speed record for level flight at Mach 6.7.
Pete Knight, like Chuck Yeager, played a pivotal role in Stan Barrett's record-setting performance in 1979. Stan Barrett is pictured below with Pete Knight during the time trials at Edwards Air Force Base in 1979.
The photo above is of Pete Knights actual GMT-Master watch he wore when he flew his X-15 at Mach 6.7. Notice it is almost identical to Stan Barrett's Pepsi GMT-Master [Rolex Reference 1675].
Command Module Pilot
Next we are going to take a look at NASA Astronaut, Michael Collins, who was part of the Apollo 11 Mission, which was the first NASA mission to land men on the moon, and return them safely to earth. In the photos below we see Michael Collins just before he left for the moon, and he is wearing his trusted Rolex Turn-O-Graph.
The Rolex Turn-O-Graph Michael Collins is wearing looks remarkably similar to the Rolex Submariner, but its slightly smaller.
So what does Michael Collins have to do with this story and Stan Barrett, besides the fact they were both barrier-breakers and the fact they both wear Rolex watches?
Michael Collins was present to support and witness Stan Barrett breaking the sound barrier in 1979, as seen in the photo above, just to the right of Hal Needham. Michael Collins is checking out the Budweiser Rocket with avid fascination, as he was a United States Air Force Test Pilot, prior to becoming a NASA Astronaut.
The U.S. Air Force
So we have three key U.S. Air Force Test Pilots who were all Right Stuff Characters who helped and watched Stan Barrett break the Speed Of Sound Barrier at Edwards Air Force Base in 1979. There is nothing unusual about a Speed Demon setting back-to-back-to-back land speed records at a U.S. Air Force Base is there? Well, YES it is unusual—but, all the top U.S. Air Force brass were so enthralled by what Stan Barrett was attempting to achieve they couldn't help but get super-excited. Stan Barrett and the Budweiser Rocket represented everything they dreamed of and lived for as men—To be a super-competent Alpha-male who genuinely pushed the envelope. In Stan Barrett, they found their true idol, a man who was The Real-Deal. The photo below shows Stan Barrett shaking hands with U.S. Air Force General Conley and General Slay, who were also both on hand to offer their support and watch him break the sound barrier at Edwards Air Force Base.
The photo below shows Stan Barrett with his Budweiser Rocket standing next to Colonel Grazier with his F-15 parked behind them. Colonel Grazier helped facilitate all the events at Edwards Air Force Base for The Budweiser Rocket Team.
If you think about it, it makes sense that Stan Barrett ended up at Edwards Air Force Base, as it is the home of Supersonic Speed, beginning with Chuck Yeager, and continuing through the X-15 program, and as previously mentioned it is even the place the first Space Shuttle Columbia landed. The photo below shows Stan Barrett's Budweiser Rocket at the exact moment he was driving it at supersonic speed, past Mach 1 at Edwards Air Force Base.
If you look closely at the photo above of Stan Barrett's Budweiser Rocket being driven past the speed of sound in the photo above, you notice that just after the sonic boom, the vehicle started seriously buffeting, which caused the rear wheels to lift off the ground, and the rocket got airborne. You can see the shockwaves from the buffeting under the car in the photo above. The photo below is of an award the U.S. Air Force gave Stan Barrett for his outstanding achievement.
I think the bottom-line is that Stan Barrett, much like his best pal, Paul Newman, was a Man's Man. In other words, many men were deeply inspired by his achievement, determination, discipline, and courage. As a matter of fact, the Edward's Air Force Base test pilots gave him this custom trophy seen below that reads: "To Stan Barrett. Undisputed Holder Of The Biggest Pair. Mach One--Edwards AFB. 17 Dec 1979."
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett just after he broke the speed of sound barrier by driving Mach 1, as he prepares to fly an F15 through the sky at speeds past Mach 1, thus making him the first man on Earth to drive and fly faster than the speed of sound!
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett speaking with then Budweiser CEO, August Busch with the Budweiser Rocket car between them. Paul Newman was responsible for putting together the relationship for Budweiser to be the lead sponsor. In the photo below, if you look closely, you will notice Stan Barret is wearing a yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master, which August Busch gave his as a congratulatory gift after he broke the speed of sound barrier in the Budweiser Rocket.
The photo below shows the back of Stan Barrett's yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master that August Bush gave him. Notice the inscription that reads:
David Concannon took this photo and Stan Mentioned that T. Walker Lloyd from Rolex U.S.A. spoke with him on the phone and asked him which Rolex model he preferred.
In the final analysis, it is important to point out that Stan Barrett really represents the tail end or final culmination of the Right Stuff.
BloodHound SSC
Although The Right Stuff begins with Chuck Yeager, I think Sir Malcolm Campbell could easily be added to the list as could Andy Green, kind of like the bread on a sandwich. Illustrating all this rich Rolex land-speed history, really ads valuable and fascinating new insight into the history of the Rolex Daytona and GMT-Models.
Speaking of Andy Green, let's fast forward to today. Rolex is a sponsor of the Bloodhound SSC, which is pictured below. Andy Green, the driver of the Bloodhound SSC is basically the Sir Malcolm Campbell of today.
The video below features Chris Harris interviewing Andy Green, and I can't highly enough recommend watching it. If you look closely, you will notice that Chris Harris is wearing his Rolex SEA-DWELLER in the video, along with Andy Green wearing his Batman GMT-Master. If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out the official Bloodhound SSC Twitter feed, which has a great deal of fascinating information.
So what does all this mean? and what does it have to do with Stan Barrett? Stan Barrett essentially represents THE NEXUS point between Sir Malcolm Campbell and Andy Green. In other words, his Rolex history was a serious missing piece in the Rolex Daytona history puzzle—until today.
Singer Michael Bublé is pictured below wearing the all-new Rolex Speed King watch model.
World's Top Stuntman
Stan Barrett was the top-billing stuntman of his era, and as such he was absolutely fearless. Stan said to me "Death is the ultimate beyond and that is where we all end up, so why fear it?"
Stan was Paul Newman's stunt double for many years, and he also was a stunt double for Burt Reynolds, and other famous stars from that era.
Stan told me a story about how he was the stunt double for Burt Reynolds on the movie Hooper in 1978, and interestingly enough, he loaned Burt Reynolds his Rolex GMT-Master to wear in the movie as Burt played the role of Hal, and they kept passing it back and forth as Stan wore it in the stunt scenes and Burt wore it in the regular scenes. Stan mentioned to me that the action movie Hooper was loosely based upon his and Hal Needham's careers as stuntmen. Hall Needham directed the movie, Hooper.
In the photo above, we see Burt Reynolds on the set of Hooper, wearing Stan Barrett's Rolex GMT-Master, as he poses for a photo with fellow top-actor Clint Eastwood, with the movie producer, Lawrence Gordon.
Years ago I watched the 1978 movie Hooper and captured the screenshots above and below that show Burt Reyolds wearing a Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master and Yellow Day-Date. I captured them with the intention of publishing them, but they remained in my unpublished images archive until now. The first image above is from the opening scene of Hooper and shows Burt Reynolds switching Rolex watches as he prepares to do a stunt.
In the screen grab below we see Burt Reynolds wearing Hal Needham's Rolex Day-Date in the movie Hooper.
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett shaking hands with famous actor, Jimmy Stewart. In the photo, we see Stan's Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master with crystal clarity. Shenandoah was the first Jimmy Steward movie Stan Barrett was in, and in the photo below we see Stan with Jimmy Stewart on the set of Airport '77 in 1977.
Stan is an accomplished athlete and holds two different black belts. He even used to work out with Bruce Lee. In the photo below we see Stan Barrett pulling a wheelie in front of a small crowd.
In the photo below we see Stan Barrett hanging out with fellow Rat-Pack members, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. This photo was taken at an event where Stan Barrett roasted Ronald Reagan before he became the President Of The United States.
Breaking Mach 1
The World's First Supersonic Driver
I asked Stan Barrett: "In 1979 when you set the record, what was your favorite song or album?' Stan responded: "Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills! I listened to it from the time I was in the van till I got out to the rocket every time, and before qualifying in NASCAR! Jackie Arute called it my go fast music." The video below is of Fran Mills performing Music Box Dancer, which is an amazing performance. I highly recommend listening to it, as it ads a whole different dimension to exploring Stan's amazing story of achievement!!
So why did I ask Stan what his favorite song was at the time? I was hoping, as he did, that he would tell me he had a theme song that inspired him to push the envelope the way he did.
In my own experience, many times when I was trying to push the envelope in my own life, I was inspired by a special song that became my theme song at the time, so it is neat that he shared his amazing choice with me. I plan to keep enjoying listening to it as I keep working on expanding this article, and I imagine it will inspire me. Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills was Stan's song and was really his zeitgeist, that set the mood and define the spirit of that time of achievement in his life. I have to admit, I like the song so much, I can't stop listening to it!!!! I vaguely remember it from my childhood and don't recall hearing it since the late 1970s. As I write this, it is defiantly my favorite new/old song :-) Somehow, listening to this song adds a whole different dimension to this story...
Hal Needham is pictured above sporting his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date. Hal is former stuntman and movie director. He can be seen in the videos toward the top of this story. Stan Barrett is a highly religious man and he told me one of his favorite Bible passages is from "Philippians 4:4-9" which he would always recite in his head before he would fire up his Rocket Car, or do stunts:
Final Exhortations
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
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.
