Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Under The Pole DEEPLIFE | Svalbard Expedition Episodes 1-3



Under The Pole


DEEPLIFE | Svalbard Expedition 

Episodes 1-3

Rolex recently published this stunningly beautiful & magnificent documentary trilogy which among other things discovers the first arctic marine animal forest. The videos are in French, so if you don't speak French, be sure to turn click on the Subtitles button, which should offer English subtitles. The following text accompanies each Rolex video:

The ecosystems of the Arctic seas remain mysterious even as the sea ice retreats due to climate change. To learn more, Under The Pole’s Ghislain Bardout and Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout led an expedition to Svalbard, supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. The explorers dived into the frigid waters in search of marine animal forests. These ecosystems are just as essential to life on Earth as forests on land, yet little is known about them.


When the explorers at Under The Pole dive into the Arctic Ocean, they face formidable challenges. The water is so cold it hurts, and the chill also wears out their equipment. Arctic dives require careful preparation and the right frame of mind but the reward is discovery. The team has found the first-ever marine animal forest in the Arctic off the coast of Svalbard, as part of its ongoing DEEPLIFE programme supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. 


By exploring the Arctic seas, the team at Under The Pole aims to document the region’s hidden ecosystems and preserve them. Only by understanding the marine animal communities that exist in these icy waters – and how they are changing – is it possible to take action. Divers Ghislain Bardout and Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout want to ensure a living world for the next generation. Their science-driven exploration is supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative.


Monday, February 27, 2023

Rolex Macro Shot of the Day: Vu's Magnificent Yachtmaster...


...Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day...

 Magnificent Yachtmaster 

Vu took this stunning macro shot of his stainless and platinum Yachtmaster which is just amazing!!! The bezel and dial on this model are Platinum and the rest of the watch is stainless steel. That platinum dial is really something else when you catch it in the right light.

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Vintage Rolex GMT-Master Pilot Ad


Jacques Piccard Bathyscaphe Trieste
Vintage Rolex GMT-Master Pilot Ad

Saturday, February 25, 2023

I Dream Of Rolex: Larry Hagman & Barbara Eden



I Dream Of Rolex

Larry Hagman & Barbara Eden

Rolex Lady Date & Day-Date


What does I Dream Of Jeannie have in common with Rolex? They are both beautiful Timeless Classics that make people smile! I Dream Of Jeannie is one of the most iconic TV shows in history, right up there with I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show. 

I Dream Of Jeannie originally aired on TV in 1965 and ran to 1970, which covered 5 seasons and 139 episodes. The premise of the show was that a NASA Astronaut was in a rocket that was launched and went off-course and landed on a desert island, where he finds a beautiful genie in a bottle he opens, who calls him 'Master'. Probably every man's dream :-0




Larry Hagman passed away on November 23, 2012, and in the photo below, we see Barbara Eden who played Jeannie, and Larry Hagman who played Major Nelson on I Dream Of Jeannie, hanging out together not so long before he passed away, and notice both of them are still wearing their yellow gold Rolex watches!!!



So let's go back in The Rolex Time Machine and take a closer look at their Rolex watches. 



First we see Barbara Eden wearing her yellow gold Rolex Lady-Date model on Jubilee Bracelet.



The photo below of Barbara Eden was taken when she turned 90 years old and notice she is still wearing her yellow gold Rolex Lady Date. Today Barbara is 91 years young.



DALLAS


Next we see Larry Hagman who went on from playing Major Nelson on I Dream Of Jeannie, to playing J.R. Ewing on the epic TV Show Dallas. Dallas ran from 1978 to 1991, and was ultra successful. Larry Hagman is pictured below wearing his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date on Dallas.



In later episodes of Dallas, Larry Hagman's character started sporting his yellow gold Rolex "President" on a special special custom-made gold and leather strap with his J.R. initials on it, as seen below.



Larry Hagman reprised his role as J.R. Ewing on Dallas when it came back to TV in 2012, and in the photos below we see Larry Hagman wearing his Rolex Day-Date on his special JR Gold Band.








On I Dream Of Jeannie, Larry Hagman played the role of Air Force/ NASA Major Anthony Nelson. The show aired from 1965 to 1970 and in many ways it mirrored the times. Specifically, between 1965 and 1970, NASA went from Project Mercury to Gemini to Apollo. Project Mercury put the first American in space to orbit the Earth, and Apollo was the first to put a man on the moon. At the time, the NASA Astronauts were like the new cowboys. 









DEADLY ENCOUNTER

1982 Helicopter Action Movie

Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner

Reference 1680

In the photos below we see Larry Hagman in a different role, rockin' a different Rolex model–this time he is wearing a Rolex sports watch, which appears to be a Submariner Reference 1680 in Stainless Steel.



I received an email a decade ago from a reader of Jake's Rolex World who lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, named Luiz, and he sent me the following email:

Hi Mr. Jake...

My name is HEITOR AZEVEDO, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil... I´m a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter pilot. I have two Rolex Submariner Supercase Ceramic... and I´m a great admirer of your blog and histories.

I saw a Larry Hagman´s movie from 1982. In the first scene, you can see Mr. Hagman proceeding a helicopter pre-flight check wearing a beautiful Rolex Submariner in the movie DEADLY ENCOUNTER.

I was looking for this movie, to watch the helicopters performances, but I was very surprised when in the first scene I saw Larry Hagman wearing a Submariner almost like my two 116610LN (I have one with steel bracelet and another one with a black rubber bracelet with white needlework line that I usualy wear to work).

I hope to have helped to improve your fantastic blog histories.

Thank you very much, best regards,
HEITOR AZEVEDO – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil.

Thank you so much Heitor, and yes I watched the whole movie and got some screen grabs of Larry Hagman wearing his stainless steel Submariner. By the way, Larry Hagman made this movie in 1981, while he was staring in Dallas. Dallas began in 1978 and ran until 1991. 


Watching this movie was a trip. The helicopter flying and stunts were fascinating, but it was really kind of a cheesy early 1980s movie. Think, Airwolf, meets Charlie's Angels, meets Star Wars, meets Miami Vice ;-) Either way, it is still a trip to see Larry Hagman rockin' a stainless steel Rolex Submariner.








Friday, February 24, 2023

2009 SuperCase Rolex GMT Master II Ad Yellow Gold with Ceramic Bezel Insert


2009 SuperCase Rolex GMT Master II Ad

Yellow Gold with Ceramic Bezel Insert

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Liza Minnelli Yellow Gold Date Lady Datejust...


Academy Award Winner For Best Actress


Liza Minnelli

Yellow Gold Date Lady Datejust

Liza Minnelli is an absolute SuperStar! She is one of the very few people in history to win an Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy Award. Liza Minelli is pictured below with Sammy Davis Jr., and she is wearing her yellow goal Rolex Ladies Date. Sammy Davis Jr., also wore many different Rolex watches.


Liza Minnelli's mother was Judy Garland, who was also achieved extreme success in her lifetime, beginning with her role as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz. In the video below we see Judy and Liza (Mother and Daughter) perform together in 1964, live at the London Palladium!



Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Rolex Macro Shot of the Day: Daytona Detail...


Daytona Detail

Champthekid took this fantastic shot of his Rolex Daytona reference number 16520 between the lugs.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Raquel Welch Belongs to the Ages

 

Rolex Beauty


Raquel Welch


Belongs to the Ages

1940-2023

Raquel Welch is considered to be one of the most beautiful women that ever lived, and she passed away today at age 82. In the photo below we see Raquel wearing her two-tone Rolex Lady Datejust.











Monday, February 13, 2023

10 Millionth COSC Rolex

 

Just When You Thought You Have Seen It All

All Platinum Unique Yacht-Master

10 Millionth COSC Rolex

Just when I started thinking I might have seen it all in the world of Rolex, Nick Gould shares this over-the-top unique all platinum Rolex Yacht-Master model with me that was made for either former André-Jean Heiniger, or his son, Patrick Heiniger. In case you are not familiar, this model historically only was made out of stainless steel with a Platinum bezel, or in yellow gold, but has NEVER been made in Platinum. 


This special model was made to commemorate the the epic milestone as it is the 10 Millionth Rolex ever made with a COSC movement. This watch features a special dial designation that says "DIX MILLIONIEME CHRONOMETRE", which is unusual as Rolex which is very unusual as I don't recall seeing many Rolex watches that did not feature all English characters on the dial. This watch even features a special engraving on the Rotor that has a 10,000,000th Chronometer designation.




How would you like to own this unique Platinum Rolex Yacht-Master!?!! Well it's coming to auction this April 22nd with the Monaco Legend Group, which is located in Monte Carlo at Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel. Monaco Legend Group has one AMAZING Instagram page if you wan't to check out some seriously cool watches...



1977 Rolex Brochure Cover...


1977 

Rolex Brochure Cover

I am pretty certain this is the first Rolex brochure I ever looked at when I was young...Total Deja Vu when I look at this now!!!


...Rolex Tennis Super-Hotness... Ana Ivanovic


...Rolex Tennis Super-Hotness...

Ana Ivanovic

Rolex Daytona




Sunday, February 12, 2023

Stainless Steel Rolex Yacht-Master with Blue Sunburst Dial


...Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day...

Stainless Steel Rolex Yacht-Master 
Blue Sunburst Dial

Andy took this superb photo of his stainless steel Rolex Yacht-Master with the blue sunburst dial. This is one seriously good looking watch!!!


Saturday, February 11, 2023

Harrison Ford & Rolex...





...Rolex Super Coolness... 



Harrison Ford


Greatness Endures




It seems like it was just yesterday Harrison Ford returned to the Star Wars franchise to once again reprise his role as Hans Solo in Star Wars The Race Awakens back in 2015...Then, just a few years later, Harrison Ford Returned to play Decker in the Blade Runner 2049 movie.

I am happy to report, Harrison Ford (@ 80 years young) is preparing to return as Indiana Jones in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny movie which is scheduled to debut in theaters this coming summer, on June 30, 2023!!! Above is the official trailer for this new movie.



The $10 Billion Man

Who is the coolest guy who ever wore a Rolex? Some would argue Steve McQueen, some would say it was Paul Newman or Robert Redford. Some would say it would have to be Sean Connery or Daniel Craig. Others might insist it was, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Chuck Yeager or Jacques-Yves Cousteau.




I would say, Harrison Ford may be the single coolest guy to ever wear Rolex, and if he is not, he would definitely be in the top pantheon of Rolex wearers. In my opinion, Harrison Ford is probably the greatest actor who ever lived, with the exception of Cary Grant. Harrison Ford's movies have grossed close to $10 Billion to date!!!




Frank Sinatra put it best when he said: "There is something to be said for things that endure." One thing Harrison Ford and Rolex have in common is they are Legends that have both endured quite well with common adjectives coming to mind like rugged, masculine, handsome, timeless, and charismatic–just to name a few.





We see Harrison Ford pictured above wearing his Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust with a Jubilee Bracelet, and White Porcelain Dial with black  Roman Numerals as seen below. This dial is commonly referred to today by Rolex enthusiasts as "The Buckley Dial", which was named so based upon John Buckley who was a vintage Rolex dealer in New York that had an affinity for this rare dial that was produced back in the 1980s.




If you think about it, this cool dial kind of gives the Rolex Datejust a Cartier kind vibe.



Harrison Ford has played some of the most iconic characters in modern movie history, and as I write this he is preparing to resurrect at least two of them, including Han Solo in Star Wars 7, as well as starring in another Indiana Jones movie!!! 

Ridley Scott, the director of Blade Runner recently announced he is planning to direct Blade Runner 2, and they are currently working on developing the script. Who knows, but Harrison Ford may play Rick Decker in Blade Runner 2, which would be really cool!!!




American Graffiti

1973




Han Solo


Star Wars 1977








Star Wars

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo










The Original Star Wars Cast




In the photo below we see Harrison Ford (Han Solo) kissing Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), as he pushes away Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in a promo image. Notice Harrison Ford is wearing his trademark Rolex Datejust which has a Jubilee bracelet.









Return Of Han Solo



In 2014 Lucasfilm announced they were preparing an all-new Star Wars trilogy, directed by J.J. Abrams, who, ironically directed two recent, ultra-succesful Star Trek Movies!!!

The photo below shows original Star Wars Trilogy cast members Billy Dee Williams (Age 76), Carrie Fisher (Age 56), Harrison Ford (Age 71), Peter Mayhew (Age 69)[Chewbacca The Wookie], and Mark Hamill (Age 61).  Yes, you guessed it! They all returned to their roles in the Star Wars trilogy, which began with Episode 7. Filming began in 2014, for a Summer 2015 release... And yes, John Williams (Age 81) once again was selected to create the soundtrack for Star Wars Episode 7...




Speaking of Star Wars, the video below shows Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, being interviewed, and he does a great Hans Solo impression. Mark also talked about the then upcoming Star Wars movies. It is amazing how charismatic and entertaining Mark Hamill is. What a fascinating dude!!!





Indiana Jones

Raiders Of The Lost Ark
1981










In 2008 Harrison Ford reprised his role as Indiana Jones, in the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The four photos below are from the 2008 movie, and it seems like Harrison Ford had not even aged. 


The movie was not great, but it was great to see Harrison Ford as Indian Jones again, on the big screen.


You must admit Harrison Ford looked Great at 66 Years old!!!


If you think about it, Indiana Jones is really to closest thing there is to an American James Bond.




Blade Runner
1982








I always loved this Polaroid selfie image of Sean Young and Harrison Ford which she took on the set of Blade Runner.
















The photo above and the two photos below of Harrison Ford were taken in 1990 and we wee him wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust. The two photos below show Harrsion Ford with Ray Liotta in 1990, which was the years that Ray Liotta starred in the seminal gangster film, Good Fellas.






Harrison Ford is pictured below with Brad Pitt in 1997, and we see Harrsion Ford wearing his trademark Rolex Datejust.