Would Jesus Wear A Rolex? Ray Stevens: Live on Nashville February 3, 1988

Would Jesus Wear a Rolex?

Men of the Rolex Cloth

The eighties were the first time the world experienced "Peak Rolex", in the sense that Rolex really came into its own in the 1980s. In other words, Rolex really became the International Mark of Success in the early 1980s, and if you were a high ranking religious figure at the time, it would not have been surprising to see a Rolex on your wrist.


Ray Stevens 
Live on The Tonight Show
February 3, 1988
Recording legend, Ray Stevens wrote and performed a really interesting song that asked the question of "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex" back in the late 1980s as performed below:

Jimmy Swaggart

Yellow Gold Datejust

The lyrics from the song "Would Jesus Wear A Rolex?" are pretty profound. In the 1980s Preachers on TV exploded in popularity, and many of the top ones wore gold Rolex watches as seen below with Jimmy Swaggart rocking a yellow gold Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet.

Jim Bakker

Yellow Gold DAY-DATE

Next up we see Jim Bakker sporting a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with a diamond bezel and dial.

Reverend Robert Tilton

Yellow Gold DAY-DATE

When I was in college, some friends of mine use to hang out late at night and talk, while watching the Reverend Robert Tilton on TV, which was a source of fascination and absolute entertainment, especially when he would pray in tongues, and I remember him wearing a Rolex Day-Date with a President bracelet as seen below.

Speaking of "Speaking in Tongues" or "Praying in Tongues", I figured I would share an example of the Reverend Robert Tilton demonstrating this skill. Ironically, when I was in college, I somehow put together the money to buy and wear a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date, so I was wearing it while I would watch him ask his viewers to send money into him.

For some reason, the Reverend Robert Tilton reminds me of the C.C. Capwell character on the 1980s Soap Opera named Santa Barbara :-) Somebody was so impressed with Reverend Robert Tilton speaking in tongues, they made this awesome music video:

L. Ron Hubbard

Gold GMT-Master

Speaking of religious leaders in the 1980s, below we see the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard wearing his gold Rolex GMT-Master in 1986.

Pope Paul III

Two Tone Rolex Datejust

In attempting to answer the question if Jesus would wear a Rolex, I don't know, but back in the eighties, even Pope Paul was wearing a Rolex two-tone Datejust as we see in the photo below.

The Dalai Lama

Yellow Gold DAY-DATE

Even the Dalai Lama wears a Rolex Day Date as seen on his wrist in the photo below:










Martin Luther King Jr.

Yellow Gold Datejust

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is arguably the greatest hero that has ever worn a Rolex watch. Dr. King received his yellow gold Rolex Datejust as seen below on his wrist as part of his Nobel Peace Prize. 









Jesse Jackson

Rolex Datejust

Reverend Jesse Jackson has been wearing Rolex watches for many decades and in the more recent photo seen below he is wearing a modern two-tone Rolex Datejust. 

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Bejeweled Rolex DAY-DATE

Religious leader who wore Rolex watches were not limited to only western men of the cloth, but to the East as well, which was the case with the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who wore an extremely ornate bejeweled Rolex Day-Date as seen below.