"Renowned watch expert, Nickolas Foulkes explores the evolution of an icon, a supremely elegant status symbol for both men and woman, the success of which continues to endure after eight decades." This quote comes from the Editor and Chief of Wallpaper, Bill Prince, and sums up Foulkes new book on the Rolex Datejust, which I am certain will be a fascinating read. You can pre-order and learn more on Wallpaper's microsite for this book.
Foulkes upcoming Rolex Datejust book would appear to include many fascinating never before documented revelations about the history of the Datejust including his apparent discoveries of Princess Grace rocking her Lady Datejust (pictured above), as well as Andy Warhol, President Eisenhower, and Tom Cruise. Nicholas once mentioned to me he is a big fan of my work product, which is clearly evident...
"Rolex is the international mark of success," is a phrase famously said by Jake in these pages and even requoted in The New York Times. For Todd Beamer, passenger of Flight United 93, his mark of success came when he was promoted from salesman to account manager at Oracle.
Todd's father, David Beamer, agrees. "Todd's watch was a fine watch," he said. "He was a successful guy."
We can easily recall where we were on Sept. 11, 2001. I was putting my uniform on that morning, grabbing my flight bags and headed to my '65 convertible Mustang as an airline Captain based in Washington, D.C. My neighbor saw me outside and she called me. "Have you seen the news? I don't think you'll be flying anywhere today." I immediately went back inside and followed the horrific events on live TV.
Todd Beamer
For Todd Beamer, it was a different story. He and his wife had traveled through Italy on a trip paid for by Oracle. The couple returned to the U.S. on Sept. 10, and Todd rose early the following morning to catch Flight 93 out of Newark airport for San Francisco.
Todd's story on that fateful flight is well known. "Let's roll!" were his last recorded words as he and other passengers attempted to storm the cockpit and retake the plane from the hijackers. The slogan subsequently became a battle cry for American forces during the War on Terror.
In a Nov. 8 address from the World Congress Center in Atlanta, President George W. Bush invoked Todd's words: "Some of our greatest moments have been acts of courage for which no one could have been prepared. But we have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, let's roll!" He used them again in the 2002 State of the Union address: "For too long our culture has said, 'If it feels good, do it.' Now America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: 'Let's roll.'"
Todd's watch is frozen in time, the date window permanently stuck on "11." It is a two-tone Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph with a champagne dial on Jubilee bracelet. The Turn-O-Graph is essentially a Datejust with a rotating bezel. Unfortunately, the model is no longer sold by Rolex; in fact, it hasn’t been since 2011.
Todd's Rolex is charred, smashed, fragmented, missing the crystal, the second hand, and what would appear to be the minute hand and also the bracelet. The Rolex has been through hell, there is no other way to put it. But the coronet logo is unmistakable. Every Rolex tells a story and, in a sense, this one still tells the story of one day, one date. Still displayed in the window.
After the hijackers took over the plane, Todd saw the dead co-pilot laying in the aisle near the cockpit with his throat slit. He reached for the phone on the seat back in front of him and tried to call his wife, but could not get through.
Screenshot from the movie "United 93"
He instead got a G.T.E. operator. He told her what was happening, and she connected the call to F.B.I. agents.
The phone remained connected for fifteen minutes while Beamer and several others organized to overtake the terrorists.
Moments after Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania
He had the flight attendants boil water and assemble whatever could be used as a weapon.
He said the Lord's prayer and the Psalm 23 with the G.T.E. operator, others joined in. He then told her to call his wife and kids and tell them he loved them. The last words the operator heard Todd Beamer say were, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.”
We know that Flight 93 was destined for Washington D.C., near where I lived, making this story extra personal. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, at 9:55 am—as I was getting ready for work—the terrorist pilot Ziad Jarrah dialed in the frequency for the navigational aid at Washington Reagan National Airport, clearly indicating that the attack was planned for the nation's capital.
And Todd Beamer, a Rolex on his wrist, said, "Let's roll!" He helped stop the hijackers' plan from unfurling while saving countless lives on the ground.
One of my favorite things about publishing Jake's Rolex World are all the great readers all over earth, who regularly come across interesting Rolex history and share it with me, so I may share it with you!
Recently I received an interesting email that said:
Hello Jake,
I hope my email finds you well.
I’ve enjoyed reading your Rolex Magazine over the years and when I came across this image on Pinterest, I thought of you.
This is a behind the scenes photograph of Roger Moore during the filming of The Spy Who Loved Me in Sardinia. It may very well be on the beach where the Lotus Esprit S1 triumphantly emerges from the ocean judging by the suit Roger Moore is wearing.
Anyway, I thought this may be of some interest to you because if I’m not mistaken it very much looks like Roger Moore is wearing a Rolex. The bracelet, bezel and what looks like a cyclops are the usual hallmarks of stainless steel sports model from this era.
Initially, I thought it may have been a Rolex Submariner Date. Perhaps a 1680? However, I think it may be the Rolex GMT-Master 1675 ‘Coke’ you refer to on your website. I reckon there’s a good chance it’s the same one worn by Roger Moore in the publicity shot of him donning a Royal Navy Commander uniform:
It appears Roger's GMT-Master was his personal watch, as it does not seem to make an appearance in Film, but you never know, as often times people wear watches under their cuffs that stop them from being visible...
Jindrich from the Czech Republic is a fan of Jake's Rolex World and he recently sent in this superb Rolex Studio shot and said:
Hi Jake,
My name is Jindrich Strnad and I am from Czech Republic. I would like to congratulate you on your perfect blog about Rolex, it is superb.
I own Rolex Yacht-Master which I consider as perfect combination of sporty and elegance. Because I am also keen on photography, I decided to send you one of my macro shots. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
I have said many time before, that I find many vintage Rolex ads to be like works of art with some being more iconic or outstanding than others. I remember seeing this Rolex ad back in the late nineties and thinking how utterly beautiful and timeless it was.
Ekaterina Gordeeva is a Russian figure skater and two-time Olympic Champion in 1988 and 1994. You can see two of her amazing performances below from the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.
I always seem to equate the U.S. Open finals with representing the end of summer, and this year will likely be certainly memorable. Rolex CEO, Jean-Frederic Dufour and President Donald Trump spent some time together today at the U.S. Open Tennis Finals as Trump was a guest in the Rolex suite during the Men's Finals today.
This is the latest high-profile athletic event Trump has attended after the Super Bowl in New Orleans, as well as the Daytona 500 in Florida, not to mention the UFC Fights in New Jersey, Newark and Miami.
What did the Rolex President say to the Rolex CEO?
I wonder if Dufuor and Trump discussed the ridiculously absurd American tariffs Trump imposed upon Switzerland at 39% for imported goods? Just one of the reasons such a tariff make no sense is it's greater than 2.5 times greater than the one imposed upon European Union goods exported to the U.S., and it's more than 4 times higher than than British exports to the United States. Hopefully they can sort this out, as Trump is a longtime wearer of Rolex as seen in the photos below.
Also in attendance today at Flushing Meadows, was "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen and he was rocking what appears to be a vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
Below we see legendary NBA Basketball player, Stephen Curry praising Alvarez after making an amazing shot as they were making eye contact with each other.
Also, we see Jamaican musician Shaggy below, rocking his super cool Rainbow Rolex Daytona.
Today's match was between Number 1 Jannik Sinner and Number two ranked, Carlos Alcaraz, who are both Rolex Testimonies. Carlos Alcaraz (pronounced like Alcatraz, without a 't') won the match, and Rolex released the video below to showcase his win.
IF you didn't get a chance to watch the match live, you are in for a big treat as the recap below is excellent, and gives you the highlights of the AMAZING championship showdown.
RolexMagazine.com mourns the loss of Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian fashion designer, who passed away at 91. Armani’s timeless elegance and innovative vision redefined luxury, blending sophistication with simplicity. His iconic designs, from sharp tailoring to effortless chic, left an indelible mark on global fashion. A pioneer of red-carpet glamour and minimalist style, Armani’s legacy endures in every stitch of his creations. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the fashion world. Rest in peace, Maestro.
Armani wore and depended on Rolex watches throughout his career, and in the photo above we see him rocking a Datejust, as well as a vintage Oyster Perpetual in the photo below.
In the photo below we see him sporting a vintage Rolex Bubbleback in a polaroid photo taken by Andy Warhol.
When I started my own clothing design career back in the 1980s, I was, of course, inspired by Giorgio Armani, as well as Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein. Armani made some amazing colognes and some great sportswear, that I really enjoyed owning over the years. Armani was way more than a clothing designer who was always on the runway, as he was also a pioneer in creating a lifestyle brand that included Armani Casa home decor, luxury hotels, and many interesting accessories, including his A | X Armani Exchange.
One of my greatest Armani memories is how he outfitted Richard Gere in American Gigolo, which was a seminal early 1980s movie. The scene where Gere slides open his drawer filled with Armani shirts was perhaps one of the seminal fashion moments to grace the big screen. This really put Armani on the fashion map worldwide.
Our Captain Danny took a three month break from publishing his Coron.et Rolex Blog, but recently started it up again, which is great as he is an excellent writer and researcher. Hopefully he recharged his batteries and is ready to go full speed again (No Pressure Danny ;-)
Danny recently went for a magnificent early morning Kayak session up in the Utah mountains, up at 6390 Feet of Altitude, and snapped these great photos. Danny Quipped "I went kayaking this morning here in the Utah mountains, at 6390 ft altitude. It's life... elevated."
I was recently talking with a great old friend of mine about men's bespoke clothing. When I was a young man, I started my design career in clothing design and was more inspired by Cary Grant's personal style than anybody else. On June 9, 2020 I updated this story significantly, which is part of my 13 Part James Bond Rolex story, when a reader of Jake's Rolex World discovered Cary Grant rocking a Rolex in the seminal action adventure thriller named "Charade" which debuted in 1963.
This is such big news I had to borrow Hodinkee's BREAKING NEWS header again!?!! This is a really interesting story. Over the past decade the only person I was NEVER able to discover wearing a Rolex that I really wanted to see wearing a Rolex was Cary Grant. Why? In my opinion, Cary Grant is probably the greatest actor and comedian that ever lived!
Recently my dream came true when a reader of Jake's Rolex World wrote in and said: Hello Jake, In your excellent examination of Grant as Ian Fleming’s model for Bond, you ask “Can you imagine Cary Grant wearing a Rolex Submariner?.” I think he actually wore a Rolex in “Charade.”
"If you have a Hi-Def copy of that film, check out the scene around 4 minutes into the movie where Cary Grant kneels in the hotel to spool thread to the door."
It's hard to tell exactly what Rolex model Cary Grant is wearing in the screen shot above. At first my best guess from what we can see is Gary is wearing a 35MM 1962 Rolex Oyster Rolex Star Dial 'Galaxy' model [Reference 6426] with leaf/sword hands as pictured below which appears courtesy of Robert Maron.
Nick Gould shared his best guess and said he thought it might be the Rolex Oyster Royal seen below which makes sense at the 15 and 30 minute markers are clearly heavier in weight than the 5, 10, 20 & 25 minute markers.
The reader who discovered the watch also thought it might be a Rolex Oyster Royal as pictured below. If you look closely at the wrist shot of Cary Grant's watch pictured below notice the 5 minute marker seems to be elongated, so it is possible the 5, 10, 20 & 25 minute markers are all elongated but the way the light hit the watch over exposed them and blew them out.
I shared this amazing discovery with Jose and he pinged me back and said, "Cary Grant points to his Rolex when he is in the shower scene wearing his suit in the trailer and says "Waterproof!?!!", which you can see below at 2:20 into the trailer video.
It's interesting to note, as wee see in the movie poster below from the 1964 James Bond movie named "Goldfinger" which shows actors Sean Connery and Honor Blackman posing in an overlay over the woman painted in gold, that we see James Bond with his arm wrapped around the Pussy Galore character while he is pointing a gun.
Charade was filmed and premiered in 1963, a year earlier than Goldfinger which premiered in 1964, so once again we see that the James Bond franchise copied this identical pose.
I just updated this story with the revelation above that Cary Grant wore a Rolex which I just added to my original "Cary Grant Was The Real James Bond" story which can be seen below.
Kiss Them For ME
It's a small world—after all, as ironically, my mother, Barbara Ehrlich, was an actress and model who knew Cary Grant and appeared in a Cary Grant movie titled “Kiss Them for Me,” which was released in 1957. “Kiss Them for Me” was partially filmed in San Francisco at the Fairmont Hotel. Below is a screenshot from the movie showing my mother walking out of THE CIRQUE ROOM, while a number of soldiers look at her like lunch.
...The James Bond Rolex Story...
The Complete History Of James Bond Watches
Including ALL Watches Worn In All James Bond Movies
The Definitive Guide
Chapter 2: Cary Grant Was The Real James Bond
Some people will tell you that Sean Connery is the only real James Bond, but the truth is that Cary Grant was the first, best and only real James Bond! I probably just completely confused you, but bear with me.
Cary Grant made a movie in 1955, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, named North by Northwest which was an action, adventure, mystery, thriller—just like James Bond. In North by Northwest Cary Grant did many of his own stunts.
If James Bond was real what would he look like?
He would be tall, dark, handsome, debonaire, articulate, stylish, athletic, elegant and very masculine. Most of all, he would be a gentle man–and Cary Grant was the living manifestation of a gentle man. Many people mistake gentility for weakness, but the truth is that it takes great strength to be gentle. Anybody can be rough, but not everybody can be gentle.
Cary Grant is–to this day–the personification of masculine timeless style, grace, and elegance.
The Pre James Bond, James Bond Movies
There are 4 seminal Cary Grant movies that informally develop the foundation for the James Bond character. Let's take a look at each of these thrillers to best understand the genesis of the James Bond persona and character.
The first three Cary Grant movies were produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred Hitchcock was the absolute master of suspense. In effect, Hitchcock really created the suspense genre, and certainly perfected it. The alchemy of Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock was incredible!!!
Notorious [1946]
Cary Grant started making highly suspenseful, action-thriller, mystery, adventure movies with Alfred Hitchcock, like Notorious in 1946. It has been speculated Ian Fleming was highly inspired to create the James Bond character based on Cary Grant playing Devlin in Notorious in 1946.
In Notorious, Cary Grant plays a government agent and you see him here looking suave and debonair in his tuxedo. (Think: Tall, Dark, Handsome and Debonair). Of course, you have a plot with espionage and a gorgeous woman played by Ingrid Bergman. Look familiar? Look like James Bond!?!?
Without doubt, the secret agent is a hardcore ladies man. Notorious, more than any else is perhaps the genesis for the James Bond character.
To Catch A Thief [1955]
In 1955, Cary Grant made another action-thriller with Hitchcock, named To Catch A Thief. Cary Grant played a retired jewel thief named John Robee, whose nickname was The Cat. The stunningly gorgeous Grace Kelly co-starred with Grant. In many ways, his role in this movie was also very James Bond-like.
The chemistry between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly was unmistakable and truly positioned the ultimate male with the ultimate female. To Catch A Thief has all the trappings of a James Bond movie, including suspense, intrigue, fast cars, romance and a lot of sneaking around in the dark.
The theme of the established, successful, debonaire older man with the younger female hotness is a constant theme in James Bond. Also, Cary Grant had a British accent, as do all the figures who played James Bond.
Cary Grant starred in Houseboat with the strikingly gorgeous Sophia Loren in 1958. The movie was a comedy, but once again, you see Cary looking like Bond in the photo below. Cary Grant and Sophia Loren made a previous movie named The Pride & The Passion. While shooting The Pride & The Passion, Cary and Sophia had a whirlwind affair and fell in love.
Cary asked Sophia to marry him, but she decided to marry her longtime lover, Italian director, Carlo Ponti. Sophia later said she married Carlo because they were both Italian and she felt they were better culturally matched. Cary Grant was heartbroken and if you watch the scene closely in Houseboat where they get married, you can see it was a bittersweet experience for both of them.
As mentioned, Houseboat was a comedy. Cary Grant is considered by many to be the greatest actor that ever lived because he was so versatile. Some of Cary Grant's great comedies include, His Girl Friday, Arsenic & Old Lace, and Monkey Business—just to name a few. Cary modeled his comedic skills after W.C. Fields, who was very funny, but the exact opposite of Cary Grant in the looks department.
North By Northwest [1959]
North by Northwest was another James-Bond-like movie with secret government agents and lots of intrigue. The opening credits as seen below were designed by the famous graphic artist, Saul Bass. Saul Bass once offered what is arguably the most precise definition of Design when he said, "Design is thinking—made visual".
The famous airplane chase scene was pure James Bond with Cary Grant doing his own stunts. Cary Grant was part of a British gymnastic group when he was 18 that traveled to the United States. Cary Grant's given name was Archibald Leach and by the time he made it to Hollywood he was reborn and rebranded as Cary Grant.
Imagine that!!!?!?!? The single worst name a man could have–Archibald Leach–changed to the most elegant name in history–Cary Grant.
Cary Grant was great with doing his own stunts because he always maintained his athletic, trim physique by working-out regularly.
The photo below of Cary Grant with his beautiful co-star, Eva Marie Saint is pure James Bond. Notice he is kissing her while she is sticking him with the gun. My favorite line from North by Northwest was when Cary and Eva arrived in Chicago, and when they were in the hotel room, Cary Grant said" "Tell me something darling. How does a girl like you get to be like you?!"
Unfortunately, North by Northwest would be Cary Grant's last movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is pure James Bond and in the picture below you see fellow British actor, James Mason sitting next to Cary Grant.
James Mason was superb in his role as a bad guy in North by Northwest. It is supremely ironic, that after Cary Grant passed on being the first actor to play James Bond, the role was offered to James Mason, who also passed on it!!!
Charade [1963]
Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn
So if Cary Grant had played James Bond in Dr. No, what would he have looked like? The movie he made with the unequaled Audrey Hepburn gives us a great clue. Charade premiered a year after Dr. No premiered with Sean Connery. As we learned earlier, Cary Grant passed on playing James Bond in Dr. No., because he did not want to commit to doing more than one James Bond movie, instead he played a somewhat similar character in Charade.
The video below really shows how brilliant Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn were together doing schtick.
Cary Grant's Legacy
Father Goose
As I previously mentioned, in my mind, Cary Grant was the only real James Bond, and it is a sad shame the he passed on playing James Bond in Dr. No. Can you imagine Cary Grant sporting a stainless Rolex Submariner!?!
In the mid 1960s Cary finally settled down and married actress Diane Cannon, who was 33 years younger. They had a daughter name Jennifer Grant in 1966 and she is pictured below.
As a teenager, I remember this GQ that came out with Carry Grant on the cover. I always wanted to meet him, but unfortunately Cary passed away in 1986. His legacy in so amazing that it is difficult to put into words just how remarkable he was. A reporter once asked Cary Grant, if he could trade places with anybody in the world was there anybody, and if so who? Cary thought about it for a long moment and replied, "Yes. I would like to be Cary Grant." The reported respond, "but you are Cary Grant?" Cary responded, "Well, they say if you live the like long enough, it becomes the truth, but the truth is that I am still just Archibald Leach, pretending to be Cary Grant."
Roger Moore, who played James Bond was very close pals with Cary Grant and you can see two old boys together below.
Archetype
Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli, producer of the James Bond movies once said:
"I first became aware of James Bond during the fifties. Like many thousands of others, I read the James Bond novels voraciously, devouring each new one as it was published, and it did not take me long to realize that they would make an excellent series of films.
"I recognized immediately that if transferred to the screen the Bond Charter would have universal appeal; men would want to be like him, and women would fantasize about him. I felt that Fleming wrote about life in a new way, as a man of the world, and captured the vigor and excitement of life as he experienced it; combining his tastes for living, exotic locations, sex, adventure—the good life."
Cary Grant was originally offered to play the role of James Bond in Dr. No by Cubby Broccoli, but Cary refused to sign a contract saying he would play Bond for more than one movie. Cubby Broccoli and Cary Grant were great friends for 50 years, as a matter of fact, Grant was the best man at Cubby's wedding to Dana Broccoli in 1959.
Since Cary Grant passed on playing James Bond, Sean Connery was chosen. This choice was based upon Sean Connery's likeness to Cary Grant–as you can clearly see in the collage I put together below. No, that is not a photo of Sean Connery & Cary Grant together.
The photo below is an actual photo of Cary Grant with Sean Connery, which was taken in England in 1957!!!! It turns out that reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction...As we will learn in the next Chapter, Sean Connery, went to to become the first actor to play James Bond on the big screen, despite the fact that there was a TV series in the United States that originally featured an American James Bond. As was mentioned in the movie Trainspotting, they said with that deep Scottish brogue, "That Sean Connery; he's a masculine actor!!!"
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.
