Saturday, October 04, 2025

1986 Rolex Dolphin Submariner Ad


1986 Rolex Dolphin Submariner Ad


Friday, October 03, 2025

Rolex Lume Shot of the Month!!! Michael's Espresso GMT Master...


Rolex Lume Shot of the Month!!!

Michael's Espresso GMT Master

[Reference 1675]

Thursday, October 02, 2025

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

A reader from Washington D.C. named Chris has been a reader of Jake's Rolex World for many years and recently shared this amazing Rolex story with me.


 Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

My first watch was a gift from my grandfather. In 1976 I was six years old, and I was spending some weeks with my grandparents during the summer. It wasn’t my birthday, but my grandfather must have thought, the boy needed a watch, so he and I drove to the jeweler in the next town, and – in the middle of the quartz crisis – he bought me a hand-wound dive watch with a black bezel, a small second, and the most gorgeous metallic green dial. I loved this watch and wore it throughout my childhood. This watch started my love of watches.

Then I saw Roger Moore in Moonraker save the day, the lady, and himself by means of a digital watch, and quartz caught up with me. I had to wait a bit, and I did not get that Seiko, but something that looked similar. Boy, it felt cool, wearing that watch!

Then Magnum, P.I. happened. It is hard to overstate the effect this show had on the 80s, the perception of the war in Vietnam and its veterans, and on pop culture in America and beyond. As a teenager, it also had an effect on me. I learned about values, friendship, sacrifice, and life in the military.

Season 4, Episode 1 came on, “Home from the Sea”. In that episode we learn about Magnum’s father, a Naval Aviator. And we see that man’s watch up close: It is a Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi. 

He tells young Magnum that he will get him a watch, the same he has. Later in the episode, we learn that Magnum’s father did not return from the Korean War, and we see young Magnum at his father’s funeral. 

He honors his father with a military salute, and we see his father’s watch dangling on Magnum’s child-sized wrist.

I was mesmerized. I had never seen a watch like that. The red, white, and blue bezel, showing the American colors, captured my attention and imagination, and to this day never let go. Some watches can trigger an emotional reaction in us. They pull on our heart strings in ways that are hard to explain. The GMT-Master does that for me. Over the years, I read and learned more about this watch: Its popularity among pilots and astronauts, its journeys to the moon. 

Whenever I spotted one on someone’s wrist, I sighed quietly, sometimes audibly. My fascination with the GMT-Master consistently grew over the years. As a young Air Force Lieutenant in the early 90s, I came close to buying one once, but ultimately shied away from the expense. A friend of mine was smarter and bought his. He wears it to this day. As time went by, I bought, wore, and sold other watches, but the GMT-Master was always in the back of my mind and always just out of reach. 

One day I visited my friend John in Pennsylvania. I wore my Tudor Black Bay GMT that day, and John commented on how similar it looked to his watch. What? My ears perked up. He shared with me that as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in 1969, he purchased a GMT-Master at the Academy’s cadet store. He said he wore it during training, during his year in Vietnam, and after. At some point he stored it and wore other watches. I asked, if I could see it. He walked to a metal lock box, opened it, but the watch was not in it. He was certain, it was somewhere in the house, although he had not seen it in years. On and off, for the next two years, we kept talking about the missing watch. 

Then one afternoon we sat together in his living room, and I said: “John, should we go to the basement and look for the Rolex?” He said: “Sure, let’s do it.” In the vast basement, there were about 100 cardboard boxes, filled with mementos of John’s and his wife’s life, after several moves. If you know about the Catholic faith, you may know that we are invited to call on certain Saints, asking for their prayers for certain causes. Saint Anthony of Padua has a long track record when it comes to lost items. So, I am asking for Saint Anthony’s intercession, and pull the first box from a shelf. John starts on the other end of the shelf. In that first box, I see a smaller box that contains all of John’s military decorations, including his Vietnam Service Ribbon. I’m thinking: “We could be close.” I pull the second box from the shelf, and immediately see a green cardboard box with a golden crown on top. My heart skips a beat. I open it, and I see the inner box, also proudly bearing the golden crown. I open it, and there it is, the GMT-Master Pepsi, Reference 1675, Mark 1, long E. The hands and hour markers are cream-colored, the red of the bezel has turned into a solid fuchsia, and the case is covered with dings, dents, and scratches. It is on an aftermarket bracelet. The Plexiglas crystal also has a lot of scratches and a big dent at 10 o’clock. This is what a GMT-Master should look like after a year of service in a war zone. Battle scars? You bet! I imagine what John and this watch must have been through. The watch is lying on the soft inner case material, with the hang tag lying next to it. And it is, as if it talks to me: “Finally! It’s about time, someone brings me back to life!” I turn to John and say: “John, I found it.” He smiles and says the words I can still hear in my head: “It’s yours.”

[Pause. Time stands still.]

After I regain my composure, I ask him: “Are you sure?” He says: “Yes, of course. It’s yours.” An Airman is handing a GMT-Master down to a fellow Airman of another generation, and that Airman is me. Pinch me, I must be dreaming. 

After a big bear hug, we climb up the stairs. I need a chair, and maybe a drink. I take a few photos of the watch in its box, with the hang tag and Chronometer certificate arranged around it. What a happy day! I wind it, and it immediately starts running. John says, it has never been serviced. After years of wear, followed by decades in a box, it just runs, consistently off by about 5 seconds a day. Rolex, you truly deserve the crown! 

I have wanted this watch for 40 years. Sometimes good things do come to those who wait. As I write these lines, my GMT-Master is being serviced for the first time. 

When I receive it back, I will have an engraving put on the back: “Thank you, John and Saint Anthony!”

Wednesday, October 01, 2025

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Eye of the Tiger Bejeweled Cosmograph Daytona


...Rolex Studio Shot of the Day...

Eye of the Tiger

Bejeweled Cosmograph Daytona

Rolex released this magnificent bejeweled at Basel World 2019 and I have to say it is a really stunning work of art. The level of detail and craftsmanship is awe-inspiring!!! 

Tuesday, September 30, 2025


...Rolex Super Hotness...

Edita Vilkeviciute

Rolex Super-Leggy-Model

Edita Vilkeviciute is one the worlds top supermodels, and we see her below wearing her Rolex Explorer.



In the photo below we see Edita Vilkeviciute wearing a stainless steel Rolex Air-King with the 3,6,9 dial like the one found on the Rolex Explorer.











In the next two photos below of Edita Vilkeviciute, which appeared in Vogue Magazine, we see her wearing a gold Rolex Daytona.




In the photo below, of Edita Vilkeviciute, also from Vogue Magazine, we see her wearing a stainless steel Rolex Submariner.


Monday, September 29, 2025

Rolex Lume Shot of the Day: Submariner



...Rolex Lume Shot Of The Day...

Overkill's Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner

Sunday, September 28, 2025

B.B. King: The Greatest Blues Guitarist In History


B.B. King
King Of The Blues

1925-2015

The Greatest Blues Guitarist In History

A King And His President

B.B. King passed away in May of 2015, but he will likely always be remembered as the greatest blues guitarist in history a. B.B. King, commonly referred to as "The King Of The Blues" left behind an amazing career legacy that spanned seven decades. 

B.B. King is pictured below with his trademark guitar named Lucille by his side, with his trademark yellow gold Rolex President on his wrist. It's interesting to note B.B. King always wore his Rolex Day-Date in reverse, like the King of race car driving, Richard Petty, who wears his Daytona flipped around.



B.B. King's Rolex Day-Date almost looks like a bracelet from the front and his ring looks like a Rolex President bracelet style ring. Also, Peter who is a reader of Jake's Rolex Watch Blog pointed out (in the comments section) that B.B. King's guitar has two coronets on it that look very similar to the Rolex coronet/crown/logo. This could explain why B.B. King wore his Rolex Day-Date with the coronet where the watch usually goes!!!


B.B. King is posing below in 1949, at age 24 for a photo for his band named The Hooks Brothers.



In this next photo, we see B.B. King with Elvis Presley. 

"I remember Elvis as a young man, hanging around Sun Studio. Even then, I knew this kid had a tremendous talent. He was a dynamic young boy. His phraseology, his way of looking at a song, was as unique as Sinatra's. I was a tremendous fan of Elvis, and had he lived, there would have been no limit to his inventiveness." –B.B. King.




In this next photo, we see B.B. King jamming with a young Eric Clapton. B.B. King inspired many generations of musicians with his amazing blues guitar style.




When Love Comes To Town



In these next two videos we see John Mayer going off with B.B. King–both playing some very serious blues guitar!!!



Blues Brothers
Riding With The King

This next photo of the cover of Riding With The King is really cool with Clapton driving The King in an old Cadillac and Clapton is wearing a Rolex Explorer II. Eric Clapton is also a big Rolex collector and you can learn more about him in the Eric Clapton Rolex Story I wrote.


In these next two photos, we also see B. B. King wearing his trademark Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date.



Below is the video of Riding With The King. What is cooler than Eric Clapton and B.B. King riding around in an old Caddy while they sing, while wearing Rolex watches!?!?



In what had to be a highlight of his career, we see B.B. King below singing "Sweet Home Chicago" with B.B. King, and many other stars.


Friday, September 26, 2025

For the LOVE of PEPSI

 

...Rolex Studio Shot of the Day...

For the LOVE of PEPSI

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Sultan of Oman Rolex Day-Date Models


Sultan of Oman Rolex Day-Date Models
Record Setting Price Results at Christies Auction

Christies auctioned off some amazing Rolex watches on May 12, 2014, in Geneva, Switzerland that were made for the Sultan of Oman, and this auction included a number of Rolex Day-Date "Presidential" models that shattered previous records. Let's begin by examining this platinum Rolex Day-Date made which was made in 1974, and features a blue dial with a red Omani crest, coupled with diamond dial markers and with matching diamonds running around the bezel. This watch was estimated to sell for between $51,000 and $79,000, and it ended up selling for more than four times the estimate at $352,119!!! 


The next watch pictured below which features baguette cut baton markers cut from rubies on a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date [Made in 1984 Reference 18038, Caliber 3055], as well as the Omani crest on the dial. This watch was estimated to sell from between $42,000 to $82,000 and it ended up selling for $182,287!!!

On a side note, watches that were made by Rolex that feature Arab logos on the dial are typically know as "Arabic Rolex Watches."
Next up we see another yellow gold Rolex Day-Date made for the Sultan Of Oman, and this one was made in 1979, and it sold also had an estimate selling price of between $42,000 and $68,000, but sold for more than double at $168,700.



Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Vintage Rolex Submariner



...Rolex Hotness...

Vintage Rolex Submariner

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

1960 Rolex Submariner Ad


1960 Rolex Submariner Ad

Pierre-Jean who is researcher for Jake's Rolex World sent me this French Rolex Submariner ad from 1960 which is AMAZING!!!


Monday, September 22, 2025

The Men who Developed The Rolex Submariner...


Autumn Story Preview Teaser

The Men who Developed The Rolex Submariner

Rebikoff & Jeanneret

Book Previews

The Untold Story of the Birth of the

ROLEX SUBMARINER TOOL WATCH

For years, I've been immersed in crafting a 25-volume series, THE ROLEX CHRONICLES: A FASCINATING JOURNEY THROUGH TIME. My latest book volume is titled "Rolex Submariner: The Real History", which represents a monumental leap forward, and I'm thrilled to share a glimpse of the in-depth preview Nick Gould and I are preparing for RolexMagazine.com.


Countless books, articles, and blogs have attempted to unravel the genesis of the Rolex Submariner, the iconic diving tool watch. Yet, none have fully pieced together the puzzle—until now.


Nick Gould and I have spent years meticulously researching and constantly reexamining and scrutinizing every detail, and we're confident we've cracked the Submariner's origin story code in its entirety. This largely untold chapter in Rolex history reveals groundbreaking insights, including the pivotal role of Dimitri Rebikoff, an inventor and Director of the Submarine Research Institute. Rebikoff not only collaborated with Rolex to design the Submariner diving tool watch, but also rigorously tested its early prototypes, proudly wearing one on his wrist, as captured in the stunning, never before seen photo on the cover of my upcoming book (pictured above).

This upcoming story is filled with unexpected game-changing revelations on the relationship between Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Dimitri Rebikoff, as was discovered in two different recent interviews I conducted with close friends of Rebikoff who dove with him as young men. Jacques-Yves Cousteau is pictured below back in the mid 1950s wearing an early version of the Rolex Submariner diving watch.


While the final publication date is still in the works, we aim to share this captivating book preview story within the next month. Stay tuned for a deep dive journey into the heart of the Submariner's legacy as it's never been told or seen before!

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet! 

The 1974 Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" perfectly captures the excitement I feel about unveiling this groundbreaking, untold chapter of Rolex Submariner history. Get ready for revelations that will redefine the legacy of this magnificently iconic timepiece!:

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Amanico's Pepsi GMT Master


...Rolex Studio Shot of the Day...
Amanico's Pepsi GMT Master

Amanico is an amazing Rolex photographer. He has taken some stunning images and this is definitely one of my favorites for several reasons. Amanico's Pepsi GMT is a Rolex Reference 1675 and in my opinion the 1675 with Maxi-Markers is one of the coolest and most timeless vintage Rolex watches.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Patrick Swayze: Kept the time of his life with Rolex



...Rolex Coolness...

Patrick Swayze 

Rolex Kept The Time Of His Life

1952-2009


I first discovered and documented Patrick Swayze wearing a Rolex Daytona back in 2008 no so long after I stared Jake's Rolex World. In the superb photo above taken by Javan Schaller which was published on the cover of Arabian Horse World Magazine we see Patrick on his horse named Tammen and he is wearing his Rolex Submariner.

Over the decades I have noticed many images of Patrick Swayze rocking Rolex watches, including the one below which Nick Gould discovered.


It's hard to believe Patrick Swayze has been gone for sixteen years now. Actor Patrick Swayze starred in many 'chick-flicks' including "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" and died when he was only 57, so if you have any dreams you have put off, now is the time to live them since we are all on the same conveyer belt of life. So, have the time of your life!!!!



I Had The Time Of My Life!!!



Patrick Swayze is pictured above wearing a stainless steel Rolex Submariner and is pictured below wearing his yellow gold Rolex Daytona which illustrates that Rolex kept the time of his life and that Swayze lived-it-up. As Saroyan so articulately put it "In the time of your life–live!!!"


Below we see a cool image of Patrick with Brook Shields who is wearing here Rolex Lady Date.


Friday, September 19, 2025

Yacht-Master Glow Power

 ...Rolex Lume Shot of the Day...

Yacht-Master Glow Power

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Lord Norman Foster...


The Mozart of Modernism

Lord Norman Foster

Top International Architect 

One of my absolute favorite things to do on Jake's Rolex World is to explore Rolex testimonees who have been featured in vintage Rolex ads, as they are always a source of fascination and inspiration.

Hugh Austin, who is a regular reader of RolexMagazine.com recently sent in the image below of a 1980s Rolex Magazine ad featuring Sir Norman Foster, and said "A watch collector who also designed the Apple Headquarters." Norman Foster is now "Lord Norman Foster", and is considered to be one of the greatest living architects alive today.