1964 Rolex Submariner

This Rolex is $195

Just a few years before I was born, a Rolex Submariner not only looked materially the same as it looks in 2026, but it cost less than $200, which just completely blows my mind, as we witness with this vintage Rolex Magazine ad from June of 1964. The more things change, the more they remain the same...

Rolex Coolness: James Gandolfini Rocking his Rolex Presidential as Tony Soprano...

...Rolex Coolness...

James Gandolfini

1961-2013

Tony Soprano

Ay'der!?! What'r you lookin at!?! hugh!?!

Rolex Presidential

It is hard to believe James Gandolfini is not only no longer with us, but stepped back into infinity thirteen years ago on June 19, 2013. Young James was only 51 years of age, James Gandolfini when he died. James Gandolfini was best know for his highly ironic role as Tony Soprano on the HBO megahit, Sopranos. James Gandolfini won 3 Emmy awards on a total of six nominations. He passed away in Italy while on vacation and his reported cause of death was a heart attack.

James Gandolfini is arguably one of the best character actors that ever lived, and in his role as Tony Soprano, he may very well have been the greatest character actor. So good, in fact, that he kind of typecast himself in that role as he played it so believably well...so much so, James Gandolfini was Tony Soprano... 

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." 

–Anthony "Tony" Soprano [1999]

The Sopranos originally aired on HBO, and completely changed TV. The Sopranos was a hyper-immesive show, and probably the greatest TV show that ever was filmed. It certainly was also one of the most financially successful TV franchises as well. It is likely it never would have been nearly as successful if it was not for James Gandolfini doing such a convincing job of Playing Tony Soprano.

In the famous and now iconic Sopranos intro you can see Tony Soprano wearing his trademark Rolex Day-Date. Watching this now sends shivers down my spine, is a DejaVu kind of way...

Despite the fact The Sopranos was an over-the-top violent show, James Gandolfini's character Tony Soprano in many ways symbolized the aggressive alpha-male, almost in a raw, caveman kind of way, which is what made the fact Tony Soprano wore a Rolex President quite fitting. If the Rolex Day-Date is the International Mark Of Success, then it perfectly symbolized Tony Soprano's disposition.

The Sopranos was such a highly addicting show. I remember I used to jones to see the next episode. It has been many years now since I watched an episode of the Sopranos, but in the future I am excited to do a Sopranofest, where I watch all six seasons, back to back to back, and of course, I will document all the different Rolex models worn in the show...

The Sopranos Rolex Watches

The HBO his series, The Sopranos was created by David Chase and is the most financially successful cable series in television history. 

The Sopranos probably featured more Rolex watches per actor than any other TV show or movie in history. Tony is pictured below wearing his trademark yellow gold Day-Date and his wife, Carmella is wearing her trademark ladies two-tone datejust on a Jubilee bracelet.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, James Gandolfini was arguably one of the greatest characters actors in history. I remember after years of enjoying watching the Sopranos, hearing James Gandolfini speak with his real voice and I was shocked!!??!! 

In real life he was completely antithetical to the Tony Soprano character  In real life he was a gentle, soft-spoke giant, kind-of-like Mike Tyson, in the sense that if you just saw Mike Tyson box, the first time you heard him speak, it was shocking because his voice did not match his presence. 

...Rolex Super-Hotness...

Jamie Lynn Sigler

Sopranos Daytona

Jamie Lynn Sigler played Medow Soprano on the HBO Blockbuster hit who was Tony Sopranos' daughter. In her private life she wears several Rolex Daytona watches. In this first photo we see Jamie Lynn Sigler wearing her stainless steel Rolex Daytona.

Rolex Day-Date Rainbow Puzzle Dial

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

 Rolex Day-Date

Rainbow Puzzle Dial

Rolex Super-Coolness: Tenzing Norgay

...Rolex Super-Coolness...

Tenzing Norgay


Mountain Climbing Legend

Conquerer of Mount Everest

Back in 2009 I wrote an 8 part series named, "The Complete History of Rolex Conquering Mount Everest, and in that series I documented how both Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary might have worn Rolex watches when they were the first humans to successfully climb to the top of Mount Everest in 1953. The photo below of Tenzing Norgay was taken on October 31, 1957 wearing a Rolex on an Oyster Bracelet.

The super iconic photo below taken by the Royal Geographic Society shows Tenzing Norgay with Sir Edmund Hillary on their way establishing Camp 9 as they head to the summit of Mount Everest.

In the photo below taken in 1953 by the Royal Geographical Society we see Tenzing Norgay with Sir Edmund Hillary and they both might be wearing Rolex watches. Tenzing received a Rolex as a gift from Swiss climber, Raymond Lambert after he and Lambert almost reached the summit of Everest the year before on a Swiss Everest Expedition in 1952. 

The photo above shows Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 25th, 1953 during the Mount Everest Expedition as the duo prepares their oxygen systems just before they set off from Camp 9 for the summit of Everest. If you look closely you will notice Tenzing has their Summit flags wrapped around his ice axe which he is holding like a cane.

This next photo of Tenzing Norgay was taken by Sir Edmund Hillary on the summit of Mount Everest. Tenzing offered to take a photo of Hillary on the summit but Hillary refused the offer.

The Rolex advertorial seen below was published 3 days after Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest.

1957 Rolex Mount Everest Ad

This next two photos below show Tenzing Norgay at  Rolex International Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland taken on July 5, 1953 and he is wearing a Rolex on his wrist. 

The photos above and below were recently discovered by our super-talented researcher, Alan who is located in Hong Kong. The next photo shows Tenzing Norgay examining a Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet in Rolex Founder, Hans Wilsdorf's private office at Rolex Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is believed Hans Wilsdorf traded Tenzing Norgay a Rolex in exchange another Rolex which is now in the private Museum collection. 

The photo above and below appear courtesy of Rolex Passion Report who first discovered this historical yellow gold Rolex Datejust that apparently was a gift from Rolex to Tenzing as a memento for the 1952 Swiss Expedition to Everest.

New Nick Gould Article: Rolex GMT-Master Reference 6542

New Nick Gould Article

Rolex GMT-Master Reference 6542

The World's Most Infamous Watch 1959-1960

My favorite horological historian who I work with regularly is Nick "Eagle Eyes" Gould, and he just published an AMAZING deep dive story on the Rolex GMT-Master, which was published on FratelloWatches.com. The image above appears courtesy of AmsterdamVintageWatches.com, and shows a magnificent lume shot of the GMT-Master 6542 'recall'.

This new article explores the early years of Rolex GMT-Master and offers a great deal of previously undocumented history. The image below the early Rolex GMT-Master Reference 6542 appears courtesy of Christies.

I published a story named "The Complete History of The Rolex GMT-Master", which also offers a great deal of insight on the history of this most iconic Rolex. Be sure to check out Nick Gould's new GMT-Master article on FratelloWatches.com. The ROLEX Magazine article page below was published in Europa Star Asia, Issue #42, in 1957.

Rolex After-Sales Service: Price Guide Published on Rolex.com

Rolex After-Sales Service 

Price Guide Published on Rolex.com

One of Bob Dylan's most iconic songs it titled, "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which is perfectly on-point for this new story as Rolex just surprised the online world by publishing their service prices online for the first time.

My understanding is that Rolex recommends that all Rolex watches get serviced every 5-10 years. If you are not familiar with the servicing process, basically, Rolex completely overhauls their watches by taking apart ever single component, then they clean them in an ultrasonic bath that removes all traces of impurities. They a Rolex trained watchmaker reassembles the entire watch, and waterproof tests it.

Rolex points out that services for Modern and Classic models include Labor, and spare parts, but does not include repairing cost for bracelets.

Rolex breaks up their servicing pricing by Modern Models (6-Digit References), Classic Models (5-Digit References), and Vintage Models (4-Digit References). The price guide below breaks out the price of overhauling modern models, which range from $660 to $940, from the $170 cost of Polishing and satin-finishing the case and bracelet.

Next we see the pricing for Classic Rolex Model Servicing which ranges from $990 to $1,430, while maintaining the same cost for polishing and refinishing the satin finish on a case and bracelet.

Rolex also included pricing for the servicing of vintage Rolex models (4-digit References) which range from $1,650 to $8,810, and also cost $330 to polish and satin finish a case and bracelet after a completed service.

Rolex has a brilliant microsite on Rolex.com dedicated to servicing a Rolex, which goes in to exquisite detail.

Vogue Rolex Magazine Ad: 1974 Princess Diana Vibe

 Vogue Rolex Magazine Ad

1974 Princess Diana Vibe

One of my favorite things on Jake's Rolex World is when I discover a really cool vintage Rolex advertisement that was previously undocumented, and that is the case with this beauty that appeared in Vogue Magazine in 1974. I LOVE THIS AD, which features a cool Pucci outfit, and a model who kind of looks like Princess Diana—doesn't she!?!!

I recently learned J. Walter Thompson was responsible for somewhere around 90% of Rolex magazine ads during the 1970s and 1980s, so if you sense a British sensibility vibe in Rolex ads from that era this would explain it.

Earnest Hemingway Rolex Oyster Perpetual

...Rolex Writer...

Ernest Hemingway

Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Since we just took a look at, a famous American writer, Hunter S. Thompson, I thought it would be fun to take a look at another famous American writer. Ernest Hemingway is arguably one of the most loved writers of the 20th Century. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 and the Nobel Committee his "mastery of the art of modern narration." Hemingway is famous for his terse and powerful prose which include titles like The Sun Also Rises (1926), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), as well as The Old Man & The Sea (1952).

1957 Ernest Hemingway photo by Yousuf Karsh wearing Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Below is a photo of a similar Rolex Oyster Perpetual 31MM Bubbleback dial model to what Hemingway is wearing in the photo above. My best guess is it's a Rolex Reference 6084.

Ernest Hemingway wrote about Rolex in his book Across the River and into the Trees where he compares the accuracy of a Rolex Oyster Perpetual to that of the human heart, one of which can be repaired and the other often not. Hemingway wrote:

"It's just a muscle, 'the Colonel said.' Only it is the main muscle. It works perfectly as a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. The trouble is you cannot send it to the Rolex representative when it goes wrong. When it stops, you just do not know the time. You're dead."

—Ernest Hemingway

Across the River and into the Trees (1950)

In this next photo we see Ernest Hemingway in Cuba where he had a house, photographed with Fidel Castro and both of them are wearing Rolex watches.

Pepsi GMT-Master Reference 6542

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

 Pepsi GMT-Master

Reference 6542

Banzaff's took this great photo of his Rolex Pepsi from the late 1950s. Notice it has no crown guard and a red date wheel.