President of Taiwan, Chiang Kai-shek...

Chiang Kai-shek

1887-1975

President of Republic of China (ROC)

I must begin this story by thanking Nick "Eagle Eyes" Gould for discovering and sharing with me the fact that Chiang Kai-shek wore two different Rolex models, including an OP and a Rolex Bubble Back. Nick is one of the greatest Rolex historians and we have learned and discovered so much together. Thus, I wish to dedicate this story to Nick who has remained a constant source of inspiration and invaluable insight and I just wanted to thank you for being super awesome!!!

This is a fascinating story about a Chinese family that ruled China and Taiwan and wore Rolex watches for at least 3 generations which begins with Generalissimo, Chiang Kai-Shek. Chiang Kai-sheck was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and military commander. 

Chiang was the head of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party, as well as serving as the General of the National Revolutionary Army, where he was commonly referred to as Generalissimo, and went on to be the leader of the Republic of China (ROC), in mainland China from 1928 to 1949.

Chiang was ultimately defeated during the Chinese Civil War by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, and he fled to the Island then known as Formosa, which  today is commonly referred to as, Taiwan, where he lived until he passed away in 1975. Taiwan is an island 100 miles off the southeastern east coast of China, which is about twice the size of New Jersey. Taiwan today is a technological powerhouse that is the world leader in the fabrication and production of microchips, like you would commonly find in an Apple iPhone.

Chiang Ching-kuo

1910-1988

President of Republic of China (ROC)

Chiang Kai-Shek's only son, Chiang Ching-kuo is pictured below wearing his Rolex GMT-Master, Reference 6542. Chiang Ching-kuo served as the Premier of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1972-1978, and went on to serve as the President of the Republic of China from 1978 to 1988.

Chiang Hsiao-wu

1945-1991

Chiang Kai-Shek's is pictured below walking with his grandson, Chiang Hsiao-wu, who also wore a Rolex GMT-Master [Reference 6542], which you can see in the photo below on his left wrist.

Jake Ehrlich Sr.

1900-1971

As they say, it's a small world after all. Chiang Kai-shek was a client of my grandfather, Jake Ehrlich Sr., who is pictured below wearing a pair of yellow gold cufflinks that Chiang Kai-shek gave him as a gift. The cufflinks are of Chinese foo dogs that guarded the Emperor's Temple in the Forbidden City in China. These dogs were also know as Chinese Guardian Lions.

Generalissimo 

Chiang Kai-Shek

In the photo below taken in November of 1943 in Cairo, Egypt af the First Cairo Conference, which was codenamed, SEXTANT we see Chinese Generalissimo, Chiang Kai-Shek, chatting with U.S. President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, while we see Sir Winston Churchill chatting with Chiang Kai-shek's wife, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, Lay-ling.

In the video below, we see Madame, Chiang Kai-shek address the Congress of the United States, during World War II in 1943.

In the photo below we see Chiang Kai-Shek wearing a Rolex Bubble Back on an early Rolex Oyster Bracelet.

A Tale of Two China's & Two Rolexes

Chiang Kai-shek v. Mao Zedong

One of histories greatest rivalries existed between Chiang Kai-she and Mao Zedong, who are pictured together below in August of 1945.

The documentary below goes into great detail on the Chinese Civil War, and explains how the history to make it easy to understand.

Chairman and founder of The People's Republic of China (PRC) Mao Zedong, also wore two different Rolex watches. 

The photo below shows two yellow gold Rolex Datejust models, that were owned and worn by Chairman Mao. Many people are surprised when they learn how many of the top communist leaders in history wore Rolex watches.

ONE MORE THANG

Rolex Submariner Heritage

The two really cool photos below are of Taiwanese Frogman taken during the Second Taiwan Straits Crisis in 1958 and notice both of them are rocking Rolex Submariner tool watches. The 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis was also referred to as "The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis", and U.S. Secretary of State Christian Herter (1959–1961) was said to have later referred to the antagonism as: "the first serious nuclear crisis".

This event was part of an altercation between the Republic of China (ROC), A.K.A. Taiwan, formerly know as Formosa, prior to 1945 and The People's Republic of China (PRC) A.K.A. Mainland China. During this conflict the PRC shelled Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsui Islands located on the East Coast of Mainland China—part of the Taiwan Straits) as part of a mission to try to take control of Taiwan from the Chinese Nationalist Party, which was also known as the Kuomintang (KMT). 

This scrimmage was regarded as a test to explore the United States resolve and defense capabilities of Taiwanese territory. A fierce naval battle ensued near Dongding Island as the Taiwanese ROC Navy defeated an attempted amphibious landing by the Mainland Chinese PRC Navy.

Mikhail Gorbachev Belongs To The Ages

Mikhail Gorbachev  

Belongs To The Ages

1931-2022

Mikhail Gorbachev, the Russian leader who reformed and dismantled the former Soviet Union passed away today at age 91. In the past I have documented many former Soviet leaders who ironically wore Rolex, including Leonid Brezhnev and Boris Yeltsin, and despite being aware that Gorbachev wore a Rolex Datejust was planning to include this in my upcoming set of 12 Rolex history books, but decided since he passed away to share it now.

In the photo above we see Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 pointing to his stainless steel and gold Rolex Datejust during a visit to London, England. I believe it was Nick Gould who first discovered Gorbachev rocking a Rolex...

Gorbachev worked closely with then President Ronald Reagan to end the Cold War, which unfortunately has been recently restarted as a result of Russia invading Ukraine. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail soon so the world can move on.

In the photo below we see Mikhail Gorbachev during a visit to New York City where he met with President Reagan and Vice President Bush in 1988.

Other Russian leaders wore Rolex Datejust models including Leonid Brezhnev who was the General Secratary of the USSR, as well as Boris Yeltsin who was the President of Russia are pictured below rocking their Rolex watches.

Mystery Solved: Fidel Castro Submariner

Mystery Solved

Fidel Castro

1959 Rolex Submariner

Exclusive Photo Proves

First Rolex Sport Watch Was A Submariner

If you are a regular reader of Jake's Rolex World, you are likely aware Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro wore multiple Rolex watch models. This first photo below—which is exclusive to Jake's Rolex World—of Fidel Castro was taken when he was 32 years old. It was taken in Houston, Texas in April of 1959 and it's deeply profound as is the first photo that proves, as a matter of fact (with 100% Positive ID) Fidel's first Rolex sports watch was a Submariner and NOT a GMT-Master. 

In the photo above we see Fidel Castro signing a letter of intent with Texas Oil Millionaire, Frank B. Waters for the film rights to his life as the leader of Cuba. Marlon Brando was chosen to play Castro, but the movie was never made.

The photo below is a tight close up of Castro's Rolex Submariner and it reveals some interesting details. In particular, his winding crown is NOT screwed down? Castro's Rolex Submariner is an early Reference 6536, and is probably a 1956 model.

Castro Took Cuba Wearing His Submariner

Fidel Castro wore a sport Rolex Submariner when he overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista during the Cuban Revolution in late 1958. In this image from the LIFE Magazine archives we see Fidel Castro standing on the balcony of the Hilton Hotel with friends after his triumphant entry into the Havana, Cuba wearing his Rolex Submariner.

I originally published the image seen above and below more than 10 years ago, and in the images we can clearly see Castro wearing his Rolex and at the time I assumed it was a Submariner, but realized it could be a GMT, but it was not as the first image in this story now proves unequivocally. 

The Habana Hilton Hotel-Casino is pictured above in 1958 just after it opened. After taking over Cuba in late 1958 Fidel Castro made the Habana Hilton his headquarters. The photo below was taken in January of 1959 and shows the Habana Hilton Foyer filled with armed Cuban revolutionary soldiers.

In this next photo seen below of Castro, also taken in 1958 in Cienfuegos, Cuba you see Castro being cheered by crowds on his victorious march to Havana after successfully ousting Batista. 

Fidelito Castro 

Fidel Castro's First Son

Fidel Castro's oldest son is named Fidelito Castro, and he is pictured below with his father Fidel Castro in 1959 at the Havana Hilton Hotel in Cuba.  In the photo below Fidelito is inspecting his father's Rolex what was previously assumed to be a Rolex Day-Date with an early Rolex 'President' bracelet, but Nick Gould from Quill & Pad recently figured out it was a Datejust on a Rolex President bracelet. We also see Fidel wearing his Rolex Submariner on his left wrist along with another watch that is flipped-around out of view. 

The photo below is the same as the one above, just zoomed-in on Castro and we see he is wearing his Submariner with the crown in the unscrewed winding position.

In the photo below, we see Castro in 1964 wearing an early Coke Rolex GMT-Master with no crown guards [Reference 6542].

Communism for the masses. 

Capitalism for the Bosses. 

Fidel Castro also wore a Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master [Reference 1675] with crown guards as pictured below on the cover of TIME Magazine. 

Castro's Legacy

Castro remains a highly polarizing figure in the world today. Some people see him as a hero, or David who stood up to Goliath (Batista and the Imperialist Americans). Others see Castro as being a stone cold killer and hypocrite. I received an email which include the photo seen below in response to this story from a reader who shared his insightful perspective:

Hi, Jake

I have been a fan of Rolex watches for many years and a fan of your website and therefore your post.  However, I hate to see guys like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara wearing Rolex watches and given credit for wearing them despite their atrocities and crimes against humanity.  These two guys, were criminals just like Hitler and lately Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.  They killed thousand of peoples and destroyed thousands of families, some of them my friends families, just to please themselves and their relatives with money. 

To me they are all cowards hiding behind a political ideology to become billionaires. The Castro family is well worth over 10 billion dollars at the expense of the Cuban people which still live in misery.  The same is with Maduro in Venezuela. Well, Guevara didn’t get that lucky, he got what he deserved. I guess the guys who captured him were better Rolex ambassadors, perhaps and I hope they had the chance to wear Guavara’s GMT.

Jose

History is filled with all kinds of atrocities, and hopefully as mankind moves forward we can all learn from these mistakes so they are not repeated. In the Chess game of life, Che Guevara was hunted down like a dog in Bolivia and brutally executed.

Fidel Castro Belongs To The Ages...

...Rolex Revolutionary...

Fidel Castro

Belongs To The Ages

1926-2016

It had to happen sooner or later. Fidel Castro passed away in Cuba recently, which marks a turning-point in Cuba's future. It has always been amazing to me how polarized people are on their love or hate of the man. Below are some photo of Fidel Castro wearing some of his Rolex watches.

Fidel Castro took control during his Cuban revolution, while wearing a Rolex watch and went on to wear many different Rolex watch models during his reign as head the Prime Minister/President/Dictator of Cuba. In the photo above, we see Castro in 1964 wearing an early Coke Rolex GMT-Master with no crown guards [Reference 6542]. Castro is smiling, and perhaps for good reason. After all, he made JFK stand-down during the Cuban missile crisis, and he was on a role.

In the next photo below we see him years later wearing a GMT-Master with Crown Guards.

In the photo below, we have visual confirmation that Fidel Castro's second GMT-Master was a Pepsi, v. the one above which is a Coke!

The Fidel Castro photo below is a trip if you thing about it!?!! He is driving around with his Rolex GMT-Master Coke on his wrist, which is a reference 6452, and he has a Soviet Kalashnikov AK-47 just behind him in the storage bin, and he is giving an interview!!! What a crazy life being a revolutionary must have been for him.

Rolex El Presidente

Fidel Castro is pictured below in 1959 wearing his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date, which has an unmistakably iconic Rolex President bracelet—easily recognizable from across a room. The irony in this photo that the Rolex Day-Date had just been introduced to the market place several years before this photo was taken.

Castro Rockin' Rolexes in The Kremlin

Years ago, I noticed the fact Fidel Castro was regularly wearing two Rolex watches on his left wrist, I wondered why he would do such a thing?  I think it was symbolic, because he wanted everybody to know he was keeping local Cuban time as well as the time at the Kremlin, in Moscow. In the photos below, we see Castro meeting with Nikita Khruschev at the Kremlin. 

By the way, that is Karl Marx's portrait hanging on the wall, who was also a bearded fellow...It's kind of ironic Castro is smoking a Cuban Cigar and wearing two Rolex watches in the Kremlin while he chats with Khruschev, in front of a Karl Marx picture :-)

The non-verbal body language in this photo is absolutely fascinating! Notice everybody in the room is staring at Castro's cigar, and everybody sitting is smiling with their hands folded in front of them on the table, and the three guys standing below the portrait of Marx, have their arms behind their backs.

Che Guevara

Che Guevara was Fidel Castro's right-hand-man, and we see him pictured below holding a magazine with Fidel Castro pictured on the front. Che Guevara also wore a Rolex GMT-Master, as did Castro, and we see it on his wrist in the photos below.

Che Guevara Rolex GMT-Master

...Rolex Revolutionary...

Che Guevara

Rolex GMT-Master

I just updated the Rolex Revolutionaries story on Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, which includes this updated image of Che Guevara sporing his Rolex GMT-Master, as well as his trademark Beret, while enjoying a Cuban cigar.

The photo below of Che Guevara sporting his beret with the star is perhaps the most iconic photo of the Cuban revolutionary.

The photo below, shows President Obama on his recent historic trip to Cuba, standing in front of a mural in Havana, Cuba of Che Guevara! It really is amazing how far the world has come in recent years!!!

This next photo taken on March 20, 2016 is profound as it shows Air Force One descending down toward landing in Havana with President Obama and his family on board.

This next photo shows President Obama with Cuban President, Raul Castro, who is Fidel Castro's brother.