Mario Andretti The Hodinkee Interview

...Rolex Super-Coolness...


Mario Andretti

The Hodinkee Interview

Hodinkee published this super cool interview with Mario Andretti, back April of 2018 and it is AMAZING! The reason I just updated and am republishing the article is because Nick Gould discovered a significant piece of the missing puzzle which shows Mario Andretti rocking his Rolex Day-Date while taking a photo of Lotus Founder and Formula 1 Racing Pioneer, Colin Chapman. Watch spotting is really a scientific process more than anything. 

Colin Chapman with Mario Andretti rocking Rolex Day-Date back in the 1970s. 

I think Mario is holding a Nikon F or a Pentax K1000 35MM Camera.

Once we discover photos of people wearing a certain model we tend to take it for granted, but often times it can take years or even decades to discover a photo of a certain person wearing a certain watch, and that is what we see here for the first time. I would know as I have been searching for a photo of Andretti for decades wearing his Day-Date and this is the first time we see one.

Mario Andretti is considered to be on of the greatest if not the greatest racing legends that have ever lived.

During the video, Hodinkee's Jon Bues discussed Mario Andretti's Rolex Daytona which is seen below close up.

In the photo above of Mario Andretti's watch collection, we see his Rolex Daytona next to a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date which they don't discuss in the interview or in the article for some strange reason!?!!

I assume Mario Andretti's yellow gold Rolex Day-Date pictured above is the same one pictured below in the 1976 Mario Andretti Rolex Day-Date Ad, which is very cool. I further assume it's the same one pictured at the top of this story which Nick Gould recently discovered. Hat's off to Nick "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner" Gould for finally making a positive ID on this previously elusive Rolex!!!

The documentary below on Mario Andretti was filmed the same year as the Mario Andretti Rolex add pictured above from 1976 was originally published.

Paul Newman Rolex Day-Date!?!?!?

I have an interesting story to share with you about the photo below of Mario Andretti with his good friend Paul Newman. Back in 2014, I discovered the photo below of Paul Newman and Mario Andretti which was taken at the 1988 Indianapolis 500, and I noticed Paul Newman wearing what appeared to be a Platinum or White Gold Rolex Day-Date.

I was surprised, as Paul Newman is renowned for wearing at least five different Rolex Daytona models, as well as having worn a stainless steel Rolex Datejust, which I documented in detail in "The Complete History Of The Paul Newman Daytona". 

In the photos below we see Paul Newman wearing his iconic stainless steel Daytona that has a white exotic dial.

If you are a reader of Jake's Rolex World you know that Paul Newman's famous Rolex Daytona recently sold for close to $18 Million.

Late last year, on December 4th of 2017, I published a story that finally solved the mystery of Paul Newman's President bracelet, which can be seen in the photo below. This story revealed that Paul Newman somehow fitted a Rolex President bracelet to his black dial Rolex Daytona, which was fascinating.

Mario Andretti & Paul Newman

UPDATE (December 4, 2017): I wrote a significant update to this story that revealed Paul Newman was actually wearing a Rolex Daytona on his Rolex President Bracelet:

http://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/12/another-paul-newman-daytona.html

...Rolex Double Super-Coolness...

Mario Andretti & Paul Newman

Rolex Day-Dates

This is an interesting story. First, we see a 1976 Mario Andretti Rolex ad that features the Rolex Day-Date, which I have never published before today.

Next we see a photo of Paul Newman shaking hands with his good pal, Mario Andretti.

Paul Newman Rolex Day-Date!?!?!?

I was shocked when I looked closely at this photo taken in 1988 at the Indianapolis 500, and noticed Paul Newman wearing a Platinum or White Gold Rolex Day-Date.

Why was I shocked? Because Paul Newman is renowned for wearing at least five different Rolex Daytona models, as well as having worn a stainless steel Rolex Datejust, which I documented in detail in "The Complete History Of The Paul Newman Daytona". This new photograph shows him rockin' a Rolex Day-Date, which is very cool...

Just to reiterate, I was shocked to discover the photo of Paul Newman wearing his Rolex Day-Date on his "President" bracelet because like so many of my readers, I am used to seeing iconic photo, like the one below, of him wearing his trademark Rolex Daytona. It is interesting to note that I have never seen a photo of him wearing a yellow gold Rolex. He only wore stainless steel, white gold and platinum.

Dick Vermiel & Mario Andretti Two Legendary Sports Figures...

Dick Vermeil & Mario Andretti

Two Legendary Sports Figures

Two-Tone Rolex Datejust

Dick Vermeil is pictured below with his pal, and former racing superstar, Mario Andretti. Dick Vermeil played football in college and in 1959 he was a quarterback for San Jose State University. He went on to become a coach at Stanford University and in 1969 he joined the Los Angeles Rams as a special coach. In 1974 he became the head coach for the UCLA Bruins and he led them to win the 1975 Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

From 1976 to 1982, Dick Vermeil was the head NFL coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, and from 1997-1999 was the head coach for the Saint Louis Rams. From 2001 to 2005 he was the head coach for the NFL Kansas City Chiefs.

Mario Andretti is considered to be one of the best and most successful American race car drivers in the history of the sport. Mario Andretti raced in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR and also won in drag car racing, sprint cars and midget car racing.

In an amazing career that spanned decades, Mario Andretti won four IndyCar titles as well as the 1978 Formula One World Championship. To this day, Mario Andretti remains the only driver in history to win the Daytona 500 (1967), Indianapolis 500 (1969) and the Formula One World Championship. Mario Andretti won 109 major circuit races in his career.