The Rolex add below is from the 1968 Summer Olympic Games which were held in Mexico City, Mexico. The boating events of the XIX Olympiad were held in Acapulco, Mexico, which is featured in the Rolex ad below.
Back in May of 2014, Sotheby's auctioned off a very rare 36MM Rolex Datejust which was made for the International Olympic Committee in 1988. The watch achieved an auction sale price of $24,000. I have seen these models before, and of course it is always interesting to see something so fascinating with two great 20th Century icons together. If I recall correctly, Olympic Skiing legend, Jean-Claude Killy wears this same model.
Rolex also made a Ladies International Olympic Committee Two-Tone Datejust Reference 69173 (pictured below) with a Caliber 2135 which appears below courtesy of Christie's Auction House.
The Christie's lot essay reads:
The present ladies’ two-tone Datejust is quite a special watch that was made for the 1988 Olympic Committee. The Rolex guarantee confirms this by listing the buyer as “Comite Olympiques Geneve.” Both the Summer and Winter games were held in ’88 and the Winter games were hosted in Calgary, Alberta.
The consignor of this watch purchased it from the estate of the former late Mayor of Calgary, Ralph Klein. Klein would later go on to serve as the Premier of Alberta. His wife was presented with this watch in 1988 from the Olympic Committee.
Any Rolex with a unique dial is highly sought after. In addition to having this trait, the present watch is offered as complete and has a very nice history.
Jean-Claude Killy's is the man people think of when they think of Rolex and Skiing, but the best Olympic Skier prior to Killy, was is Stein Eriksen. It is fascinating to realize that J.F.K., was the President Of The United States when this 1962 Rolex Explorer ad was published in magazines!!!
In the two photo below, we see Stein Eriken with his grandson, and we see him wearing his Rolex Explorer II.
"Be tough, be confident, but you will never be a whole person if you aren't humble."
–Stein Eriksen
Stein Eriksen was born in Norway and lived an amazing life!!! In the 1952 Winter Olympics, held in Oslo, Norway, he won the gold medal for Giant Slalom and Silver for Slalom. Stein Eriksen was born in 1927 and passed away in December 2015. The photo of him below taken at age 83!!! Stein Eriksen was also the first man to win three gold medals at the world championship which was held 61 years ago in Are in Sweden. He was the first skier to win Gold, in Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill at a single World Championship held in 1954.
Growing up Stein Eriksen was a gymnast which he incorporated into his skiing skills and he was the first skiing superstar. He is pictured below in the early 1950s. Stein Eriksen was a pioneer in modern skiing and his elegant skiing technique where he kept his legs, skis and boots together is considered to have have revolutionized freestyle skiing. With his gymnastics background, Stein Eriksen is renowned for inventing the freestyle skiing areal, which went on to become a freestyle skiing event.
Since Stein Eriksen was the pioneer of ariels, he must have seriously freaked-out spectators!!!
After Stein Eriken retired from professional skiing, he moved to the United States and served as the Director Of Skiing at Deer Valley Resort located in Park City, Utah.
Jack Forster from Hodinkee recently sat down with Curtis McDowald on Talking Watches and had an AMAZING conversation about Curtis's love of watches.
During the interview Curtis told an incredible story about how he inherited his grandfather's Pepsi GMT-Master which is so cool. Be sure to watch the fascinating interview below which Jack Forester who is ALWAYS superb!!!
Can you imagine how stoked Curtis must have been when he first saw his Grandfather's Pepsi GMT-Master!?!! He could not have inherited a better watch...
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.
