Today is Steve McQueen's 96th Birthday, so I thought I would share this cool story with you. Nick Gould discovered and recently shared this image with me of Steve McQueen at Le Mans, rocking his Submariner Reference 5512, along with his trademark PERSOL Sunglasses and Nikon F SLR. This is a story about a man and his machines...
The photo below we see Steve McQueen leaning against a Ferrari 512S, while taking photos with his Nikon F SLR camera with a big lens, and of course, he is wearing his Rolex Submariner.
There is nothing cooler in the world of Rolex spotting than discovering a famous person in a vintage Rolex ad rocking a Rolex that you have never seen before. It's rare, but it happens. Nicolas from Adpatina.com discovered this AMAZING Cartier Boutique Rolex ad from 1968 which features a young Ali MacGraw clad in Bill Blass while sporting her ladies Rolex Oyster in Stainless Steel. Adpatina.com specializes in selling original vintage Rolex magazine advertisements both framed and unframed!
We know vintage Rolex watches are very popular with collectors, and many people like owning vintage ads, which are far less expensive, but will likely continue going up in price over the upcoming years.
The ad above which features Ali MacGraw when she was a model in 1968. Not so long after, she became a famous actress and started dating fellow actor, Steve McQueen who she is pictured with below in 1972.
In an ironic twist of fate Steve is wearing the same Rolex Submariner [Reference 5512] model seen in the ad sans the Cartier logo and he married Ali!
Nick Gould discovered the photo below of Ali MacGraw wearing her two-tone ladies Rolex Datejust.
A decade ago a documentary named Steve McQueen and Le Mans released its first trailer, which can be seen below. This fascinating documentary covers his experience with filming his 1971 movie titled Le Mans.
STEVE MCQUEEN: THE MAN and LE MANS
Is the story of obsession, betrayal and ultimate vindication. It is the story of how one of the most volatile, charismatic stars of his generation, who seemingly lost so much he held dear in the pursuit of his dream, nevertheless followed it to the end.
STEVE MCQUEEN: THE MAN and LE MANS debuted earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival in France. A limited theatrical release will debut in Los Angeles and New York tomorrow on November 13th, 2015. A DVD of the documentary will be released on December 1st, 2015. The poster below is the original 1971 movie poster for Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen. So basically the documentary above is about the making of the 1971 movie.
If you get a change to watch the movie Le Mans be sure to check out the scene at 3:09 seconds into the film where you can see Steve McQueen driving his 911 in the city of Le Mans, France, and you can also see him wearing his Submariner. Below we see the Le Mans Race scene from the movie which is pretty RAD!!!!
In the photo below we see Steve McQueen leaning against a Ferrari 512S, while taking photos with his Nikon F SLR camera with a big lens, and of course, he is wearing his Rolex Submariner.
In the photo above and below we see Steve McQueen's 1969 Porsche 917K (Chassis Number 024) swathed in Powder Blue and Marigold Orange. This rare Porsche 917 featured an air-cooled 12 cylinder 560HP mid-engine. It disappeared after the movie was made, only to come back to life in a barn-find. This amazing car will likely be auctioned, and it could easily go for over $20,000,000.
In the photo below we see Steve McQueen in front of his 911S, while filming Le Mans, and notice his Submariner, along his Persol sunglasses, with this tie-dyed shirt. Groovy Baby, Yeah!!!!
The photo below looks like a Rolex magazine ad, but I made it myself since I thought it looks really cool. Methinks if Rolex made ads like this, they would be much more inspirational than boring photos of just watches.
Perfectly Timeless Classics
Ironically, everything considered classic today was once considered to be modern. Few things have stood the test of time like Steve McQueen, a Porsche 911, and a stainless steel Rolex Submariner. The Porsche 911 ad below shows the same model Steve McQueen drove in the opening scene for Le Mans.
The Rolex ad below features the same Rolex Submariner 5512 model Steve McQueen wore in Le Mans. This vintage Rolex ad is soooo cool, and so unlike any Rolex magazine ad you would see today...
I am sad to report that Chad McQueen, the only son of legendary actor, Steve McQueen passed away. Chad is pictured below with his father, Steve McQueen who completely adored his son:
The family of Chad McQueen published this statement today:
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father Chad McQueen...
His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication. His passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent, but also served as a way to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him. He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfathers as well. As a family we need to navigate this difficult time and we kindly ask for privacy as we remember and celebrate his extraordinary life."
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jeanie, Chase, and Madison
Below is a story I originally published years ago on Chad McQueen:
I recently interviewed Chad McQueen. Chad mentioned to me that his father gave him two Rolex Submariner watches when he passed away—a Reference 5512, as well as a Reference 5513. Chad has his father's charisma is one really cool dude!!! In many ways, Chad followed in his father's footsteps as we will learn in this story...
Chad McQueen in the 1980s wearing his father's Rolex Submariner
The photo below appears courtesy of Charles Tearle and shows Chad's actual Rolex Submariner Reference 5512 that his father Steve McQueen gave him before he passed away in 1980. The provenance of this watch is beyond refuting and as real as the real-deal gets.
The Queen Of Cool
Neile Adams McQueen
Chad's mother, Neile Adams McQueen (The Queen of Cool) is pictured below, and when I interviewed her she told me that her husband, Steve McQueen purchased the two Rolex Submariner models in Zurich, Switzerland around Christmas of 1969.
In the next photo, we see Neile Adams McQueen waiting with her husband Steve McQueen as he prepares to race at Sebring in 1970.
In the photo below we see Steve and Neile McQueen with Chad and his sister, Terry McQueen.
Below is a photo of Steve McQueen at Sebring with wife Neile, son Chad, and daughter Terry talking with Steve during a break.
In the photo below we see Chad with his father Steve McQueen on the set of Le Mans, and notice Steve is wearing his Rolex Submariner.
Steve McQueen is pictured below with his son Chad McQueen in September of 1971 at the California 500 Indycar race in Ontario, California.
In this next photo taken many years later, we see Chad McQueen with his mother, Neile, and sister Terry.
Chad's sister Terry wore a yellow gold Rolex Lady-Date as seen in the photo below on the left side. In this photo, Terry is holding her daughter Molly, who is also pictured on the right photo being held by her grandmother Neile.
Unfortunately, Terry passed away years ago but was raised by her grandmother Neile. When I recently interviewed Neile, she mentioned that Molly has her mother's Rolex Lady-Date today. Terry and Molly are pictured again below with Terry wearing her Rolex Lady Date.
Neile is pictured below in a recent photo with her granddaughter Molly.
In this next photo, we see Chad with his mom and his first wife. Notice Chad is wearing one of his dad's Rolex Submariner models.
Chad McQueen and I also discussed how in the future he will share more details with me about his father's Rolex Submariner watches, which is very exciting!!
Chad McQueen in the 1980s wearing his father's Rolex Submariner
It is interesting to note that Chad wears his dad's Submariner on his right wrist—just like his father did.
Below we see a photo of Neile McQueen with her son Chad and grandson Steven McQueen, who is Chad's son.
Speaking of COOL—below is a photo of Steven McQueen who is Neile & Steve McQueen's grandson, and his parents are Stacey Toten and Chad McQueen. Steven McQueen is a talented actor and appears to be down to earth and very friendly.
I've written so much in the past about Steve McQueen, yet I am still in awe of how cool he really was. Long LIVE THE KING OF COOL!!!!
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.
