Steve McQueen Racing At Le Mans Rocking a Rolex Submariner [Reference 5512]

...The King Of Cool...

Steve McQueen

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTARY TRAILER

 The Man & Le Mans  

Rolex Submariner

Reference 5512

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!!!!

Below are previously unpublished images of Steve McQueen at Le Mans in 1971. In this first photo we get a clear shot of Steve McQueen wearing his Rolex Submariner.

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... 

Pierce Brosnan: Another James Bond Actor Wearing Rolex Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust...

...Rolex Coolness...

Pierce Brosnan

Another James Bond Actor Wearing Rolex

Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust

Back in April of 2016 I originally discovered and published this photo of Pierce Brosnan wearing a Rolex Datejust. 

If you are a regular reader of Jake's Rolex World, or a James Bond Rolex fan, you will really get a kick out of this photo of former James Bond Actor, Pierce Brosnan sporting a stainless steel Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet. After all, the supreme irony is Pierce Brosnan was the first James Bond to break the mold of James Bond wearing Rolex.

Instead Pierce Brosnan wore an Omega and Daniel Craig followed in his footsteps. Some die-hard Rolex/James Bond believed this move was sacrosanct. Well, the interesting news is that Pierce Brosnan went back to Rolex in 2007 when he posed for this Aquascutum ad. By the way, this photo makes it official, that EVERY ACTOR THAT PLAYED JAMES BOND HAS WORN A ROLEX AT SOME TIME IN THEIR LIFE!!!

Of course you can learn everything about James Bond Rolex History or learn just about Pierce Brosnan as James Bond on Jake's Rolex World. In the future on Jake's Rolex World, I will be publishing much, much, much more fascinating James Bond Rolex History, so stay tuned...

SUBMARINER: Timepiece Of Inner Space

SUBMARINER
Timepiece Of Inner Space

The photos below are of a Rolex Submariner brochure from the early 1970s that fascinatingly refers to the Rolex Submariner as "Timepiece of inner space." Inner space is an antithetical metaphor to outer space.

If you look closely at the inside of the Rolex brochure pictured below, you will notice it features a classic stainless steel Single-Red Rolex Date Submariner [Reference 1680] with Maxi Markers. Notice it does NOT feature solid end links (SEL), but the yellow gold version next to it does feature solid end links. The yellow gold Rolex Submariner was the very first Rolex sports watch to feature SEL.

Also, notice the yellow gold Rolex Submariner dial features "nipple" indices with matching yellow gold surrounds, which are much smaller than the classic "Maxi" indices, also commonly referred to as "Maxi Markers." Modern Submariner indices, or markers, evolved from these models. So today the 2019 Submariner has Maxi Markers with white gold surrounds. Nick Gould brilliantly observed: "The Gold Rolex Submariner [Reference 1680], was really the first luxury sports watch". 

Steve McQueen & Paul Newman The Towering Inferno Movie [1974]

...The Kings Of Rolex Coolness...

Steve McQueen & Paul Newman

The Towering Inferno Movie [1974]

What could be cooler than a movie starring Steve McQueen wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner? A movie with Paul Newman co-staring with him!!!

The two most famous actors who wore Rolex starred together in this movie named The Towering Inferno, which set a high-water mark for early 1970s action adventure movies. In 1974, nothing was cooler than Steve McQueen and Paul Newman!!!!!

I just completed a HUGE update to the Steve McQueen Rolex Story and I added all these new screenshots from Towering Inferno and many more!!!

Steve McQueen is pictured below sporting his trademark Rolex Submariner.

Of course, The Towering Inferno was an action adventure movie, and in these next shots we see Paul Newman and Steve McQueen James Bonding it up!!!

When I say "James Bonding it up" if you have ever worn a Rolex Submariner and you know what I mean, you will recognize this next pose in this image that shows Steve McQueen sporting his trademark Rolex Submariner ;-)

To learn much more about the Towering Inferno, check out the update Part 3 of the Steve McQueen Rolex Story.

James Cameron Discusses The Making Of The Rolex DEEP-SEA Challenge

...Rolex Super Coolness...
James Cameron Discusses The Making Of The Rolex DEEP-SEA Challenge

Back in August of 2013, Rolex produced this superb video interview of James Cameron telling the story of how Rolex engineers in Geneva, were able to design and build the Rolex DEEP-SEA Challenge in only five weeks. It was actually underwater legend, Don Walsh who came up with the idea for Rolex to work with James Cameron in this very special Rolex project.
Chapter 18 of my series named The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER, Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean is titled "Part 18: The Return Of The Rolex DEEP-SEA", covers the entire background of this amazing feat.

A few years later, Rolex supervised the world when they announced a special Rolex DEEPSEA mode named the D-Blue Dial Edition, which has been a huge success.

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Rolex 24 At Daytona

...Rolex Hotness & Coolness... Maria Shriver & Arnold Schwarzenegger

...Rolex Hotness & Coolness...

Maria Shriver & Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger are pictured below when they first started dating. Arnold is wearing his trademark yellow gold Mocha GMT master with a matt brown dial on a Jubilee bracelet.

A.J. Foyt and Richard Petty...

...Rolex Wearing Racing Legends...

A.J. Foyt & Richard Petty

What do racing legends A.J. Foyt and Richard Petty have in common, beside being two of the most winning race car drivers in history? Wearing Rolex, of course, and we see them hanging-out together on the 4th of July, back in 1975. A.J. Foyt is wearing his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date in the photo below, and Richard Petty has not yet began sporting his now trademark mustache...

For the Love Of COMEX

For the Love Of COMEX

I received an email a few days ago, I would like to share with you:

Good day Jake

My name is Charl van der Merwe from South Africa. I have just read your article on Henri-Germain. What a interesting read. Thanks for posting it. I am a saturation diver myself (and a watch fanatic). Started diving when I was still a youngster with my dad, went to the South African Navy after school to become a Navy diver. 

After that I started my carrier in diving offshore. I since have been doing diving courses all around the world as well as working worldwide. I did my saturation course in Marseille France where I visited the Comex centre.

While I'm reading your article, I realize that my line of work, my profession would not have been possible if it was not for the likes of these men. I always say a timepiece will choose you, not the other way around. One day I will wear my Sea Dweller with pride.

I am currently on a saturation diving project off the west coast of Africa in Gabon and reading your article I can really relate to what these men achieved. I had the honer of meeting diving legend Claud Wesly during my saturation course in Marseille. He was telling us about project "pre continent 1" (1962) where himself and Albert Falco were living in a underwater habitat for a week, making history and becoming the first "saturation" divers. The project was overseen by Jacques Cousteau who was his close friend. More expeditions followed going deeper and deeper. It was great meeting him.

Kind Regards
Charl van der Merwe
South Africa

Henri-Germain Delauze was not only the founder of Comex, but also a man of amazing achievement. I became friends with him late in his life and completed a detailed podcast interview with him years ago, back in 2009. I just listened to part of it, and I will edit it and post it as soon as I can. In the mean-tine  if you have some time, check out the detailed story I wrote about Henri-Germain Delauze.

1964 Magazine Ad Men who guide the destines of the world wear Rolex watches

1964 Magazine Ad

Men who guide the destines

of the world wear Rolex watches

This 1964 Rolex magazine ad really demonstrates that Rolex was really excited and proud to share with the world that many of the top leaders wore Rolex. The most interesting detail is that U.S. President Lyndon Johnson had recently begun wearing what became his trademark yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date in 1964, and it appears Rolex could not wait to indirectly let everybody know. You can always learn much more this subject by checking out my 11 part series on The Complete History Of The Rolex President.

I believe the hats on the table are symbolic of the actual men who wore them, so the obvious question, is who wore those hats? My best guess for who the hats belong to or symbolize would be U.S. General Eisenhower, French General de Gaulle, Swiss General Henri Guisan, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Lord Mountbatten of the U.K. and U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson. I am a little confused by the unusual hat located closest to the front of the table? Does anybody know what kind of hat that is?

Update: A bunch of people wrote in to answer the question. It turns out it is a Russian Cossacks lambswool hat, which makes you wonder who the ad is referring to? It must be Nikita Khrushchev? I know Nikita's son, Sergei Khruschev wears a yellow gold Rolex. Hmmm!?!? 

Update 2: I am really embarrassed to admit this, but Jake's Rolex World reader, Karl wrote in from Austria and said:

"Have a look at Russian/Soviet Leaders and at Russian/Soviet Hats and your Blog Archive and you will see for what and whom this picture hat stands."

The hat was symbolic of Leonid Brezhnev, who became the General Secretary of the Communist Party in October of 1964. Leonid Brezhnev is pictured below with U.S. President Gerald Ford, and Ford is wearing a Soviet mink hat, which I tried on one, and was stunned with how luxurious, soft and warm it was.

Now that I think about it, that is a trip that in 1964-1968, then U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and U.S.S.R. leader, Leonid Brezhnev were both wearing yellow gold Rolex watches.

I thought I would share this next photo of me back in 1973 when I was 7 years old, and I am wearing a similar U.S. Presidential seal necktie as President Gerald Ford in the photo above...just saying...

Did I make you laugh, or at least smile?

The Complete History Of The Rolex President [Part 17]

Part 17

The Complete History Of The Rolex President

Origins Of "The Rolex President" Watch Name

Part 11 of The History Of The Rolex President series, focuses on exploring origin of the term The Rolex President, and part 12 will focus on the evolution of the Rolex Day-Date models.

The Rolex President

U.S. President Lyndon Johnson

Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date

White House Oval Office

Washington D.C. 1965

Have you ever wondered where the term The Rolex President came from? It has taken me many years to finally solve the mystery of how, when and where exactly the name The Rolex President came from. The Rolex President Watch for many decades has symbolized and been equated with being The International Mark Of Success and Achievement.

Rolex marketing, in the United States has always been handled through the adroit marketing firm of J.Walter Thompson. In 1966, J. Walter Thompson came up with the Rolex magazine ad pictured below, which ran in the United States.

1966 Rolex President's Watch Ad

The Presidents' Watch

It is amazing when you think about it, how remarkably timeless this vintage 1966 Rolex Day-Date ad is. It features a wrist shot of a man wearing a yellow gold Day-Date holding a red phone in his hand. Kind of reminds me of Commissioner Gordon talking on the red Batphone ;-) 

It is interesting to note, in this 1966 Rolex Day-Date watch ad, how the title says "The presidents' watch." This of course, is referring to then elected, U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson. This moment in Rolex history represented a high-water-mark–having the sitting U.S. President wearing Rolex's flagship watch model.

Men Who Guide The Destinies Of The World Wear Rolex Watches

Magazine ad from the mid 1960s

I think I love vintage Rolex magazine ads as much as I love vintage Rolex watches. Historically, Rolex tends to run themed ads for long periods of time, and one of the most remarkable is the "Men Who Guide The Destinies Of The World Wear Rolex Watches" which ran from 1956, during the Dwight Eisenhower Presidential administration, through the Lyndon Johnson administration. 

This particular magazine ad ads another dimension or piece of the puzzle to The Complete History Of The Rolex President. In particular, it is fascinating to see how much Rolex went out of their way to prove themselves 50 years ago. Today, Rolex has little to prove, since they have successfully become the international mark of success, but learning how Rolex achieved this is just fascinating.

I scanned and restored this vintage Rolex ad, but the page had no date on it. So how do I know it is from the mid 1960s? For one, the Rolex Day-Date pictured is a more modern model, and in the description under the photo, Rolex refers to the "President bracelet, designed by Rolex for the Day-Date." To the best of my knowledge, Rolex first began referring to the the Day-Date bracelet in 1965, which was a year after U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson began wearing what became his trademark yellow gold Rolex.

It's profoundly ironic, how in this ad, which was published around the time I was born, Rolex talks about how famous people you see everyday wear Rolex, and suggest that next time you see them, you should look to see if they are wearing a Rolex. Why is this ironic? Because I have been doing this now for almost 5 years straight, on Jake's Rolex World, and that is really one of the main signature features of Jake's Rolex World Blog, is that I find and showcase photos of famous, successful people wearing their Rolex watches ;-)

Another Red Phone

Speaking of Rolex ads with men wearing a Rolex Day-Date with a Red telephone in their office, if you scroll down the page to the Mark McCormack Rolex ad from 1986, you will notice he also has a Red phone, except his is push button instead of a dial phone like the one in the picture below.

A supreme irony is that if Rolex made this ad today the man in the ad would have an iPhone 4s in his hand. Part of the irony in this is that in the last 45 years since this ad was published, telephone technology has changed radically, and Rolex still makes this exact same model, and it looks identical–talk about timeless design!!!

The 1966 Rolex Day-Date ad above has a headline that reads "The presidents' watch." In 1965, just after U.S. President Lyndon Johnson had a gaul-bladder operation, he emerged and showed the press his scars, and there he was wearing his now trademark yellow gold Rolex Day-Date and he wore it very proudly.

Lyndon Johnson was the second U.S. President to wear a modern Rolex, and the first to wear a Day-Date, with a Rolex "President" bracelet.

1984 Rolex President Ad

Rolex Coolness: Mark McCormack

Another Rolex Myth Busted And Mystery Solved!!!

This is the quintessential 1980s Rolex ad. In 1986 Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States and Rolex was reaching new heights in status and popularity.

This cool vintage Rolex ad has a very interesting detail. One of the unanswered Rolex folklore questions (until today) always was:

Where did the term The Rolex President come from?

It has always been put forth that Rolex began referring to the bracelet on the Rolex Day-Date, as "The President" bracelet (around 1966) but never referred to the the actual Day-Date as The Rolex President. It was believed that people just started refering to the Rolex Day-Date as The President, but that Rolex never specifically referred to it as such.

It turns out that was a false myth and for the first time, as early as 1984 we have direct evidence of Rolex specifically referring to a watch model named:

"The Rolex President Day-Date Chronometer. Available in 18kt. gold, with matching bracelet."

This ad was very popular in the 1980s and I believe it clearly proves it was indeed Rolex that specifically coined the term: The Rolex President.

Wow!!!!! Rolex appears to have briefly referred to the watch as The Rolex President, then they stopped, and went back to calling it just The Day-Date, but the term "The Rolex President" stuck, and once the cat was out of the bag, that was it!!!!! Another fascinating Rolex mystery solved!!!!!!

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ROLEX PRESIDENT

Table Of Contents

Part 1: Genesis

Part 2: Reclamation

Part 3: Ike Likes Rolex

Part 4: Mamie, We Are Not In Kansas Any More (Rolex Loves Ike) Ike Likes Rolex

Part 5: President Eisenhower's Rolex

Part 6: The Podcast (With the owner of President Eisenhower's Rolex)

Part 7: Heaven

Part 8: The Eisenhower Legacy

Part 9: They Mystery of the JFK Rolex President 

Part 10: Everybody Wants To Rule The World-LBJ's Rolex President

Part 11: President Gerald Ford Gets His Rolex President

Part 12: President Ronald Reagan and his Rolex Datejust

Part 13: President Bill Clinton and his Rolex Day-Date 

Part 14: Dick Cheney-The Rolex Vice-President

Part 15: President Obama and his Rolex Cellini

Part 16: President Trump - The Newest Rolex

Part 17: Origins Of "The Rolex President" Watch Name

>NEXT–Part 18: The Rolex Precedent by Jake Ehrlich