Introducing Flipper Friday: King Of The Sea...

Introducing

Flipper Friday

Season 1 [Episode 1: 300 Feet Below]

Original Air Date: September 19, 1964

Last Saturday, I added a new feature to Jake's Rolex Watch Blog named "I Spy Saturday." The idea is that every Saturday I will post, in chronological order–from beginning to end–each and every episode of I Spy so you can watch it on your computer if you choose to do so. Since I watch each episode before I post it, I will do screen grabs for all the interesting Rolex shots.

Today, I am announcing "Flipper Friday" in which we will be doing the exact same thing, except with the 1960s TV show Flipper. Flipper has a special place in my heart because when I was a young child I loved watching repeats of Flipper. I think I related to it so well because the two brothers were about my age and I thought Flipper was really cool. Dolphins to this day remain my favorite animal. I also love dolphins because they are almost always smiling. I also thought the father, Porter Ricks was also a really cool guy.

Flipper was first broadcast on NBC on September 18, 1964 and the last episode aired on April 15, 1967. Flipper revolves around the experience of a dolphin named Flipper, who was a Bottlenose Dolphin who is the wild pet and companion animal of Porter Ricks who is the Chief Warden of the fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in South Florida. Flipper is also very close with Porter Ricks two sons, Sandy and Bud. Bud, the younger son is the closest to Flipper.

The show was conceived by Jack Cowden and Ricou Browning who had a great deal of experience in filming underwater and he played the monster in the hit movie The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Flipper was actually based on the 1963 movie named Flipper as well as the 1964 sequel named Flippers New Adventure.

Notice that Flipper's trainers (pictured below) are also both wearing Rolex Submariner watches.

Flipper was shot in Miami as well as in Nassau. Flipper was produced in cooperation with the Miami Seaquarium which was located on Key Biscayne in Biscayne Bay which next to Miami, Florida. Ironically, Flipper the dolphin was played by 5 different female dolphins since female dolphins are less aggressive than male dolphins. The female dolphins were unable to do the tail walk so they used a male dolphin to play that part.

Rolex Submariner Watches Abound

So what does Flipper have to do with Rolex? Porter Ricks character, played by actor Brian Kelly, wore a Rolex Submariner from the first episode which the following screen shots are from.

Flipper was a great show with great style. The mid 1960s style including slip-on Vans, Hang-Ten T-Shirts and of course, Rolex Submariner watches. Very much of a clean-cut, early Beach Boys vibe with a definite aquatic setting. There is just something so cool about the whole Submariner/Aquatic lifestyle.

As I reflect back, I realize that probably the first exposure I ever had to Rolex was watching Porter Ricks sporting his Rolex Submariner back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Rolex Submariner watches seemed to be everywhere on Flipper. In this episode I saw stainless steel Rolex Submariner watches on at least 3 characters.

You can watch the very first episode of Flipper by clicking on the play button below. Once the show starts playing you can push the button in the upper right-hand-corner to have it play full-screen on you computer. Enjoy!!!

Quantities of Quality: Mike Wood's Milsubs...

Quantities of Quality

Mike Wood's Milsubs

If you don't know what a Milsub is don't worry about it. If you know what a Milsub is–stop drooling all over yourself...

Bravissimo Stefano Mazzariol: A Look At Rolex History From The Beginning...

Bravissimo Stefano Mazzariol

A Look At Rolex History From The Beginning

Stefano Mazzariol is a fellow Rolex fanatic and kindred spirit. Stefano lives in Italy and recently published an amazing photo-rich story about Rolex history which is a must see, even if you don't speak Italian. Stefano takes his readers through a visual history of Rolex from the very beginning.

I found an amazing surprise in Stefano's article and I put a copy of it below. It is a brochure for a Rolex GMT from 1959. This Rolex brochure has special meaning for me because of its slogan that reads, "I WANT A GOOD WATCH." Why is it special for me? Because I remember, about 15 years ago, coming across a Rolex brochure that had as its slogan "I WANT A GOOD WATCH," and for some reason that phrase really stuck in my head.

The challenge is that I NEVER saw it again and when I started Jake's Rolex Watch Blog, I remembered that slogan so well, but I was shocked I could not find a brochure with the "I WANT A GOOD WATCH" slogan. Stefano has an amazing ability to find unusual and rare Rolex history, so I want to thank you Stefano.

I WANT A GOOD WATCH

I want to address why I think "I WANT A GOOD WATCH" is such a powerful marketing statement that Rolex made back in 1959 and why I think it is just as relevant today. The reason I wear and appreciate Rolex is because I just want a good watch. I don't need a great watch, I definitely want a good watch–one that is dependable, durable and accurate. The fact that Rolex said a "GOOD" watch is understated and unpretentious. No goofy pretentious luxury watch slogan, just a simple straightforward declarative statement. I love it!!!!

I highly recommend you take a look at Stefano's amazing article which you can read by clicking here. Thanks for sharing Stefano!!! You did an excellent job!!!

By the way, Stefano is an amazing Rolex photographer. He has sent in many super shots that I have published on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog and you can see all of them by clicking on Stefano's name at the end of this post under Labels.

Rolex DEEP SEA, iPhone & Gucci Sunglasses...

Be Prepared

Photo Credit: Grant

Rolex Wrist Shot of the Day: Submariner Superdome...

Submariner Superdome

This photograph of a Rolex Submariner on a NATO strap shows off the great lines of g-comex's 5513. Superdome crystals are really cool...

My First & Only Day-Date

My First & Only President

Memories Are Made of This

When I was 16, more than a quarter century ago, I bought my first Rolex which was a stainless Submariner. When I was 20 I fell in love with and bought this exact yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with the white porcelain dial with raised yellow gold Roman numerals. I sold the Day-Date many years ago, but I never forgot it. This photo is from Frank of his Day-Date and I think it has a German Day wheel. This photo brings back a lot of memories.

Rolex Hotness: Jessica Simpson Yellow Gold Day-Date

Rolex Hotness: Jessica Simpson

Yellow Gold Day-Date

Vintage Rolex GMT Master II Advertisement...

Yngwie Malmsteen Guitar Solo

Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie is wearing Leo's yellow gold Submariner

I Spy Rolex GMT: Season 1 [Episode 1]

Introducing

I Spy Saturday

Season 1 [Episode 1 : So Long, Patrick Henry]

Original Air Date: September 15, 1965

I am introducing a cool new project on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog today named "I Spy Saturday." My objective is to analyze every episode of I Spy from the first episode to the last and get all the best screen captures. I hope to publish a new episode every Saturday until we get through all of them.

Why would I ever commit to such a project? Because it is really cool!!! Why do I think it is really cool? For a zillion different reasons. I was not even born when I Spy debuted on prime time TV and I have only seen a few episodes in my life. This way you and I can watch all the episodes together and comment on them.

If you are not familiar with I Spy, it was a TV show starring Bill Cosby and Robert Culp who were both secret agents for the U.S. Government. Wikipedia perfectly sums it up:

"I Spy was an American television secret agent adventure series. It ran for three seasons on NBC from 1965 to 1968 and teamed Robert Culp as international tennis player Kelly Robinson, and Bill Cosby as his trainer Alexander Scott. In reality, they were both top agents for the Pentagon and, while ostensibly traveling as "tennis bums" (a talented amateur who plays tennis with rich people in return for food and lodging), they were usually busy chasing villains, spies, and beautiful women."

Bill Cosby was amazing and I Spy was the first prime time TV show to star with an African American in a leading role. Throughout the TV show, the color of his skin or the fact that he was of African American decent was never mentioned. So I Spy was really a groundbreaking show.

In this first shot we see Bill Cosby and Robert Culp both wearing Rolex GMT Master watches with Pepsi bezels. In this first episode from the first season there is a young Chinese boy from Hong Kong who seems like he was the archetype for theShort Round character in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom movie which starred Harrison Ford.

I can't think of another TV show in history where both the stars wore the same Rolex watch–pretty cool. I Spy was also revolutionary in the sense it was always shot on location, all over the world. This first episode was shot on location in Hong Kong. We also learn from watching this very first episode from the first season, that both characters wore GMT Master watches from the very beginning–also pretty cool.

The are several references to 007 including a few mentions of Goldfinger. I remember when I was younger, I always thought it was tacky to wear a sport Rolex watch like a GMT or Submariner with a suit and tie, but I must admit that I now think it looks really cool.

Both Robert Culp and Bill Cosby were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, three times each, from 1966 to 1968 and Bill Cosby who had never acted before won all three times.

I invite you to watch along with me as we go through the episodes in chronological order, and feel free to comment in the comment section. I hope to analyze a new episode every week–hopefully every Saturday.

I realize in many ways, I Spy is dated and campy and kitchy, but that is what makes it kind of cool and fun. The mod fashions are pretty cool and I think studying the social mores and historical context should be fascinating an fun. I also look forward to doing a podcast with Bill Cosby and Robert Culp in the future...

Note: If you wish to watch I Spy full-screen on your computer, just hit the play button and once the episode starts, if you put your cursor over the video window, you will notice a little square in the upper right hand corner, which will play the episode full screen on your computer.