Celebrating 50th Anniversary Of James Bond

Celebrating 50th Anniversary Of James Bond

This year represents the 50th anniversary of James Bond movies, and MGM is releasing a special box set of BlueRay DVDs that include all 22 James Bond movies. On Jake's Rolex World, we will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary by exploring even deeper into The James Bond Rolex Story.

Cream Colored Rolex Explorer...

The Original Cream Explorer II

The original Cream Dial Rolex Explorer II had white-gold indices and hands as opposed to the standard today which has black indices and hands. The original white dial Explorer had a dial that was off-white or cream colored. You can tell in this photo because the date wheel is true white.

Rolex Photo of the Week...

A Beautiful Red Submariner

Photo Credit: KJacques

A Briefcase Full Of Stainless Sports Rolex Watches...

Quantities of Quality

And you thought you had a serious stainless-steel vintage sports Rolex collection?

In all fairness, beyond being an extremely passionate Rolex collector, Philipp is also a dealer. We have seen watches from Philipp's beautiful collection in the past on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog and here is another amazing one.

I love this photo!!! Thanks for sharing Phillip!!!

Mayan Jungle Rolex Advertisement from 1991

Dr. Richard Adams

1991 Rolex Mayan Jungle Ad

Rolex Moonphase-Reference 6062

Magnificent Rolex Moonphase

If you follow Jake's Rolex Watch Blog, you know the Rolex 6062 Triple Date Moonphase is one of my favorite Rolex watches. This yellow gold beauty was auctioned by the Antiquorum as lot 231 for $119,600 on April 17, 2008.

Antiquorum's description: "The referecne 6062 was produced form 1949 to 1953, with 350 examples in yellow gold, 50 examples in pink gold and very few in stainless steel. The reference features a great variety of indexes; with the rarest being the diamond indexes and then the star indexes. Very few examples have black dials, and only two are known with dial and diamond indexes. Watches with black dials always had the moon featured on a black enamel sky. It is interesting to note that in Rolex's advertisement the reference 6062 was referred to as the COSMOGRAPH."

Photo Credit: Paul Boutros

Yellow Gold Day-Date White Porcelain Dial with Raised Yellow Gold Roman Numerals

...Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day...

Eduardo's Yellow Gold Day-Date

White Porcelain Dial

with Raised Yellow Gold Roman Numerals

The International Mark Of Success

Eduardo sent in this photo of his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with a white porcelain dial with raised yellow gold Roman numerals. This exact model has always held a special place in my mind because it was the third Rolex I ever purchased.

Just to give you an idea of how into Rolex I was, when I was 16, (29 years ago) I purchased my first Rolex, which as a stainless steel Rolex Submariner, then when I was 18 I purchased a stainless steel Rolex Datejust with a fluted white gold bezel and a white dial with raised white gold Roman numerals. Then when I was 19, I bought a yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date identical to the one below. Man, does this watch bring back some serious memories!!!

Dylan McDermott: American Horror Story

...Rolex Coolness...

Dylan McDermott

American Horror Story

Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner

Steve Nickodemski is a reader of Jake's Rolex World and he send in this image of Dylan McDermott sporting his stainless steel Rolex Submariner that he wears in his new show named American Horror Story, which is produced by the same producer who does Glee. If Dylan looks familiar to you, it is because he starred in hit TV show, The Practice.

Rolex Communists: Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker Wearing Matching Yellow Gold Rolex Datejust Watches...

...Rolex Communist...

Leonid Brezhnev

General Secretary

Of The Communist Party of The Soviet Union

1906-1982

Yellow Gold Rolex Datejust

Communism For The Masses–Capitalism For The Bosses

Karl Laschnikoff is a daily reader of Jake's Rolex World and he sent in the three first images in this story of Soviet Communist Leader, Leonid Brezhnev and East German President, Erich Honecker. In this first image, we see Leonid Brezhnev sporting his yellow gold Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet.

Spirit of Détente

In the next two images taken in July of 1979, we see Soviet Leader, Leonid Brezhnev kissing East German President, Erich Honecker, and if you look closely, you notice Erich Honecker sporting the same model of yellow gold Rolex Datejust that Soviet Leader, Leonid Brezhnev is wearing in the photo above. Maybe that is why they are kissing so passionately!?!

Why are these dudes kissing so passionately? They are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in June of 1979. These comrades were showing their sign of socialist solidarity, which had become standard since the Khruschev era. In the photo below you can see that Erich Honecker's Rolex Datejust is yellow gold.

Soviet Communist Leader Leonid Brezhnev is pictured below with U.S. President Nixon

Soviet Communist Leader Leonid Brezhnev is pictured below with Nikita Krushchev

In the photo below, we see the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, sporting his stainless steel Rolex Datejust. It is ironic that so many Communist leaders wore Rolex Datejust watches!!! Even Chinese Chairman Moa wore a yellow Gold Rolex Datejust!!! So Did Cuban Communist Dictator Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara.

Chapter 3: Panerai & The Italian Royal Navy [Part 5 of 5]

Note: I am still working on this story and when it is completed, I will remove this notice.

Hi Everybody!!!

I hope you are all having a great holiday season!!! I have a special treat for you on this Christmas day!!! John Goldberger is one of the worlds leading horological experts and each year he puts together an amazing calendar that he sends out to all his friends as a Christmas gift, and unfortunately you can't purchase the calendar, but on Jake's Rolex World you can download John Goldberger's 2012 Panerai Calendar for free as a PDF.

John Goldberger's 2012 Panerai Calendar is filled with amazingly rare vintage Panerai watches and I am adding them to this story so you can see them below without having to download the PDF. John Goldberger has authored many horological book including 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, and he also publishes the amazing Vintage Rolex HD app for the iPad.

The Complete History Of

The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER

Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean

Chapter 3: Panerai & The Italian Royal Navy

The First Professional Rolex Diving Watch

[Part 5 of 5]

Back To The Begining

Everything in this story is new to Jake's Rolex World and the web. In other words, none of the images or significantly historical images in this story have ever been published–anywhere. I decided to add this story as Part 5 of Chapter 3 of The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER.

As I mentioned in the introduction, John Goldberger is one of the worlds leading horological experts and he is sharing all the amazing Panerai images in this story with you, but there is ONE MORE THING...and this is absolutely MIND-BOGGLING!!! He also is allowing me to share the next three previously undocumented and unpublished documents that will forever change the course of Rolex and Panerai history!!! These first 3 historically significant Rolex invoices come from the collection of Francesco Ferretti.

If you are not familiar with Panerai watches, it is important to understand that Rolex made all the vintage Panerai watches, beginning in 1936, and running all the way up to at least 1956. If you are not familiar with Panerai history, I highly recommend you read the first 4 parts of Chapter 3: Panerai & The Italian Royal Navy, and if you are feeling ambitious, you can always start at the beginning of The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER.

The Rolex-Panerai Receipts

If you are a vintage Rolex or Panerai enthusiast you are in for the surprise of a lifetime!!! Over the years, there has been a lot of speculation put forth about the origins of the Rolex-Panerai relationship. Specifically, nobody has ever been able to put together all the pieces of the puzzle so they fit perfectly–not until today.

Panerai Reference 2533

We begin with this first historical Rolex-Panerai document which is a paid Rolex invoice dated June 13th, 1936 for the sale of 19 Panerai Reference 2533 watches. Notice Panerai is misspelled at "PANERAJ."

Image appears courtesy of Francesco Ferretti Panerai Collection

The next two images below, show the front and back of the Panerai Reference 2533 along with the Rolex movement inside the opened case back. Over the years, people have speculated as to whether or not these Panerai Referece 2533 watches with the unusual dial were real.

They speculated they were not correct because the dial designs did not match any of the other Panerai classic 3, 6, 9, 12 dial design language, or the classic California Dial design language.

It turns out they are real and the Rolex invoice from June 13, 1936 (pictured above) confirms this fact. There are only 2 known examples of this early prototype and they are owned by Francesco Ferretti who is one of the most important vintage Panerai connoisseurs in the world. They are located in his museum located in his new showroom in Montecatini Terme, PT. This next image shows one of the first Rolex made Panerai Reference 2533 prototype models that is referenced in the invoice above.

1936 Panerai Reference 2533 47mm

First Prototype

This next image shows the backside of the Rolex made Panerai Reference 2533. The case back has been removed for this photo to expose the Rolex movement.

This next invoice is dated November 20th, 1937 and it illustrates a waterproof free service for 3 watches. Apparently the first Rolex made Panerai Reference 2533's had a lot of water-proofing challenges).

Image appears courtesy of Francesco Ferretti Panerai Collection

This next Rolex invoice is dated March 7, 1939 for the sale of 15 more Reference 2533 Panerai watches. The translation reads "Oyster steel special for divers, (dials supplied by the house PANERAJ), without leather bracelets, or boxes." So Rolex delivered the watches assembled, with Panerai dials on the watches, but without straps or boxes. Also on the invoice you notice Rolex misspelled PANERAI and instead typed "PANERAJ" twice.

Image appears courtesy of Francesco Ferretti Panerai Collection

This next historical image shows Italian Navy Captain, Mario Giorgini standing in front of Italian Dictator, Benito Mussolini who is standing next to the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III. The Panerai Reference 2533 on top of the photo comes from the family of the Italian Navy Captain, Mario Giorgini (pictured below). Note the original Panarai buckle (still attached to the watch) was made out of nickel-plated brass with chamfered edges.

1940 Panerai Reference 3646 47mm

Radiomir Panarai Dial

1942 Panerai Reference 3646 47mm

Blank Dial Designation

1942 Panerai Reference 3646 47mm

Blank California Dial

1943 Mare Nostrum Prototype Chronograph 52mm

Radiomir Panerai Mare Nostrum Dial

1954 Panerai Reference 6154 47mm

Small Egiziano with Radiomir Panerai Dial Designation

1955 Panerai Reference 6152-1 47mm

Radiomir Panerai Dial Designation

1955 Panerai Reference 6152-1 47mm

First Panerai with trademark Half-Moon Crown Guard

Radiomir Panerai Dial Designation

1955 Panerai Reference 6152-1 47mm

Marina Militare Dial Designation

1956 Panerai Reference 6152-1 47mm

Marina Militare Top Dial Designation

with

Luminor Panerai Lower Dial Designation

Second Hand Complication at 9 O'Clock

1956 Panerai Reference 2/56 60mm

Radiomir Panerai Dial Designation

8 Giorni Brevettato [8 Days Patented]

50 Examples Made for Egyptian Navy Commandos

1961 Panerai Reference 3646 47mm

Luminor Panerai Dial with Seconds Hand

1993 Panerai Reference 5218-201 44mm

Luminor Panerai Prototype with OP Logo

I sincerely hope you enjoyed part 5 of this story, and yes, as time permits, in the future, I plan to complete and Publish Part 6 of this fascinating story, so stay tuned...

Jake :-)