Antiques Roadshow 1960 Rolex GMT Master [Reference 6542]

Antiques Roadshow 1960 Rolex GMT Master [Reference 6542]
"The Best Watch Ever Made!!!" Bought 55 Years Ago for $120 Today is worth $70,000
This is a heartwarming story about a man who bought a Rolex in Germany in 1960, when he was stationed in the U.S. Army. He paid $120 for it, and freaked out when Antiques Roadshow advised him that his Rolex is worth between $65,000 and $75,000 today!!! That means it increased in value by 625 times in 55 years. That's a 6000% return on his initial investment. I highly recommend watching this video. 

An obvious question is how many more of these valuable watches are sitting around in drawers, slowly collecting dust, and the answer is many, many, many!!!! Most people see these old watches, and if they can't get the watch to work, they think its broken and worthless...What a World!!?!

Matt Damon: Rolex Explorer-Bourne Identity [Trailer]

...Rolex Coolness...

Matt Damon

Academy Award Winning Actor & Writer
Vintage Rolex Explorer

Jason Bourne is Back!!!
Coming To Theaters July 29th

Academy Award Winning actor and writer, Matt Damon is pictured below wearing his Rolex Explorer. Matt started in Good Will Hunting (1997),  Saving Private Ryan (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (2000), The Ocean's series (2002), the Bourne Identity series, Syriana, The Good Shepherd (2007) and The Departed (2006), The Martian (2015).

In the photos in this post you can see photos of Matt Damon wearing his vintage Rolex Explorer on an Oyster bracelet.

One of Matt Damon's most famous roles is as Jason Bourne, from the Bourne Identity Series. Matt Damon just announced his fourth movie in the series, simply named "Jason Bourne", which will be released in theaters on July, 29, 2016. You can see the official trailer below, inch which Jason Bourne suddenly regains his memory.

This is Matt Damon's fourth time playing the iconic character of Jason Bourne. 

Tom Jones Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner

...Rolex Coolness...

Tom Jones

Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner

Sir Tom Jones is a world-famous Welsh singer that has sold over 100 Million records in his career that has spanned 6 decades. He has so many iconic hits that are immediately recognizable like, "It's Not Unusual", "Delilah", and "Green Green Grass Of Home." We see Tom pictured below sporting his vintage yellow gold Rolex Submariner. 

I realize this probably sound funny, but Tom Jones always reminds me of the father on the Brady Bunch :-)

Like everybody else, I was stunned to learn recording superstar, Prince died today :-( So here is a tribute to Prince with Tom Jones and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame performing Purple Rain. 

Stefano Mazzariol Rolex Macro Shot Of The Month...

Stefano Mazzariol

Rolex Macro Shot Of The Month

Vintage Rolex Day-Date Exotic Dial

1960 Rolex DEEP SEA SPECIAL Meets 2012 Rolex DEAP SEA Challenge

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

Take A Ride On Heavy Metal

1960 Rolex DEEP SEA SPECIAL

Meets

2012 Rolex DEEP SEA Challenge

In this photo from Rolex, we see the two generations of special Rolex DEEP SEA watches that both traveled down to the deepest known part of the ocean, both setting all-time depth records. The first is the 1960 Rolex DEEP SEA SPECIAL which dove down attached to the outside of the U.S. Navy Bathyscaphe Trieste, and the second one also dove down into the Challenger Deep in 2012 attached to James Cameron's DEEPSEA CHALLENGER. 

Despite the fact it took Rolex 62 years to return to the deepest part of the ocean floor on earth, Rolex remains the undisputed King Of The DEEP...

NASA Apollo Astronaut Jack Swigert Wearing His Trademark Rolex GMT Master...

...Rolex Coolness From The NASA Archives...

Chic Rolex Space Sheik

NASA Desert Survival Training

Rolex Pepsi GMT Master

I found this fascinating image in the NASA Archives a long time ago. The photo was taken August 14, 1967 during Apollo desert survival training. Apollo 13 Astronaut Jack Swigert is pictured on the far right and he is wearing his Rolex GMT that he wore when he flew to the moon.

Pictured from left to right: Charles M Duke Jr., Thomas K Mattingly, Col. Chester Hohart, and John (Jack) L. Swigert. 

No. These guys are not wearing Halloween costumes, and yes they are Sheiks of sorts. In the photo above, the three astronauts are in Washington state during desert survival training. During desert training the astronauts have to simulate what would happen if they land by mistake way off-course in the desert and have to do without human help for several weeks.

So how and why does this make them Sheik's? Arab Sheiks wear cotton scarfs to protect their heads, known as Keffiyeh and robes to stay cool in the extreme heat of the desert. Arab Sheiks also always wear sunglasses, often times indoors because the sun is extremely bright in the desert. The difference between the NASA Astronaut's headpiece and robes is that they are had crafted by the Astronauts from parachutes.

The photo below is of a close up of Jack Swigert's trademark Pepsi Rolex GMT Master. If you look closely it appears that Col. Hobart is also wearing a GMT but on a Jubilee bracelet. Also, digg those chic white Jack Taylor Converse Canvass high-tops Swigert is wearing. I had a pair of those when I was little kid.

Jack Swigert is pictured below in his NASA space suit wearing his Rolex GMT Pepsi.

When Jack Swigert returned from the Apollo 13 Moon Mission, Rolex traded-in his Pepsi GMT Master for a yellow gold Mocha GMT on a Jubilee bracelet as seen below. Jack Swigert's Pepsi GMT Master which traveled to the Moon and back is in Rolex's private collection in Geneva, Switzerland. If you want to learn much more about all of the Rolex Moon watches, you should check out my series aptly named "The Rolex Moon Watch Conquest & Beyond" which covers the entire gamut of Rolex in space.

Vintage Rolex Submariner advertisement: Divers dive with Rolex

Early 1960s Rolex Submariner Ad
Official Watch for Royal Navy Divers

Rolex TURN-O-GRAPH Up Close...

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

Rolex TURN-O-GRAPH 
Honeycomb Dial. Reference 6202

I originally wrote this story back on November 16, 2008. I just stumbled across it in my archives, and thought I would share it:

I noticed the Rolex Turn-o-graph for sale in the upcoming Christie's Auction with a the white honeycomb dial and I wanted to learn more about the watch and get a better look at it.

I found this great image on the Antiquorum.com Auction site. This watch was part of Lot 151 which was sold on April 17, 2008 at the Antiquorum auction titled The Evolution of the Rolex Sports Watch. It sold for $44,400 U.S.

The Antiquorum description reads: "The Turn-o-graph Reference 6202 was touted by Rolex as The watch with a thousand and one uses." This watch was manufactured by Rolex in 1953 and its diameter is 35mm and thickness is 13mm. 

I refer to this color combination of a Rolex with a white dial and black bezel as the Oreo Cookie. I really like the design of this watch and in particular I really like the Dauphine hands.

1950 Rolex Moonphase 36MM Yellow Gold: Reference 6062

It Finally Appeared!!!

...The Most Beautiful Complicated Rolex...

1950 Rolex Moonphase

36MM Yellow Gold: Reference 6062

Another Black Star Rolex Moonphase Discovered!!!

I can't believe I am writing this!!?! I am so excited to be able to share this amazing news with you. Another ULTRA-RARE Rolex Triple Date Moonphase was recently discovered and is up for auction in Geneva, Switzerland at the Phillips Auction House on 15 May 2016!!! Phillips has placed an Estimated auction price of between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Swiss Francs on this beauty, which is approximately $525,000 to $1,050,000.

Above photo of Rolex Triple-Date Moonphase Reference 6062 to be auctioned on 
May 15, 2016 by Phillips Auction House in Geneva, Switzerland 

What is so special about this Rolex? People frequently ask me which Rolex I think is the most beautiful of all time? My answer is always, the triple-date Rolex Moonphase, Reference 6062 with the black dial and star indices from the early 1950s. 

The photo below is of a very similar model that was made two years later in 1952, and only varies in the sense it has an all yellow gold Day indicator hand, as apposed to the stainless steel hand pictured above with the red pointer on the day indicator hand. Up until today, the model pictured below was one of only several documented versions of this model that had the black dial with star indices that have the small circular lume plots in the center of the stars, along with black ground moon phase disc.

Italian vintage Rolex collectors famously nicknamed this model as "Stellina", which translated from Italian to English means "Little Star"

In my opinion this Ultra-Rare Rolex model is the UBER Rolex—the Rolex Grail of Grails. In other words, if I had to get stuck on a desert island for the rest of my life, and I could only have and wear one watch for the rest of my life, this would be it!!! I am not going to speculate on what I think this watch will fetch at auction, but I would not be surprised if this watch sets an all-time new auction record high for any Rolex. As they say, "Time will tell."

Another common question people ask me is: "What makes a watch like this worth so much money?" In my opinion, the key in determining the value of a vintage watch, is how well the design has held-up over the years. In other words, there have been many trendy watches that may have looked good to people when they were introduced in the marketplace, but over time the did not stand the test-of-time. Other watches, like these Rolex Reference 6062 models still look great today, and most importantly are very wearable today. Basically the ultimate litmus test for determining value of vintage watches, or anything vintage is based upon how timeless the design is, coupled with the build quality.

The sad thing about these beautiful watches is that they will likely never be worn again :-( as most of them are investments, which is a shame, as they are such works of absolute art :-)

Sylvester Stallone Sly & The Family Rolex

...Rolex Coolness...

Sylvester Stallone

Sly & The Family Rolex

Back in February I posted a major update on my Sylvester Stallone wearing Rolex story. Recently Sylvester Stallone posted a photo of himself with fellow actor Dolph Lundgren on his OfficialSlyStallone Instagram page. Sly said, "Ran into Dolph Lundgren at lunch. And no, we did not fight over the check or have a rematch!" 

In case you were not aware, Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor and martial artist who starred in Rocky IV in 1985, as the imposing Russian Boxer Ivan Drago. In the photo below we see Sylvester Stallone sporting his white gold "Pepsi GMT-Master, which looks so cool...and we see Dolph Lundgren sporing his Bronzo Laminor Panerai. Dolph also starred alongside Stallone in The Expendibles (2010), Expendibles 2 (2013), and Expendibles 3 in 2014. 

Pictured below is the same Pepsi Rolex Sylvester Stallone is  wearing in the photo above. It is a Rolex 116759SARU.