Les 24 Heures du Mans gets underway this weekend at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France. The race was delayed from its usual June date to give motorsport fans the chance to attend and watch 62 cars scream down the world-famous Mulsanne Straight at 330km/h.
The 89th edition of the biggest race in endurance racing will take place on 21 - 22 August.The track is expected to remain mainly dry. There is, however, a risk of storms between 15:00 and 20:00 on Saturday. The winner will take home a black-dial stainless steel Daytona.
Encouraged by his 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise, Olivier Nsengimana has galvanized his fellow Rwandans to revive the fortunes of their much-loved grey crowned crane. A symbol of long life and prosperity, which hotels and wealthy citizens used to adorn their gardens, the crane had become scarce due to poaching and farming encroaching on wetlands. But, thanks to a wildlife management project launched by the vet and conservationist, which includes a sanctuary and separate rewilding facility, hundreds of the cranes have been liberated and released, once again flourishing in their natural habitat. As a result, the Laureate’s work is becoming a symbol of renewal in much of Africa.
Richard Petty is nicknamed "The King" of Racing. He won the Daytona 500 a record 7 times as well as Nascar 7 times along with 200 unfathomable other NASCAR races during his career! I recently discovered the 1973 Rolex ad Richard Petty appeared in which tells the story about how he began wearing Rolex watches in 1964, which means he has now been wearing Rolex watches for 56 years!!!
Petty is considered by many to be the the greatest NASCAR driver in history and today he is 80 years young. Richard Petty represents a key part of NASCAR history, and you can learn much more about this rich history by reading my story titled, "The Complete History Of The ROLEX DAYTONA."
Richard Petty's father was also a racer named Lee Petty who won the Daytona 500 in 1959 and was also a 3 time NASCAR winner. Richard Petty is pictured above and below wearing his trademark stainless Rolex Daytona with the black dial. It is hard to find photos of Richard's Daytona, because, like Astronaut John Glenn, he wears his Rolex flipped around his wrist.
William France
Founder of NASCAR
William France Sr., is a key character in the history of the Rolex Daytona and he is pictured below in the Rolex NASCAR ad from 1960. William France grew up in Maryland and when he was a kid, he did not attend school, instead he raced laps in his family Model T Ford.
William France Rolex Zephyr Ad from 1960 pictured above
In 1965, Rolex formally introduced the Rolex Chronograph as seen in the ad below.
1970 Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Brochure
Richard Petty is pictured below with A. J. Foyt on the 4th of July in 1975.
You are in for a real treat if you watch the Richard Petty Documentary below, which is narrated by Kevin Costner.
The world of Rolex sailboat racing is not only international, but always an amazing spectacle to behold! The videos below showcase some of the exiting action at the 2021 Fastnet race as it nears completion—which is AMAZING!!! Watching these world-class racers compete is not only mind-boggling but majestic...
The world of Rolex sailboat racing is not only international, but always an amazing spectacle to behold! This August 8, 2022 video update showcases just some of the exiting action as the 2021 Fastnet race gets underway which is AMAZING!!! Watching these world-class racers compete is not only mind-boggling but majestic...
Jack Forster from Hodinkee recently sat down with Curtis McDowald on Talking Watches and had an AMAZING conversation about Curtis's love of watches.
During the interview Curtis told an incredible story about how he inherited his grandfather's Pepsi GMT-Master which is so cool. Be sure to watch the fascinating interview below which Jack Forester who is ALWAYS superb!!!
Can you imagine how stoked Curtis must have been when he first saw his Grandfather's Pepsi GMT-Master!?!! He could not have inherited a better watch...
"Ophthalmologist Andrew Bastawrous is pursuing a vision to bring clear eyesight to millions of people around the world. With the help of his 2016 Rolex Award for Enterprise, he developed the Peek Acuity app, an easy-to-use mobile phone-based technology to test the eyesight of those experiencing readily treatable optical problems. Initially trialled in Kenya, the project has expanded to multiple locations across Africa and Asia, including remote parts of Pakistan where more than 20,000 people a month are being screened. A part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative, the project shares practical science and technology universally for the betterment of humanity."
I was recently interviewed by a magazine published in Spain named Fueradeserie.com about Rolex Bracelets, and the article was just published as seen below.
Adrés Moreno asked me the question:
"Why are Rolex Bracelets so special?"
I could have written a book just to answer this question, but due to time constraints I had to be terse and here is my answer to Andrés question:
"Rolex metal bracelets are a universe in and of themselves. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex originally developed solid metal Rolex bracelets as a much better alternative to leather buckle straps which would wear out much more quickly. In other words, Rolex bracelets offered a perfectly balanced Yin to the Oyster Case Yang.
Today, Rolex’s three most iconic bracelets are the Jubilee, Oyster and President—the first of which was developed and launched three quarters of a century ago in 1945 to celebrate Rolex’s Ruby Jubilee in the form of the Jubilee Bracelet on the revolutionary Rolex Datejust model.
If you study the evolution of Rolex bracelets you find they closely parallel the timeless design language of the watches themselves. Rolex’s super-iconic trademark bracelets are the result of purpose driven design coupled with perpetual refinement and innovation that have resulted in maximum comfort, elegance and utility on the wrist."
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.
