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Saturday, May 02, 2009

I Spy Saturday Season 1 [Episode 3 : Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao]

I Spy Saturday

Season 1 [Episode 3 : Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao]

Original Air Date: September 29, 1965

Welcome to the third I Spy Saturday on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog. One of the reasons I am doing I Spy Saturday is so I can analyze the episodes to learn about and document the Rolex watches used on the show. For instance, I did not know until two weeks ago, when I first watched Episode 1, that Bill Cosby and Robert Culp both wore Pepsi GMTs from the inception of the show.

In episode 3 [Season 1] we see both characters wearing their trademark Pepsi GMT Master watches, which you can see on Bill Cosby in the photo above and below. This episode, like episodes 1 & 2 were shot on-location in Hong Kong.

Bill Cosby's character, Scotty is interesting and I find Bill Cosby to be more entertaining and interesting to watch. That being said, this episode was kind of stupid with a thin plot at best.

Sometimes when something is so bad, it ends up being good, but I give this episode a thumbs down, so I don't recommend you watch it unless you want to. I still plan to watch the rest of the episodes and do screen captures.

This episode was kitchy and campy with lots of really fake fight scenes and it is amazing to examine how spy shows have evolved up to the present with shows like 24 that practically give you a heart-attack each time you watch them.

In my mind, Robert Culp's character, Kelly Robinson seems to be based on Cary Grant and Bill Cosby's character seems to be based on Bill Cosby. That was not a typo. Bill Cosby plays Bill Cosby and you see how talented and charismatic he was.

If you do decide to watch the episode, it is interesting to note that Kelly takes off his Rolex to fight a guy, which is really weird–I guess the writers did not realize how sturdy his GMT Master was!?! Unless Kelly's figure was an overly protective watch safe queen (double entendre, inside-out joke).

If you want to watch the episode full screen, please hit the play button, then when the show starts, hit the full-screen button in the upper right hand corner.

Rolex Hotness from Leo...

Rolex Hotness

Leo sent in this shot of a beautiful woman wearing a two-tone Rolex Datejust.

Transitional Yellow Gold Tiffany & Company Submariner...

Tiffany & Company Submariner

Yellow Gold, Nipple Dial in 18k

[Reference 16808]

This beautiful "black gold" vintage Submariner in yellow gold comes from Eric Ku who is a vintage Rolex dealer in California. You can learn more about this watch from Eric's company 10PastTEN.com by clicking here.

This Tiffany & Company Rolex Submariner is in flawless, like-new mint condition and has an early transitional dial with nipple indices and tritium hands. It was owned by only person and is in flawless condition.

It is interesting to note that this is one of the first Rolex models to have solid end links, which give the watch a modern, more finished look.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Flipper Friday Season 1 [Episode 2: Red Hot Car]

Flipper Friday

Season 1 [Episode 2: Red Hot Car]

Original Air Date: September 26, 1964

Last Friday, I introduced "Flipper Friday" and I pointed out we would be watching each episode of Flipper in chronological order and not only examining the Rolex watches worn on the show, but also exploring the historical ramifications of the show itself.

Deconstructing Flipper

Today, I am going to go a little deeper into exploring the characters and storyline. I think this is appropriate because we are starting at the begging of the series.

It is important when trying to put Flipper in context, to remember it originally aired in September of 1964. U.S. President John F. Kennedy had only been dead 10 months and the world was still in its idealistic clean-cut, early 1960s, mod mode.

Porter Ricks character was played brilliantly by actor Brian Kelly. Porter Ricks character was the Warden of the fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in South Florida. You can see Porter Ricks wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner in the photo below.

Porter Ricks character was part Andy Griffith, Part cowboy–with his boots and gun–and part almost, Jacques Cousteau. I say Jacques Cousteau because of the aquatic aspect of the show. His figure was also kind of like an athletic, super-hero, but he did not transform into a cape with leggings, he was almost always in his khaki uniform, which make him an authority figure.

Porter Ricks was also part, Father Knows Best in the relationship he has with his two sons, Sandy and Bud. You see Porter Ricks wearing his Rolex Submariner in the photo above and below.

Deconstructing Flipper make me realize as a small child growing up in the U.S., I was exposed to Rolex Submariner watches being worn on a very idealistic figure from a very young age. I don't know how much of an effect this had on me subliminally, but it is definitely worth noting.

I LOVED watching Flipper when I was a young boy. As I mentioned last week on Flipper Friday, I was about the age of the boys on the show, so I related really well to the show.

I remember thinking how cool their clothing style was. As we see in the photo below, they primarily wore slip on Vans-type-tennis-shoes with cut-off jeans and polo or hang-ten T-Shirts. This style had a very clean-cut, California, early Beach Boys vibe.

I think I was blown away as a young boy with Sandy and Bud, because, like their father Porter Ricks, they were also like young super hero's, as we see in this shot below where the brothers are scuba diving by themselves–with Flipper. In retrospect, I realize I developed a fondness for the aquatic lifestyle and probably the Rolex Submariner from watching Flipper.

It also dawned on me that it is a supreme irony, that on the show, Flipper was supposed to be a male dolphin, but in reality, Flipper was typically played by 5 different female dolphins, because female dolphins were far less aggressive than male dolphins.

In this next photo we see another character from Episode 2 wearing a Rolex Submariner.

It is interesting how–at least in episode 1 and 2–there is a recurring theme of the bad guy being a young man who made a big mistake and then profoundly apologizes for making his big mistake.

You can watch this episode by clicking on the play button below and once the show starts, you can hit the button in the upper right hand corner to make it go full screen on you computer.

A Paul Newman Daytona Exotic Dial....

A Paul Newman Exotic Dial Daytona

On a Paul Newman Alligator Strap

[Reference 6239]

Photo Credit: Learnmore60

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Yet Another Rolex on Daniel Craig...GMT Master This Time...

Yet Another Rolex on Daniel Craig

James Bond Undercover

On Jake's Rolex Watch Blog I wrote a 10 part about how Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond, wears Rolex watches all the time in his real life and now we have discovered him wearing his 7th different documented Rolex. This time Daniel Craig is wearing a Pepsi Rolex GMT Master.