Rolex Hotness: Elizabeth Hurley Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date

Rolex Hotness: Elizabeth Hurley

Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date with Oyster Bracelet

September 1970 Ebony Magazine Ad ...

Rolex Alchemy

September 1970: Ebony Magazine Ad

"Each Rolex earns the recognition it enjoys. You know the feeling." –Rolex

This vintage 1970 Rolex ad is truly amazing if you think about it!!! In medieval days, alchemists, who were the forerunners of modern chemists, used to spend life-times trying to figure out how to turn base metals into gold–to no avail.

From a design and mechanical engineering perspective, the mere fact that Rolex figured out how to take a solid block of gold and turn it into a Rolex Day-Date is really miraculous, in-and-of itself!!! Not to mention, how amazing the design and engineering of the mechanical masterpiece movement in the Day-Date was–both as a piece of engineering innovation and practical, universal design.

I think this is, perhaps, one of the best written and most effective Rolex ads I have ever witnessed. I say this for several reasons:

1. As I mentioned, if you think about what it takes to forge a Rolex Oyster case out of a solid block of gold, platinum or steel, it is still amazing. Even the way the twinlock winding crown protects the movement–as Rolex points out–like a submarine hatch. When you really analyze it, the visual of the Swiss gold bar that somehow magically gets converted into the Day-Date is very powerful.

2. I don't know who wrote the copy on this amazing piece, but it is profound how they managed to tell the complete story of the magical design and engineering of the Day-Date as well as sharing the stunning history Rolex, from Jacques Piccard's record breaking dive, to the people who wear them.

3. The marketing slogan that says "Each Rolex earns the recognition it enjoys. You know the feeling." That is simply brilliant!!!

The primary reason I have invested so much of my life energy in researching and writing about Rolex history for the last 3 years, is because it is so impressive, inspirational and breathtaking!!! If you really break it down, Rolex, is almost like a country–in the sense that their watches are really an international currency, and their history is second to none!!!

Dana's Blueberry GMT Master On a NATO...

Dana's Blueberry GMT Master

Recently we saw another Blueberry GMT. The thing that makes it a blueberry versus a Pepsi, Coke or Espresso GMT is the very rare and unusual blue bezel insert which is very, very cool. I really love this look and think Rolex should bring it back...

iPad Review Coming...

iPad Review Coming
I have been working on my detailed iPad review for Jake's Rolex World and it is going well. I have also been experimenting with optimizing Jake's Rolex World for viewing on the iPad which is a huge challenge =(
I posted this first video of the 2 year-year-old girl's first experience with the iPad earlier this week, and I decided to ad it to this story to contrast just how intuitive it is for a 2 year old girl and 66 year old man. I also included this second video of Charlie Rose discussing the iPad because I realize there are many people who don't understand exactly what the iPad is and what it does.

Inspirational iPad Videos of A 2 Year Old, A 66 Year Old & A CatAll Jamming With The iPad!!!
I think this first video is very compelling because it illustrates how engaging the iPad is. I think most people are visual learners and the iPad makes learning fun and intuitive...

Charlie Rose Takes A Look At iPad

with Walt Mossberg

Charlie Rose is 66 years old and he seems to be as smitten with the all-new iPad as the 2 year old girl in the above video!!! I think this huge age delta just goes to show how universal the iPad's appeal is!!!

Sorry, but I had to add this video of a cat jamming on the iPad!!! It is like the iPad is Catnip!!!

Summer Is On Its Way...

Rolex Outdoor Shot Of The Day

Summer Is On Its Way

Last summer I was at my uncle's house and I noticed the Heineken beer he was drinking matched my LV so I took this shot with my iPhone.

Rolex Coolness: NCIS Actors...

Rolex Coolness: NCIS Actors

Both of the main actors on NCIS wear Rolex Sport watches, and as we see in the second image, Mark Harmon wears a white dial Explorer II.

Mark Harmon Wearing His Rolex Explorer II

Rolex Coolness: Phil Mickelson Wins 3rd Masters Golf Tournament

Rolex Coolness: Phil Mickelson

Wins 3rd Masters Golf Tournament!!!

Today in Augusta, Georgia, Phil Mickelson won his third Green Masters Jacket!!! In the photo below, Angel Cabera of Argentina (2009 Masters Winner) congratulates Phil Mickelson as he helps him on with his Green Master's Jacket after Phil won his third Masters Tournament at Augusta, Georgia.

Notice Angel Cabrera is sporting a vintage stainless steel Rolex Submariner or GMT, and you can tell it has a plexiglass crystal because of the height. Very Cool!!! Actually, it could also be a vintage Daytona or Explorer II?

Stefano Mazzariol Pre-Submariner, Submariner

Stefano Mazzariol

Special Military Edition

[Reference 6538/A]

This is a Model 6538 A from 1957. The 6538 A is very rare and was likely a special version of the 6538 that was intended for Military use. It lacks the Submariner designation as well as a depth rating.

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: Ryan's United Arab Emirates GMT

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day

Ryan's United Arab Emirates GMT

[All Blue Bezel Insert]

This is a very rare and unusual Rolex GMT that has an all-blue bezel insert along with the United Arab Emirates Eagle and Arabic writing on the dial.

Omega Coolness: Bertrand Piccard Solar Impulse Airplane Flies Maiden Voyage

Omega Coolness: Bertrand Piccard

Solar Impulse Airplane Flies Maiden Voyage

Around The World In A Solar Airplane Mission

Bertrand Piccard is the son of the famous Rolex explorer Jacques Piccard who set the all-time depth-record of 7 miles down in a U.S. Navy Submersible, 50 years ago, with a Rolex DEEP-SEA special prototype attached to the outside.

Jacques Piccard's father who is Bertrand's grandfather was also a record setting explorer and you can learn everything about them in two articles I wrote. The first article covers the life of his father, Jacques Piccard, and the second article covers The 50th Anniversary Of The Deepest DEEP-SEA Dive in History.

Bertrand Piccard is pictured above on the left side, and his career achievements as an explorer are second to none. Among other incredible achievements, he was the first person to successfully fly around the entire planet in a balloon.

His latest project is named Solar Impulse which is very ambitiously attempting to fly a prototype solar-powered airplane around the planet!!! The Solar Impulse airplane uses only solar power and today he flew it successfully in the Swiss Countryside on its maiden voyage.

The photo below shows the Solar Impulse above the skies of Switzerland. The Solar Impulse is powered by 12,000 solar cells and he successfully flew it for 87 minutes and took it all the way up to 4,000 feet.

The Omega watch company of Switzerland is a sponsor of the project and even developed a really cool chronograph model to commemorate the Solar Impulse. We will examine the watch model later in the story.

Bertrand Piccard said "The first mission was the most risky phase of the entire project." It took 7 years of research and development to build the revolutionary solar powered prototype airplane.

The Solar Impulse airplane is known as The HB-SIA and it set another record for being the larges and lightest airplane to ever fly. It is so large, in fact, that its wingspan is equal to a jumbo jet!!! It is actually has a wingspan of 208 feet which is more than 10 feet wider than a Boing 787!!!

The irony is that a typical jumbo jet, like an Airbus 380 weights 560 Tons, The Solar Impulse HB-SIA conversely only weighs 2 Tons, which is as much as a small car!!!

The HB-SIA achieved lift-off at less than 30 Miles Per Hour based upon its four, 10 Horsepower electric motors.

In the illustration below we see the Solar Impulse HB-SIA compared to an Airbus 380.

The long term-plan is to fly the Solar Impulse around the entire globe without stopping and the ambitions timeframe calls for achieving this in 2012!!!

Omega Speedmaster GMT HB-SIA

Hotel Bravo Solar Impulse Alpha

[44.25 MM Titanium Case with Carbon Dial]

Omega is a sponsor of the Solar Impulse project and they developed this special Solar Impulse HB-SIA chronograph to commemorate this amazing project. It kind of looks like a modernized Omega Moonwatch and I like the orange detail which also gives it a retro look.

The watch case and bracelet are titanium and the dial is made from carbon fiber. The watch features an exclusive Omega Calibre 3606 whose revolutionary Co-axial Escapement and free sprung balance deliver long-term stable reliability and accuracy and it is a COSC Certified Chronometer.

On the back of the watch we see the Solar Impulse HB-SIA designation with a graphic of the airplane and notice each case is individually numbered. It also has the Swiss Chronometer designation on the back.

Very cool looking watch and an amazingly cool and innovative project. Omega has participated as one of the main partners in the project because they believe the planet is in urgent need to develop safe, sustainable energy sources.

Solar Impulse Flea-Hop Test Video

This video is from the first time they tested the Solar Impulse on what is known as a Flee-Hop where they just fly it a few feet above the ground to make certain it is air-worthy.

Interview with Bertrand Piccard

In this next video we hear from Bertrand Piccard and we see his father, Jacques Piccard hugging him after he successfully completed his record-setting balloon flight around the globe.

One On One Interview With Bertrand Piccard

One of my favorite features on Jake's Rolex World is I always attempt to bring the people I tell stories about, to life, and that is exactly what we achieve with this great video interview. Bertrand Piccard is not only an amazing explorer and scientist, but an equally amazing human being!!! Enjoy!!!