Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: Pepsi Rolex GMT Master II and Levi's 501's

Two Red & Blue Classics

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day

Pepsi Rolex GMT Master II and Levi's 501's

Bill took this photo of his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master on top of his Levi's 501, bot of which are absolute classics.

Rolex Diplomacy Hillary Clinton and Salam Fayad...

Rolex Diplomacy

Hillary Clinton and Salam Fayad

Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister

[Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust]

In the photo below we see U.S. Secretary Of State, Hillary Clinton meeting with Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister, Salam Fayad. Salam Fayad is wearing his stainless steel Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet with a fluted white-gold bezel.

U.S. Secretary Of State, Hillary Clinton also wears a ladies Rolex Datejust which is not visible in this photo, but I have some photos of Hillary Clinton wearing her Rolex Datejust on Jake's Rolex World.

Rolex Outdoor Shot Of The Day: Jo Lundbo Goes Fishing with his Rolex Explorer II

Rolex Outdoor Shot Of The Day

Jo Lundbo Goes Fishing with his Rolex Explorer II

Jo Lundbo (Jolu) from Norway sent in this superb outdoor wrist-shot of his Rolex Explorer II that he took while he was fishing. Jo said in his email, "Let me also have a go at the Outdoor Shot Of The Day." You've got it Jo!!! Thanks for sending in the excellent shot!!!

Answering A Reader's Daytona Questions...

Answering A Reader's Gold Daytona Questions

Michael Wehrle from Switzerland wrote in and asked the following question:

Hi Jake,

First of all congratulations for your fantastic web page.

I am sure that you as a Rolex expert can answer my questions.

I really like the yellow Gold Daytona with the gold bracelet, but the engraving on the bezel is different to the yellow gold Model with Leather strap.

And my second question has to do with the fact the full yellow-gold Daytona has different sized shape than the full white gold Daytona. It can be seen best on the smaller crown "savers“.

Sorry for my English. If you know the reason for the differences or if you have some information about changing the shape in the Daytona Model range, please send me an answer.

Thank you so much for your help.

Best regards from Switzerland

Michael Wehrle

Hi Michael,

I believe I know the answer to your questions:

Rolex has made the yellow gold Daytona on an Oyster bracelet for many decades. When they decided to introduce a model that came on a leather strap they wanted to make it look as finished as possible and thus they updated the case design by adding solid yellow gold end-links between the lugs so the watch looks more finished.

In other words, for such an expensive watch, they didn't want to just put a strap on the watch and leave the air-space between the lugs, which would make it look kind of primitive and unfinished. You can see this solid end link look refinement in the photo below. I imagine they changed the bezel design as well to give the strap version its own identity.

In order to make certain the solid end-links are as stable and solid as possible, Rolex design decided to attach the end-links to the case under the bezel insert as seen below.

Rolex has been making the yellow gold Datyona for a long time. They only started making the white gold version in last decade. I believe with the white gold Daytona they wanted to give the watch more presence and they specifically wanted to differentiate it from the stainless steel version, so they significantly updated the case on the white gold version and made it much more like the Yacht-Master case, particularly on the back, which allows the watch to lay flatter on your wrist and give it a more modern, streamlined look.

This also explains why the white gold Daytona has a different bezel design than the Stainless Steel version.

I hope I answered your questions.

Warmest regards,

Jake

James Bond Wears Rolex The Man With The Top-Secret Job Wear A Rolex...

James Bond Wears Rolex

The Man With The Top-Secret Job Wears A Rolex

New Scientist: September 12, 1963

This ad is another fascinating piece in the James Bond puzzle. The very first James Bond movie named Dr. No was released in 1962 and Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner. This is the first Rolex ad I know of that appears to play on the appeal of a James Bond persona. It was published in England in 1963 and I just added it to The Complete History Of James Bond Watches story on Jake's Rolex World.

The photo below is a screen capture from the 1962 James Bond movie, Dr. NO and we see Sean Connery testing his Rolex Submariner with a geiger counter. If you look closely the geiger counter looks similar the machine in the British Rolex Top-Secret ad above.

I just update The Complete History Of James Bond Watches story on Jake's Rolex World with the Top-Secret ad.

Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day: Thomas' White Gold Rolex Daytona

Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day

Thomas' White Gold Rolex Daytona

Neil Armstrong and 25 NASA Legends Blast President Obama's Space Plan On Open Letter to U.S. President Obama...

Scott Carpenter & Neil Armstrong

Along With 25 NASA Legends

Blast President Obama's Space Plan

Scott Carpenter and Neil Armstrong are known for being outspoken and straightforward, and today, along with 25 other NASA legends, sent President Obama an open letter with a fascinating message. I must admit that when I first heard that the Obama administration was planning to cancel the Constellation program, I was shocked as well!!!

It is great to see all these NASA legends and Astronauts, some of whom are former test pilots taking a stand for such an important issue. You can add my name to the list!!!

Apollo 11 Team meets with President Obama on July 20, 2009 on 40th Anniversary of Lunar Landing

From Left To Right: Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, President Obama

Apollo 11 Team in 1969. From Left To Right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

On Open Letter to U.S. President Obama

The United States entered into the challenge of space exploration under President Eisenhower's first term, however, it was the Soviet Union who excelled in those early years.

Under the bold vision of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and with the overwhelming approval of the American people, we rapidly closed the gap in the final third; of the 20th century, and became the world leader in space exploration.

America's space accomplishments earned the respect and admiration of the world. Science probes were unlocking the secrets of the cosmos; space technology was providing instantaneous worldwide communication; orbital sentinels were helping man understand the vagaries of nature.

Above all else, the people around the world were inspired by the human exploration of space and the expanding of man's frontier. It suggested that what had been thought to be impossible was now within reach. Students were inspired to prepare themselves to be a part of this new age.

World leadership in space was not achieved easily. In the first half-century of the space age, our country made a significant financial investment, thousands of Americans dedicated themselves to the effort, and some gave their lives to achieve the dream of a nation.

In the latter part of the first half century of the space age, Americans and their international partners focused primarily on exploiting the near frontiers of space with the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

As a result of the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, it was concluded that our space policy required a new strategic vision. Extensive studies and analysis led to this new mandate: meet our existing commitments, return to our exploration roots, return to the moon, and prepare to venture further outward to the asteroids and to Mars.

The program was named Constellation In the ensuing years, this plan was endorsed by two Presidents of different parties and approved by both Democratic and Republican congresses.

The Columbia Accident Board had given Nasa a number of recommendations fundamental to the Constellation architecture which were duly incorporated. The Ares rocket family was patterned after the Von Braun Modular concept so essential to the success of the Saturn 1B and the Saturn 5.

A number of components in the Ares 1 rocket would become the foundation of the very large heavy lift Ares V, thus reducing the total development costs substantially. After the Ares 1 becomes operational, the only major new components necessary for the Ares V would be the larger propellant tanks to support the heavy lift requirements.

The design and the production of the flight components and infrastructure to implement this vision was well underway. Detailed planning of all the major sectors of the program had begun. Enthusiasm within Nasa and throughout the country was very high.

When President Obama recently released his budget for Nasa, he proposed a slight increase in total funding, substantial research and technology development, an extension of the International Space Station operation until 2020, long range planning for a new but undefined heavy lift rocket and significant funding for the development of commercial access to low earth orbit

Although some of these proposals have merit, the accompanying decision to cancel the Constellation program, its Ares 1 and Ares V rockets, and the Orion spacecraft, is devastating.

America's only path to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station will now be subject to an agreement with Russia to purchase space on their Soyuz – at a price of over 50 million dollars per seat with significant increases expected in the near future – until we have the capacity to provide transportation for ourselves.

The availability of a commercial transport to orbit as envisioned in the President's proposal cannot be predicted with any certainty, but is likely to take substantially longer and be more expensive than we would hope.

It appears that we will have wasted our current $10-plus billion investment in Constellation and, equally importantly, we will have lost the many years required to recreate the equivalent of what we will have discarded.

For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature.

While the President's plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years.

Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity. America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal.

Scott Carpenter

Mercury Astronaut

Neil Armstrong

Commander, Apollo 11

James Lovell

Commander, Apollo 13

Eugene Cernan

Commander, Apollo 17

Chris Kraft

Johnson Space Center Past Director

Jack Lousma

Skylab 3, STS 3

Vance Brand

Apollo-Soyuz, STS-5, STS-41B, STS-35

Bob Crippen

STS-1, STS-7, STS-41C, STS-41G, Kennedy Space Center Past Director

Michael D. Griffin

Past NASA Administrator

Ed Gibson

Skylab 4

Jim Kennedy

Kennedy Space Center Past Director

Alan Bean

Apollo 12, Skylab 3

Alfred M. Worden

Apollo 15

Glynn Lunney

Gemini-Apollo Flight Director

Jim McDivitt Gemini 4

Apollo 9 Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager

Gene Kranz

Gemini-Apollo Flight Director, NASA Mission Ops. Past Director

Joe Kerwin

Skylab 2

Fred Haise

Apollo 13, Shuttle Landing Tests

Gerald Carr

Skylab 4

Jake Garn

STS-51D, U.S. Senator

Charlie Duke

Apollo 16

Bruce McCandless

STS-41B, STS-31

Frank Borman

Gemini 7, Apollo 8

Paul Weitz

Skylab 2, STS-6

George Mueller

Past Associate Administrator For Manned Space Flight

Harrison Schmitt

Apollo 17, U.S. Senator

Dick Gordon

Gemini 11, Apollo 12

Rolex Coolness: Michael Collins

First Known Photo Of a NASA Astronaut Wearing Rolex

Gemini 10 [1966]

I thought I would include this photo of Michael Collins who was part of the Apollo 11 Mission Team that was the first to land on the moon. Michael Collins is pictured in the two photos at the top of this story and he is pictured in the center in the photo of the Apollo team in 1969 (pictured above).

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first photo of a NASA astronaut wearing a Rolex watch at NASA, and Collins is wearing a Rolex Turn-O-Graph. This photos was taken in 1966 when Collins was part of the Gemini 10 Mission Team.

At first glance, it appears as if Michael Collins is wearing a Rolex Submariner, but when we zoom-in really close we see the tell-tale sings that it is a Rolex Turn-O-Graph, which it has been argued, the Submariner was based upon. The distinguishing characteristic that proves it is a Rolex Turn-O-Graph is the bezel insert has individual minute markers on the black bezel insert as seen below.

Counterpoint

Jake's Rolex World reader, Daryl Dayian sent in a link to the following video that offers another perspective on the issue:

Also, I found this video of Buzz Aldrin defending Obama's plan

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...