Rolex USA CEO Allen Brill Passed Away ...

Another Rolex President Belongs To The Ages

Allen Brill Passes Away

Allen Brill, President & CEO or Rolex Watch USA now belongs to the ages as he passed away from lung cancer on November 27, 2010. Allen Brill was diagnosed with lung-cancer just six weeks ago.

Allen Brill joined Rolex in 1978 and started as an area sales manager, and in 1999 became the executive Vice-President. In 2004 he was promoted to and replaced Walter Fischer as President & CEO. Allen Brill was 64 years old and worked and resided in New York City.

Rolex USA CEO, Allen Brill is pictured less than a year ago (on the right) at the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona with racing legend Vic Elford. Wow. He looked so alive less than a year ago. It just goes to show, how fragile life is...

Allen Brill is picture below with Anka Palitz, and Fay Fendi in 2007. (Photo by Linda Lenzi)

On behalf of the readership of Jake's Rolex World, I would like to offer our condolences to Allen Brill's family, as well as his extended family at Rolex USA, and Rolex Geneva. We know he achieved great success for Rolex and know he will be fondly missed.

Update: In 2005 The New York Times published an emotionally moving story about Allen Brill's kindness.

Happy Thanksgiving from Jake

Happy Thanksgiving from Jake!!!

Hi everybody!!!

It is hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving again on Jake's Rolex World!!!

I am very excited and have a very special story to share with you over this Thanksgiving weekend. This weekend I will be publishing a story I have been working on researching for years, and it is named "The Hans Wilsdorf Story." Hans Wilsdorf was the founder of Rolex and made it into a world-class company. So stay tuned, for what is perhaps the greatest Rolex History story of all-time!!!!

"The First Thanksgiving" painting by Jean Gerome Ferris (1863-1930)

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it gives us a chance to pause and reflect on how fortunate we all are to be able to experience this amazing miracle, known as life, on this spinning marble we all share–named Earth.

Of course I realize Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday, but I believe it's as timeless and universal as a sunset or a smile :-)))

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Warmest regards,

Jake

Lunatik Case for Apple iPod Nano

Lunatik Case for Apple iPod Nano

As many of you know, I am not only a design fanatic, but I am also the CEO and designer for BulletTrain.com which makes some very innovative accessories for the Apple iPad and the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.

A reader of Jake's Rolex World and he sent in this email today:

Hi Jake,

I know you’re into great designs, check out this little gem being developed for the new iPod Nano.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1104350651/tiktok-lunatik-multi-touch-watch-kits?ref=email

I’ve pledged to secure my Lunatik and I can’t wait to receive it.

Kind regards

Perry

Here is my response:

Hi Perry,

I am familiar with the Lunatik, and saw their video earlier this week.

Maybe I am slow or just missing something, but can you please tell me why in the world you would want to wear an iPod Nano on you wrist?

It just does not make any sense to me and here is why:

First and foremost, the iPod Nano has no Bluetooth, so if you want to listen to music you have to have the headphone jack plug in your watch on your wrist!?!?!? This makes zero sense and strikes me as being extremely uncomfortable and it would ALWAYS get in the way.

The Nano does not play video, or have a phone or do anything except play music, or maybe play a slideshow, so what is the advantage of having it on your wrist?

Plus, if you want to see what time it is, you have to push a button to turn on the screen. This defeats the "at-a-glance" nature of wearing a wrist-watch.

Also, you have to recharge it all the time. The whole point of having an automatic watch is you don't have to wind it, and a quartz watch only needs to have its battery replaced every 5 years, but having a watch you have to plug-in every few days seems highly non-sensical to me.

It strikes me that the Lunatik is perfectly named in the sense you almost have to be one to waste your money on its novel design. In my opinion, from what I can tell so far, this product is a shining example of "design for design sake" which makes no sense to me. It's like putting a Cadillac medallion on the front of a Mercedes, or wearing ski gloves on the beach in Tahiti.

Speaking of the beach in Tahiti, another challenge is that the iPad Nano is not waterproof, so if you get it wet, it could ruin it.

Of course, as a designer, I am open-minded and realize, I might have this completely backwards, so please enlighten me as to why you or anybody would want to wear an iPod Nano on their wrist?

Warmest regards,

Jake

So if anybody wants to school me on what I am missing here, please do so in the comments or send me an email. Of course it is impressive they have already raised a quarter of a million dollars, when their goal was to raise only $15,000.

The Beatles Finally Make It Onto iTunes!!!

The Beatles Finally Make It Onto iTunes!!!

+Beatles First American Concert

Twist & Shout!!!!

Finally!!!! What took so long!?!? It is good to see the Beatles finally landed in the Apple iTunes Store!!! So seeing the all new Camaro Convertible which is based on the 1969 Camaro Convertible, and the Beatles in iTunes–it's Deja vu all over again!!!

To celebrate the Beatles coming to iTunes, Apple is sharing a FREE historic online Beatles concert, which is actually their first American concert, filmed live in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 1964. This amazing historic concert really gives you a powerful glimpse into the Beatles, magic, ethos and origins. Talk about history in the making!!!!!! What a treat!!!!!!!!! Go John, Paul, Ringo and George!!!!

Rolex Comparison Shot Of The Day: Duke's Midnight and Polar Rolex Explorer 2 Models

Rolex Comparison Shot Of The Day

Duke's Midnight and Polar Rolex Explorer 2 Models

Rolex UnderWater Shot of the Day Klaus Rolex Submariner

Rolex UnderWater Shot of the Day

Klaus Rolex Submariner

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: Tudor Heritage Chrono Up Close

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day

Tudor Heritage Chrono Up Close

Argentina Says Goodbye To A Rolex President Nester Kirchner Passes Away 1950-2010

Argentina Says Goodbye To A Rolex President

Nester Kirchner Passes Away

1950-2010

Nestor Kirchner, was elected President of Argentina in 2003, and served in that post until 2007. Nestor Kirchner suffered from a heart-attach and passed away last week on October 27, 2010, at age 60. As you can see in the 2007 photo below, Nestor Kirchner wore a two-tone Rolex Datjeust.

Nestor Kirchner's wife, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the current President of Argentina and she is seen praying below in front of her husbands coffin, during his wake at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 28, 2010. Cristina Fernandex de Kirchner is seen below wearing he trademark yellow gold ladies Rolex Datejust, which many refer to as a ladies Rolex President since it looks like a smaller version of the men's Rolex Day-Date model. Image appears courtesy of Reuters/Argentine Presidency.

In the next photo we see current Argentinian President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sitting in front of her husbands coffin at his wake in the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 28, 2010. She is surrounded by many Latin American leaders mouring Nestor Kirchner's passing. Image appears courtesy of AFP/Getty Images.

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: A Minty Italian White Gold Daytona

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day

A Minty Italian White Gold Daytona Dial

Roberto from Italy takes some of the most interesting Rolex photos, and he never ceases to impress with his unusual combinations, like this aqua-green NATO on a stainless steel Rolex Daytona with a diamond dial that would typically be found on a White Gold Daytona.

BulletTrain MagicStand for iPad & Express Keyboard Platform Review

BulletTrain MagicStand for iPad

& Express Keyboard Platform Review

Hi Everybody!!!

As many of you know I am a designer and I own a company named BulletTrain which is a computer company. Recently we introduced two revolutionary accessories for the Apple iPad and iMac. I thought it would be nice to share an overview with of these two great products.

The first product I designed reinvents the desktop keyboard and it's named the BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform for the Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard and Apple Magic Trackpad. Essentially, the Express Keyboard Platform is a dock, that mates the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad into one cohesive structure.

The BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform is pictured on the left, next to a standard 15 inch Apple Macbook Keyboard. Notice that the BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform is more than an inch narrower and about a quarter inch shorter, yet its trackpad area is immensely larger than the Macbook. Having a trackpad so much larger translates into better gesture control and much longer scrolling, swipes and flicking.


In the photo below we see the BulletTrain Express Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Platform sitting in front of, and controlling a 27 inch iMac. Having what essentially is a laptop keyboard form-factor frees up a tremendous amount of precious desktop space.

In the next photo below we see the BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform located in a specially designed drawer. Actually, you are looking at my 27 inch Apple iMac desktop office computer, where I research and write everything onRolexMagazine.com.

Also located in the photo below is my iPad attached to the second product we just introduced, know as the BulletTrain MagicStand for the Apple iPad, which we will take a closer look at shortly.

In this next photo below we see a front/side perspective view of the BulletTrain Express Keyboard, and you notice it looks like it is hovering on top of the table. One of the most outstanding features of this design is that it works as well as it looks.

There are many people who have an Apple Macbook laptop and love the ergonomic comfort of the built-in wrist wrest as well as the swiping gestures the trackpad has. If you use a Macbook and then you go to use a keyboard and mouse or trackpad on your desktop, it feels quiet different, so if you invest in a BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform you will benefit significantly. You can learn everything about this product in detail on BulletTrain.com.

The second product we introduced is the ultimate iPad accessory and it is named The BulletTrain MagicStand for the Apple iPad. The BulletTrain MagicStand for iPad is so profound with its features, that it fundamentally changes what the iPad is and how it works!!!

One of the unique features of the patent pending BulletTrain MagicStand for iPad is that you can instantly change its orientation from portrait to landscape, by simply flipping it clockwise, or counter-clockwise. It is shown below in both landscape and portrait.

The BulletTrain MagicStand is made from high-quality anodized aluminum that perfectly matches the iPad, and in the photo below, we see it sitting on a table. The BulletTrain Magicstand for iPad can be tilted to any angle from zero to 90 degrees, so you can instantly customize its position.

In this next photo we see the rear view of the MagicStand while it is sitting upright on a flat surface. Also notice the pyramid shape at the top can be used to hang the MagicStand on just about any nail or screw, so you can literally hang it on any wall like a picture frame!!!


In this next photo we see the MagicStand for iPad with the drawbridge foot closed. When the drawbridge foot is in the closed position, it is just over a quarter inch thick, and its shape is optimized to be as comfortable as possible in you hands.

In this next photo we see the BulletTrain MagicStand in what is know as the steep typing position, which allows you to type on the iPad like it's a laptop!!! If you look closely you will notice there is a secondary leg that helps support the MagicStand in this typing position.

You can learn much more about these two amazing product and you can also order them on BulletTrain.com. We are currently only shipping them in the U.S.A., but if you are a reader of Jake's Rolex Magazine and you decide you must have one of these amazing products, send me an email and we will get it to you. If you have any question, or comments, please let me know.