The original Rolex DEEP-SEA Prototype watch was a complete game-changer, and contributed significantly to Rolex's conquest of the ocean in the 1950s. You can learn everything about the history of the Rolex DEEP-SEA Special inthis article I wrote.
It is alway so sad to write a tribute when somebody so loved passes away. Arnold Palmer died today in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hospital at the age of 87.
"I would like to be remembered for bringing golf to a worldwide audience."
—Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer is not only one of the great golfing legends, but also a lifelong Rolex wearer. He has had the nickname of "The King" of golf because he was the first golf superstar in the age of television. He is considered to be a member of "The Big Three" along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Arnold Palmer became the first official Rolex Golf Ambassador in 1967. Rolex just published a video and photo tribute on their Instagram page that said: "He turned a game of royalty into the sport for everyone. And turned imperfection into a work of art. It is the swing, the swagger we will always remember; a humble confidence that inspired the imperfection in us all. In the company of presidents, prime ministers or the common man, he is the rarest of individuals, admired by all. There will never be another man like him. Thank you Mr Palmer."
Golf and tennis are arguably the greatest physical games in the world, and Rolex both sports are dominated by ultra successful players who wear Rolex. It does not mater wether you are talking about The Open, or Wimbledon, Rolex reigns supreme on the wrists of the best players who have dominated both sports.
"Rolex has shared every second of my time for the last 54 years." –Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer was responsible for making the elite sport of golf popular with the masses. During his amazing career he won 92 overall victories including 4 Masters. He was also elected PGA Player Of The Year in 1960 and 1962.
An American Rolex President
Many of the U.S. Presidents, beginning with William Howard Taft, were big golf fans and players. U.S. Presidents beginning with Dwight Eisenhower were big fans of Arnold Palmer, as seen below in the photo taken in 1960.
You could almost say that Arnold Palmer was THE Golf Ambassador to the White House.
Arnold Palmer is pictured below in the Oval Office with President Nixon on February 13, 1969, along with fellow athletes, Bart Starr (NFL football player) on far left, and Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers. Notice, that Arnold Palmer is wearing his yellow gold Rolex President Day-Date, which you can see even better, if you click on the photo.
Arnold Palmer is pictured below in the Oval Office with President Ford, who was an avid golfer. Once again, you can see Arnold Palmer's Rolex Day-Date on his wrist.
In 1993, Arnold Palmer was awarded the National Sports Award by U.S. President, Bill Clinton, and in 2004, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.
In 2009, Arnold Palmer received the Congressional Gold Medal which is an award that has been around since the American Revolution. The Congressional Gold Medal recognizes distinguished achievements and contributions. In the photo below we see U.S. President Obama signing the "Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act" in the Oval Office in the White House.
"Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it."
—U.S. President Obama
Arnold Palmer is only the second golfer in history to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which has to be approved by two-thirds of the Congress & Senate. The very first Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to George Washington in 1776, and since then, only 141 medals have been awarded. President Obama sent out a tweet as a tribute to Arnold Palmer, which you can see below.
Here's to The King who was as extraordinary on the links as he was generous to others. Thanks for the memories, Arnold. pic.twitter.com/UlyfpIBOL2
Statement by President Obama on the Passing of Arnold Palmer: September 26, 2016
"With his homemade swing and homespun charm, Arnold Palmer had swagger before we had a name for it. From a humble start working at the local club in his beloved Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to superstardom as the face of golf around the globe, Arnold was the American Dream come to life.
Along the way he racked up win after win – but it wasn’t his success that made him King. Arnold’s freewheeling, fearless approach to the game inspired a generation of golfers and, for the first time on TV, enthralled an audience across the world. Sure, we liked that he won seven majors, but we loved that he went for it when he probably should have laid up.
That spirit extended beyond the links where he gave freely of himself and poured everything he had into everything he did: from building hospitals to personally responding to countless letters from his fans. And he did it all with a grin that hinted maybe he had one more shot up his sleeve.
Today, Michelle and I stand with Arnie’s Army in saluting the King."
Groovy Baby Yeah!!!
This advertisement appeared in Sports Illustrated in the November 18, 1968 issue. So what did men do before the Sony Play Station Tiger Woods games existed–back in 1968? Here it is. The reason I am sharing this with you is you see that Arnold Palmer is wearing his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date 48 years ago, back in 1968. 1968 was–of course–the year of, "The Summer Of Love."
1982 Rolex Day-Date Ad
1980s Sidney Mobell Jewelers in San Francisco Ad
Yellow Gold Day-Date with President Bracelet
1992 Rolex Day-Date Tridor Ad
The photo below shows Arnold Palmer sporting his Rolex Day-Date Tridor, which is featured in the 1992 Rolex Ad above. Rolex called this watch the 'Tridor' as it featured center links that were composed of pink gold, yellow gold and white gold.
I believe, from a design perspective this was Rolex's attempt to offer a Day-Date model that offered a two-tone Rolex Datejust alternative. In other words, in the eighties, the two-tone yellow gold and stainless steel Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet was all the rage, and I believe Rolex wanted to offer a Day-Date that capitalized upon and achieved a similar look—without looking like a cheap Seiko Clone. Thus, Rolex flexed its design and material muscle and came up with this unique design.
The photo above and below show a Rolex Day-Date Tridor Reference 18239 in detail and they appear courtesy of Bob's Watches. The photo below really shows the intricate precision of how Rolex achieved this amazing technological feat. Rolex discontinued the Tridor model many years ago, but it remains an interesting novelty in the history of Rolex design language.
Rolex Datejust ad from July 1995
Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus
Two Golf Legends
ROLEX and Golf's Big Three
The term, "Golf's Big Three", refers to Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who are pictured together below in 2007, all sporting their Rolex watches.
Notice Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus are wearing yellow gold Rolex Day-Date models and Arnold Palmer is wearing one of my favorite Rolex models, which is an original LV Submariner, which has a green bezel with a black dial.
In the photo below taken in the late 1960s we see the Golfs Big Three in the same order as the photo above.
Pictured below is a screen-grab from Rolex.com's Sports and Culture website from about 6 years ago. I featured golf's Big Three which consist of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Players.
It is amazing that the photo of Golf's Big Three was taken 50 years ago, back in 1962 when J.F.K. was the President Of The United States!!! Speaking of President's, the Rolex President is the primary watch choice of the big three.
Rolex Sports Legends
On July 23, 2007, five of Rolex' greatest sporting legends got together at Rolex headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Pictured above from left to right, 3 time gold medal olympic skier, Jean-Claude Killy; Racing legend, Sir. Jackie Stewart; Golfing legends, Gary Players, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.
The Big Three (Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player) observe the laboratory at Rolex headquarters as new time pieces are created. [Note: In 2014 I had the opportunity to don a Rolex Lab Coat when I was invited by Rolex to take a tour of all four Rolex manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, and see for myself what really makes Rolex tick. Very few people from outside Rolex have ever witnessed this, and I hope in the future Rolex will created a detailed video documentary on this amazing experience. Until then, you can check out my super-detailed article titled "Inside Rolex: Exploring What Makes Rolex Tick."]
Photos & Following Text from Nicklaus.com
Here is the press release that described the event pictured above:
GENEVA - Golf's Big Three - Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus - celebrated perhaps the longest on-going commercial relationship in sports this week with a two-day visit to the home of Rolex watches, where they were honored by the managing director of Rolex SA, Patrick Heiniger, and a select group of about 40 guests including Rolex board members and senior executives.
Palmer and the business manager for all three golfers, the late Mark McCormack, first met the late Andre Heiniger, Patrick's father and then Rolex's managing director, while on a business trip to Japan in 1961, and the relationships grew from there. Nicklaus and Player were presented with Rolex watches to mark their U.S. Open victories in 1962 and 1965, respectively, and Palmer became Rolex's first golf ambassador in 1967.
Joining the Big Three were their wives and two other world-class sportsmen and Rolex ambassadors from the same era, the Grand Prix racing champion Sir Jackie Stewart and the Olympic and World Cup champion skier Jean-Claude Killy. They were all presented gold Rolex GMT Master II watches to mark the occasion.
There was an informal welcoming dinner on the evening of their arrival. The next morning they were given a tour and saw Rolex watches being made.
There was a ceremony in Rolex's Andre Heiniger Auditorium. A video of the Big Three created especially for the occasion was shown before Patrick Heiniger spoke and recognized the Big Three in these words:
"In 1960, Arnold gave new life to the British Open and made it a championship never to be missed by the best players. As a result he created the modern Grand Slam.
"In 1965, Gary overcame all odds to be the third golfer ever, and the first of his generation, to win all four of the major golf championships in his career.
"In 1986, Jack proved that he was indeed the golfer of the century, winning the Masters at 46 years of age, to increase his total to 18 majors, five more than the great Bobby Jones."
Heiniger continued: "Like you, we at Rolex honor excellence and achievement. We equally honor the humor and the humanity that all of you radiate. It is thanks to that magical mix that we are here together so many years down the road.
"What we share transcends our association through sport and is rooted in the timeless values that each one of you celebrates in your daily life, be it through your philanthropic work, your business activities, your passions, your hobbies."
After the ceremony there was luncheon in Rolex's executive dining room for all attending, and that the tour of the Rolex facilities was continued. In the evening, Heiniger entertained the Big Three and their wives with a private dinner to conclude their visit.
Founded in 1905, Rolex has been associated for exactly 80 years with "the pursuit of excellence in sports, the arts and exploration" - to quote from their corporate communications - starting with a young female swimmer from Brighton, England, in 1927, one year after the Rolex patented the first waterproof wristwatch.
The swimmer's name was Mercedes Gleitze, and she was 27 years of age when she attempted crossing the English Channel armed with a Rolex Oyster. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder and managing director of Rolex, saw the promotional value that Gleitze could have, and her feat was duly recognized with a front-page advertisement in the Daily Mail. Rolex was also associated with Sir Edmond Hillary's 1953 conquest of Mount Everest.
While other watch companies are connected with a few golfers, or have their name on a tournament, Rolex dominates the sport like no other sponsor in any product category. Its affiliations extend to all four major championships for men and for ladies, the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup, European Tour, PGA of America, Rolex Rankings for ladies golf, LPGA Rolex Player of the Year and Rolex Rookie of the Year awards, and leading professional players including Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Adam Scott, Retief Goosen and Luke Donald.
Rolex supports top sports and cultural events all over the world. It is present at more than 165 events in the realms of golf, yachting, tennis, equestrian events, motor sports, exploration, culture and the arts, as well as philanthropic awards programs, and Rolex's affiliates also support other local events.
Arnold Palmer with Andre and Patrick Hieniger
As mentioned in the story above, Arnold Palmer became a brand ambassador for Rolex in 1967, and he is pictured below with the second and third CEO's of Rolex, Andre Heiniger (center) and his son Patrick Heiniger (right). Arnold Palmer was the first big sports star that Rolex signed to be a paid brand ambassador, which really set a new precedent for Rolex. Arnold Palmer remained a Rolex brand ambassador until he passed away September 26, 2016.
"My Association with Rolex has been one of the most fulfilling and compatible relationships I have had the privilege of enjoying in my lifetime. To be honest, there is far more to the relationship than I could ever tell you, and you know, my partnership with Rolex goes back for nearly 50 years. I have had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of people at Rolex very well, and to be able to count them among my friends, so I have great feelings for Rolex. Not only have I learned a lot from the company, but Rolex has done so many great things over the years that have been of tangible benefit to golf as a sport." —Arnold Palmer.
Arnold Palmer is pictured above on May 16, 1976 receiving a Rolex GMT-Master from The Managing Director of Rolex France, Francois Emery at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. Arnold Palmer is holding the GMT-Master in his hand, and is wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date on his wrist.
The Rolex story above also mentioned that Andre Heiniger met Arnold Palmer through the famous sports agent Mark McCormack, who is featured in the Rolex add below:
Arnold Palmer is pictured below wearing his Rolex LV Submariner at a press conference in 2008.
The photo below shows Arnold Palmer in 2012 signing an autograph from the seat of a Golf Cart. Arnold Palmer was known for signing every single autograph when people asked him. Many people will miss his presence in the world. He was a great man!!!
The photo below shows Arnold Palmer with Modern Golf Legend, Tiger Woods, who is also a Rolex Gold Brand Ambassador.
No Matter how you dice or slice it (no pun intended ;-), Arnold Palmer lived a beautiful and charmed life. Take for instance the recent photos below, that were taken of Arnold Palmer with Supermodel and Actress, Kate Upton. On thing for sure, is that Arnold Palmer lived the fullest of lives...
"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated. It satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is, at the same time, rewarding and maddening—and it's without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented."
...Rolex Coolness... George Lazenby How This Bond Got His Rolex Submariner Reality Is Stranger Than Fiction
The Cure sings a song named Why Can't I Be You?, and that is exactly how George Lazenby felt about Sean Connery. In his obsession to replace Sean Connery as James Bond, George basically became Sean Connery, and if you watch the fascinating interview below this photo, you will learn straight from George Lazenby how he became Bond.
Since we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of mankind landing on the moon I thought it would be a great opportunity to look back at some of the most famous Science Fiction writers and actors from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek, Star Wars & Blade Runner who have depended on Rolex to keep the time of their lives.
Arthur C. Clarke
Science-Fiction Writer, Explorer & Futurist
1917-2008
Yellow Gold Rolex Submariner
Arthur C. Clarke is considered to be one of the top science-fiction writers, and futurists in history. During his brilliant career he wrote more than 100 books! Clarke is probably most famous for co-writing the screenplay for the movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is considered to be one of the most influential films of the 20th Century. Arthur C. Clarke is pictured below wearing his yellow gold Rolex Submariner, as he speaks with Prince Claus of The Netherlands, as he receives the Marconi International Fellowship in 1982.
Arthur C. Clarke was British and is considered to be on of the "Big 3" of Science-Fiction, along with Issac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein. In the photo below we see Arthur C. Clarke in Sri Lanka, posing with Stephen Spielberg, and Harrison Ford, who stopped by his home to see him in 1983, while they were filming Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom. Notice Arthur is wearing his Rolex Submariner.
To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before!
The original Star Trek TV series was just about as iconic as it gets. In the photo below, we see William Shatner as Captain Kirk, along with Leonard Nimoy, who played the fascinating Mr. Spock. Shatner and Nimoy were so iconic together, they were almost like peanut butter and jelly.
What's so profound about a Captain of the USS Enterprise wearing a Rolex Submariner in real-life!?! Nothing!!! William Shatner, who first played Captain Kirk also wore of Rolex Submariner in real life as seen in the photo below.
In the photo below we see William Shatner attending a Star Trek movie debut, standing next to Leonard Nimoy, who was the original Spock.
In the photo below we see Chris Pine who has played Captain Kirk in the most recent Star Trek movies wearing his Rolex Submariner.
Speaking of Leonard Nimoy who played Mr. Spock, it is hard to imagine anybody could ever do as good a job, but Zachary Quinto who is pictured below does an excellent job. Notice Zachary Quinto is wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in the photo below.
Idris Elba is pictured below and he plays Krall in the new Star Trek Beyond movie. As you can seen in the photo below, he is wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date.
Star Trek Beyond
4K Movie Trailer
Cool Captain Kirk
Chris Pine Rolex Submariner
Chris Pine who plays Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movies can be seen bellow at the Indianapolis 500 wearing his Submariner, along with wearing his Steve McQueen Foldable Persol Sunglasses.
...Rolex Super Coolness...
Chris Pine
Star Trek's Captain Kirk
Rolex Submariner
Chris Pine is pictured below on the cover of this Month's (June 2013) Men's Health Magazine and he is wearing his stainless steel Rolex Submariner.
Carrie Fisher is pictured below with her then husband, Paul Simon, who is probably best know for his band Simon & Garfunkel. Carrie Fisher is wearing her two-tone stainless steel and gold Rolex Ladies Datejust in the photo below.
Empire Strikes Back
1980
The first two images pictured below show Carrie Fisher with Harrison Ford at an Empire Strikes Back press conference. In this first photo we get a very clear shot of Harrison Ford's stainless steel Rolex Datejust.
On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone
July 24, 1980
An Affair To Rember
On the Rolling Stone cover above, we see Harrison Ford wearing his Rolex Datejust, and in the image below we see Harrison kissing Cary Fisher, with Mark Hamill looking on. I remember Cary Fisher saying she and Harrison Ford had an affair offscreen, which obviously explains that look on her face below :-o
The screen grab below on the right is from the official Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. I could not help but notice how similar, but opposite it looks to the picture above, of Harrison Ford hugging Carrie Fisher. In the photo above Harrison Ford is being engaged in a kiss by Carrie Fisher. In the photo below he is consoling her. Completely unrelated, but highly symbolic and fascinating nonetheless.
In the videos below Carrie Fisher talks about her affair with Harrison Ford. In the first video, Carrie Fisher is interview by Ellen DeGeneres, who is a huge Rolex fanatic, and we see here wearing a Rolex Professional watch in the video.
The Princess Diarist
Carrie Fisher's tell-all book, The Princess Diarist was published recently on November 22, 2016, and goes into great detail about her affair with Harrison Ford. At the time Harrison Ford was 14 years older than Carrie Fisher, and he was married with two children. In her book, she goes into great detail about how distant and aloof Harrison Ford was, when they weren't making love.
Their affair lasted 3 months while they were shooting the original Star Wars: A New Hope movie in London at Elstree Studios. As is often the case, the backstory in just as interesting and intriguing as Star Wars itself. In other words, forty years later, learning about this backstory adds a completely different dimension to Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.
Keep in mind that NOBODY had any idea that Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford had an affair. So this recent revelation is on the one hand not surprising, but shocking at the same time. As previously mentioned, they were filming the first STAR WARS movie, that was titled STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE. Carrie Fisher referred to her affair with Harrison Ford as 'A 3-month-1-night stand.'
Return Of The Jedi
1983
The photo below shows Carrie Fisher on the set of Return Of The Jedi in 1982, hanging out wth production assistant Charles Wessler, and notice she is wearing her two-tone Rolex Datejust on her wrist.
Carrie Fisher is pictured below, taking a photo, in a photo from The New York Post that was taken on June 3, 1982. In this photos we get a very clear shot of her Rolex Jubilee Bracelet.
"You're in a desert, walking along in the sand, when all of a sudden you look down... "
The original Blade Runner movie was shot in 1981 and released in 1982. The movie itself was supposed to take place in Los Angeles, California in 2019, which is only two short years away. Ironically, the movie Blade Runner takes place in a Los Angeles that seems to have rainy weather all the time, unlike the LA of today, where it almost never rains...at least, until recently...
Ryan Gosling
In the photo above we see Ridley Scott on the set of Blade Runner 2049, with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling. Ridley Scott directed the original Blade Runner movie.
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.
