Rolex and Equestrianism

ROLEX AND EQUESTRIANISM

Rare Two-tone Deep Sea Special Appears on the Market

A Rare Two-tone Deep Sea Special

Appears on the Market

Unlike its steel counterpart, the Deep Sea Special in two-tone never descended into the Mariana Trench. It was to commemorate the achievement of the original watch's survival, in 1960, that Rolex made a rare few in two-tone steel and yellow gold for special partners, Beyer among them. 

In a Hodinkee episode of Talking Watches, René Beyer said: "I was told that Rolex offered to very special partners the version in stainless steel and gold which is of course understandable. It was exactly produced the same way [as the steel one]."

This November, Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo will offer a Rolex Deep Sea Special from 1965 as a lot in its Geneva watch auction—an auction that could fetch over $2 million. One of just 35 examples ever made, the watch’s numbered caseback features the date of the record-setting dive it commemorates (Jan. 23, 1960) and its water-resistance rating (10,908 meters/35,789 feet). 

So rare is this timepiece it joins the extremely exclusive club (of which five of its kind have been sold in the public sphere) with other publicly known examples owned and displayed by institutions. It has been over a decade since the last example has appeared on the market. Considering the majority of examples are in institutions, there is no telling when another will grace the market.

The two-tone piece commemorates the Jan. 23, 1960, event, when legendary oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Captain Don Walsh shattered the all-time depth record by descending down into the Challenger Deep to the deepest known point on Earth's seabed into the Mariana Trench. Piccard's submersible had a Rolex Deep Sea Special in steel attached to the outside of the Bathyscaphe Trieste that traveled all the way down 7 miles and returned topside fully functional.

This was not the first time Jacques Piccard set an all-time depth record with a Rolex Deep Sea Special attached to the outside of this Bathyscaphe Trieste: He set an all-time depth record with the Deep Sea Special prototype #1 in 1953 when he and his father Auguste Piccard dove down 10,350 Feet (3150 Meters).

The photo below shows then-U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Professor Jacques Piccard which was taken after they had surfaced from their record setting dive, along with the Rolex Deep Sea Special, all of which were in perfect working condition.

After they returned from their record-shattering dive, Jacques Piccard sent Rolex of Geneva a historic telegram that simply said: "Happy to announce that your watch works as well at 11,000 meters as it does on the surface." 

The photo below shows the Bathyscaphe Trieste flying the American flag, since it was owned by the U.S. Navy, along with the Swiss Flag, since Piccard was Swiss as well as the Italian Flag, since it was originally constructed in Trieste, Italy.

Oceanographer & Professor 

Jacques Piccard

Oceanographer Jacques Piccard began his teaching career as a professor of Economics at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Jacques Piccard would ultimately leave his career as an Economics Professor at the University of Geneva to assist his father, August Piccard, to build world-class submersibles. Auguste and Jacques Piccard are pictured below.

Jacques Piccard is pictured below during testing of the Bathyscaphe Trieste in 1959 near Guam.

Oceanographer & U.S. Navy Captain

Don Walsh, Ph.D

Captain Don Walsh is pictured below on the right side with his Operation Nekton team member U.S. Navy Lieutenant Larry Shumaker who is wearing his hat. Lieutenant Larry Shumaker had previously served with Captain Don Walsh on the U.S. Navy submarine named U.S.S. Rasher. Don and Larry were great friends and Larry served as Captain Walsh's assistant, and they were classmates at the Annapolis Naval Academy.

U.S. Navy Captain Don Walsh had an amazing career in the U.S. Navy. In 1958 he was a submarine Lieutenant serving on the staff of Submarine Flotilla One in San Diego, Calif., as part of the U.S. Submarine Force. Submarine Flotilla One commanded 24 submarines along with four support ships which gave it a large theater of operations as part of the Pacific Fleet.

The Four Guys

Lieutenant Don Walsh was chosen by the Navy to spearhead the Bathyscaphe Trieste effort. Captain Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard first met in 1958. In this next photo, from left to right, we see Lieutenant Larry Shumaker; Lieutenant Don Walsh; Dr. Andreas Rechnitzer, Ph.D; Oceanographer and consultant Jacques Piccard.

The Bathyscaphe Trieste is pictured below during the test phase in 1959 which would prepare it for its final record-setting dive.

The Rolex Deep Sea Special Prototype

Attached Outside the Bathyscaphe Trieste

The photo below is of the actual Rolex Deep Sea Special prototype (DEEP SEA SPECIAL #3) that Jacques Piccard attached to the outside of the Bathyscaphe Trieste before it made its record setting dive down into the Mariana Trench and into the Challenger Deep in 1960. The Rolex Deep Sea Special was essentially a Rolex Submariner with a special prototype case and crystal designed to withstand tremendous pressure. The historically significant Rolex DEEP SEA SPECIAL #3 pictured below is currently located in the Smithsonian Institute's permanent collection in Washington D.C. This magnificent watch features a white dial and a case diameter of 42.7 MM, with a Radium dial and a Rolex Caliber 1000 movement.

The special domed crystal essentially worked on the same principle as a geodesic dome, or egg, in the sense it was extremely strong and utilized the laws of physics to withstand more than 8,000 tons of pressure per cubic inch. This is the exact same physics principle the domed sphere shape gondola utilized on the Bathyscaphe Trieste itself. After the successful 1960 successful dive in 1965 Rolex made multiple replica models to showcase their technology which we see in the image below.

One Of Mankind's Greatest Achievements

The U.S. Navy Bathyscaphe Trieste 

Dives Deeply Into History

Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench

200 Nautical Miles South-West of Guam

Morning of January 23, 1960

Walsh and Piccard had a challenging time getting into the Trieste because despite having clear skies, the Bathyscaphe Trieste was sloshing around in huge waves. This made it difficult to get from the USS Wandank (ATA-204) and USS Lewis (DE-540) headquarter-ship into the Trieste.

The photo below was taken of the Bathyscaphe Trieste as she prepares to dive to the deepest known part of earth's ocean on the morning of Jan. 23, 1960, with the USS Lewis (DE-540) behind her.

Into The Mystic

The photo below was taken during the descent when Walsh and Piccard were close to reaching the bottom of the Challenger Deep. In an interview, I once asked Captain Walsh if he was ever scared or nervous on the descent, and he said he never was. This came as a bit of a surprise since during their early descent, at 9,000 feet, one of the outside plexiglass windows cracked and made a huge noise, shaking the Trieste.

The Bathyscaphe Trieste submersible took 4 hours and 48 minutes to descended to the ocean floor.

At the Top of the Bottom of the World

The illustration below is an artist's rendition of what the Bathyscaphe looked like when it touched down on the ocean floor in the Challenger Deep. Despite having cameras on board, they were not able to take photos at the bottom because when they landed, a tremendous amount of sediment started swirling around the Bathyscape which Captain Walsh said was like "being in a bowl of milk."

Inner-Space Conquered

This next photo was taken of the Bathyscaphe Trieste gondola during the 20 minute stay on the ocean floor in the Challenger Deep. U.S. Navy Captain Don Walsh is holding the American flag, and both Piccard and Walsh have put on sweaters since the temperature has dropped significantly from the balmy tropical seas of Guam down to a cool 7°C (45°F).

It is profound to consider that at the moment this photo was taken, there was a Rolex Deep Sea Special attached to the outside of the Bathyscaphe Trieste and it was holding its own, against the more than 16,000 pounds of pressure per cubic inch!!!

Just before they landed on the sea floor Piccard and Walsh were shocked that they were seeing animals swimming around. It was previously believed that no form of vertebrae life could exist under that kind of water pressure.

The ascent back up to the surface took 3 hours and 15 minutes.

After they returned from their record-shattering dive, Jacques Piccard sent Rolex of Geneva a historic telegram that simply said: "Happy to announce that your watch works as well at 11,000 meters as it does on the surface." 

A Presidential Welcome & Congratulations

White House, Washington, D.C.

Upon their triumphant achievement of conquering inner-space, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard went to the White House where they were given awards by President Dwight Eisenhower where they received medals.

Captain Don Walsh was one of only three members of the armed forces to receive a military medal from President Eisenhower at the White House during his eight-year term as President of the United States.

A Hero's Welcome

In the next photo we see the Bathyscaphe Trieste being proudly paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1961, as part of the JFK Inauguration Day Parade.

Into the History Books

The United States, under the Eisenhower administration had finally conquered inner-space with its new heroes, Lieutenant Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, and the new administration under President Kennedy would continue to explore the magnificent ocean while ambitiously directing significant resources toward conquering outer-space with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.

An Airline Pilot's GMT-Master

An Airline Pilot's 

Root Beer GMT-Master

A Los Angeles-based commercial pilot and First Officer for Delta Air Lines sent in this AMAZING image of his two-tone Rolex Root Beer GMT-Master. This combination looks so good it almost seems like the GMT-Master should be part of the Delta uniform. While Captain Danny, who also happens to fly for Delta, rocks his Daytona, this pilot went for a Root Beer GMT. 

Justin Bieber: Gold Daytona Champagne Dial

 

MET GALA 2021

Justin Bieber Cleans up Nice

Keeping the time of his life with a Daytona

Black suit, white shirt and a gold Daytona on his wrist, Justin Bieber took it to the next level at the 2021 Met Gala Monday. He was accompanied by his wife Hailey Bieber. 

The Met Gala is typically held on the first Monday in May, but this year, the event was postponed due to COVID-19 and fell right in the middle of fashion month. The Met Gala is often considered the fashion’s biggest night, and it was held at its usual location: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Rolex is a stalwart of the red carpet, but Justin's Daytona – in 18ct yellow gold with a champagne dial – has been his companion since his teen-idol days. And it was actually the first luxury watch he was ever spotted with. I just love it that over a decade later, that's still his watch of choice for a formal event like the Met Gala. Every Rolex tells a story.

Dwayne Johnson: Rolex GMT-Master II Rootbeer

 

Photo of the Day

How to Rock a Rolex

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who was named "the Most Likable Person in the World," jumped on Instagram Friday to promote his new energy drink brand, Zoa. On his wrist, The Rock had his latest pick-up: A GMT-Master II on Oystersteel and Everose gold. And though it's just a 40mm watch, it looked perfect on his massive wrist.

I'm always amazed how understated the Everose is in real life; it just adds enough warmth to the case without being too conspicuous. The cosmopolitan watch — as Rolex calls the GMT-Master II — sure looks awesome by the ocean at sunset...

US Open Tennis Rolex Suite

 

US OPEN ROLEX SUITE

Beth Tee takes us on a tour

By DANNY CRIVELLO

Beth Tee is a Rolex fan of the highest order. Her Youtube channel and Instagram account often showcase how men's Rolexes can look great on her, echoing what a Rolex rep told me last April during Watches & Wonders: today the line between what constitutes a men's watch and a ladies' is more blurred than ever.

Invited by Rolex authorized dealer Watches of Switzerland, she takes us on a tour of the Rolex Suite of the U.S. Open, in Flushing Meadows, where the Men's Final will be held today. Rolex, a longtime supporter of tennis, has only been an official sponsor of the U.S. Open since 2018, making it a "Grand Slam" of tennis sponsorship: it's also the official timekeeper of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

As I wrote in a previous post, the fluted motif is increasingly seen in Rolex's exterior and interior design, and it is repeated here in the U.S. Open Rolex Suite.

Check out the full tour of the Rolex Suite on Beth Tee's Youtube channel.

U.S. Open: The New Generation

2021 U.S. Open winner, 18-year-old Emma Raducanu, is the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title. The last British woman to hoist a major tennis trophy was Virginia Wade (below, right) at Wimbledon in 1977, who came to the U.S. Open to greet Emma Raducanu for her win. 

1929 Rolex Oyster Polo Ad Malayan Saturday Post

1929 Rolex Oyster Polo Ad

Malayan Saturday Post

December 14, 1929

In 1927, Rolex shocked the world when they became the very first company on Earth to bring a waterproof watch to market in the form of the Rolex Oyster, which is seen below in the art-deco Rolex ad.  Today we take waterproof watches for granted, but back in 1927 this was a huge game-changer. The Rolex ad seen below is fascinating in many ways. In particular, it is so interesting to see how Rolex advertised watches for the Malaysian market Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

THE ROLEX SUBMARINER

THE ROLEX SUBMARINER

My In-Depth Review of The All-New 2021Tesla Model S

 

My In-Depth Review 
The All-New 2021 Tesla Model S

Back in July on Jake's Tesla World, I published a story named "Thoughts on the All-New 2021 TESLA MODEL S, PLAID & LONG RAGE: The Evolution of The Revolution". I just published this long-form review of the all-new Tesla Model S, which I took on drive with my Pal Ben. In the future, I plan to do many more long-form reviews covering Rolex history and watches. Enjoy, and you can always learn much more about our electric future on TeslaMagazine.org.

The New Rolex Building in Dallas

By DANNY CRIVELLO

"I don't use a watch at the moment," Kengo Kuma told me during an interview. Yet, his creation has been one of the most significant work for Rolex in recent years. Few people know that for more than six decades, Rolex has asked that its buildings worldwide are to be designed by renowned architects who have made their mark on history. 

These architects include Michael Graves (Lititz Watch Technicum, Pennsylvania), Fumihiko Maki (Rolex Tokyo building) and SANAA principals Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (the Rolex Learning Center for EPFL in Lausanne). In a previous article I mentioned the architecture of the future Rolex USA headquarters on Fifth Ave in New York which is commissioned to Sir David Chipperfield. 

For Dallas, Rolex commissioned the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to design its newest building, a seven-story office tower that houses Rolex’s sales and service center, replacing the original Rolex Building opened in 1984.

Mr. Kuma has an international reputation based on his mastery of highly original connections between buildings, sites and nature. He was chosen to design the center-piece of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the National Stadium. 

The Rolex Building in Dallas joins the list of "twisted sister" buildings, which include the MAD skyscraper in Canada and the SOM’s helical tower in Dubai. With a series of stacked floor plates that stagger and give the appearance of a twisting tower, the building allows for more outdoor space on each floor, lending to a calm atmosphere, natural beauty, and progressive style. 

"Our idea was to create a place of nature at the heart of the great city of Dallas," Mr. Kuma told me. "The most difficult issue was how to solve the gap of the site. And traffic played a part in that. It’s a very noisy street, so our solution was to use a castle wall. The castle wall is part of the earth; it is part of the natural land, which creates a very different effect from a vertical concrete wall." 

The Rolex building won the “Best Office Project in the World” by Engineering News-Record magazine and was featured in a 50-minute documentary by NHK World News. The 136,860-square-foot building has a spiral shape that appears to disappear as it reaches for the sky. The tower is covered with 16-inch-deep horizontal louvers to protect it from the strong sunlight in Dallas, and the louvers were provided with a wood texture in order to make it feel warm and highlight the dynamic twists. 

Mr Kuma, who was the recipient of the Architectural Institute of Japan Award, told me he hopes people can enjoy the sense of nature with the building. He made sure to incorporate nature into each floor, including a rooftop garden, to inspire other organic-urban developments around the city. 

For Dallas, this sets a whole new standard of environmental qualities. The way Mr. Kuma uses natural light, space and subtly modulated surfaces in his approach to buildings – "dissolution and disintegration," as he puts it – continues to be unique. His architecture has been featured at five editions of the International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. 

"We create a mockup for every project so I can feel the materiality," Mr. Kuma said. "I don’t trust drawings. Drawings are just lines, but mockups have material. They allow us to check effective natural light and shadow. Also, I often go to the construction site. In the 1980s, many star architects would send drawings to Japan without visiting because clients just wanted a brand, not architecture. And I saw how that produced buildings without any heart, so I try to visit the site as much as possible and communicate with locals directly." 

And though he is not wearing a timepiece at the moment, Mr. Kuma has a lot of respect for the Swiss watchmaker. "I've always admired Rolex," he finally told me. "Particularly because it is perfectly matching the image of Switzerland."