Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Transcending the sport’s traditional boundaries

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race holds a towering status in the world of sailing. First staged in 1945, it captures the attention of a nation with its spectacular Boxing Day start. The 2021 edition, featuring an 88-boat fleet, was a race of two markedly different halves; the first, a punishing test of physical endurance and perseverance, the latter, a heightened examination of mental resilience and tactical judgement. Matt Allen’s 52-foot (15.85 metre) Ichi Ban secured the overall win on time correction, completing the 628-nautical mile (1,163 km) course in 4 days, 10 hours, 17 minutes and 39 seconds. In so doing, the Australians became only the third crew to achieve three victories. Organized by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Rolex has partnered this race since 2002 as part of its wide-ranging support for yachting dating back more than 60 years.

Francesco Sauro: Underworld Explorer

Francesco Sauro

Underworld Explorer

Over the past two decades I have published some really cool stories about spelunking. Spelunking, if you are not familiar with the term is the study of cave systems. Back in 2010 I published a story about Dr. Arthur Miller who is a famous underwater cave explorer, archaeologist, historian and artist. Also, I wrote extensively back in 2015 about Jean-François Pernette who who is one of the worlds leading cave explorers and was the 1998 Rolex Laureate Winner in the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. I covered his then four decade love affair with his Orange Hand Rolex Explorer II, which he has now been wearing for five decades, which brings us to this fascinating new video Rolex recently introduced, which I highly recommend watching.

Italian speleologist and scientist Francesco Sauro has pursued a lifelong mission of discovery in the Earth’s mysterious underworld. From uncovering the hidden realm of the isolated tepuis table-top mountains in South America and advancing the scientific findings, for which he received a 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise, to, most recently, exploring the caves of the Atlantic’s Selvagens archipelago, he is providing an archive of time for future generations that shows how life evolved, minerals formed and climate has changed. Determined to reveal the wonders of Earth’s inner space through his many expeditions, Sauro is helping to ensure a Perpetual Planet.

For some reason this video and story remind me of this famous 1964 Rolex Explorer AD titled "On Top Of The Matterhorn.":

Rolex Coolness: Peter Fonda

...Rolex Coolness...

Peter Fonda

1940-2019

The Easy Rider Rolex

Easy Rider Movie [1969]

"Born To Be Wild"

Peter Fonda passed away in August of 2019 at age 79 and left behind quite a legacy.  Peter Fonda co-starred with Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider, and Peter Fonda wore a yellow gold Rolex GMT Master in the movie. Easy Rider is considered to be one of the seminal films that defined a generation.

Below is a screen grab of Peter Fonda's Rolex GMT-Master that appeared in the 1969 movie, Easy Rider.

"I'm Hip About Time. 
I Just Gotta Go."
– Peter Fonda

In the photo above and below you see Peter Fonda in Easy Rider rolling his own and you see clear shots of his yellow gold Rolex GMT Master.

"Dude means nice guy. Dude means regular sort of person." –Peter Fonda

Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda are pictured below on the set of Easy Rider and in this shot you again see Peter Fonda's GMT-Master on his wrist.

You can actually see the yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master pictured above on Peter Fonda's wrist in the famous 1969 Easy Rider opening scene it appears briefly on-screen 47 seconds in to the video below.

The Woodstock generation changed America forever, and ironically when Peter Fonda was sporting his yellow gold Rolex GMT Master in Easy Rider, Stephen Stills was on stage at Woodstock, making his debut with Crosby, Stills and Nash while wearing a Rolex Submariner.

The Hippy movement, which stemmed from the 1968 San Francisco Summer Of Love was blossoming across America, and the world. For better or worse, things would never be the same again...

Peter Fonda Tells The Story of

The Origins Of The Easy Rider Rolex

"Every Rolex Tells A Story"

Interesting video of Peter Fonda discussing the origins of his Yellow Gold Rolex Prototype GMT he wore in Easy Rider.

Born To Be Wild

Here is the scene that Peter talks about where he throws away his watch that is not the Rolex

The photo below is of Peter Fonda's actual yellow gold Rolex GMT Master he wore in Easy Rider.

Nick Gould discovered the photo below taken in 1992 that shows Peter Fonda wearing his yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master, and we see his famous sister, Jane Fonda standing next to him.

Sister Jane Fonda

As Barbarella

It is ironic, at the time Peter Fonda was filming Easy Rider, his sister Jane Fonda was filming Barbaralla which was also considered to be a slightly rebellious, counter-culture movie. Jane and Peter's father was the extremely famous movie star, Henry Fonda.

Henry Fonda is pictured below with his son Peter Fonda, and his daughter, Jane Fonda

100 Year Old Rolex Watchmaker

Georges Dubois

Retired 100 Year Old Rolex Watchmaker

My favorite aspect of researching and writing about Rolex history is PEOPLE. As much as I love superb timeless Rolex design language and the watches themselves, I have always been more fascinated with the people who wear and make Rolex watches a reality, and that is what makes this story so interesting...

My horological history colleague, David Boettcher who is a Fellow with the British Horological Institute and I were recently having a brilliant conversation about Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf. David Boettcher is the world's leading expert on early Rolex history and wrote a superb article on Hans Wildorf which I highly recommend reading. 

I mentioned to David I only knew of one person who is still alive today that knew Wilsdorf—who is featured in a soon to be published story I have been working on for many years. I asked David if he knew of anyone else who is still living that knew Hans Wilsdorf, then today he sent me this link to a superb WATCHES TV interview between retired Rolex and Patek Philippe watchmaker, Mr. Georges Dubois and Marc André Deschoux, which I highly recommend watching. After working for Rolex during World War II, Mr. Georges Dubois went to work for Patek Philippe as a watchmaker for 38 years.

Paul Newman's Birthday

Paul Newman's Birthday

Paul Newman was born on January 26, 1925, which makes today the 97th anniversary of his birth. Paul Newman is one of the coolest guys to ever wear a Rolex, and we see him below on the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine rocking his Big Red Daytona [Reference 6263]. Paul Newman wore many different Rolex Daytona models during his life including his white exotic dial Daytona which is considered to be the holy grail of Rolex Daytona models.

James Bond Director, Cary Fukunaga: Rolex Day-Date

 

...James Bond Director...

Cary Fukunaga

Rolex Day-Date

Featured on Cover of The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter recently published a superb story on Cary Fukunaga that features him on the cover and in a pictorial rocking his Rolex Day-Date which really places him in great light so you can get a great look at his watch. Cary is the very first American director to direct a James Bond Film, which just happens to be the 25th James Bond Film.

No Time To Die is Daniel Craig's last James Bond film, and obviously he will be missed as many people love him as Bond. Captain Danny posted a story on No Time To Die back in September just before it debuted in movie theaters. It's kind of ironic to see a James Bond movie Director rocking a Rolex Day-Date for obvious reasons...

Rolex Macro Shot of the Day: Green Is Good...Ya, Ya!!!

Rolex Macro Coronet Shot Of The Week

An LV Submariner Coronet Up-Close

This LV Coronet Shot is great. Rolex started adding the etched Rolex Coronet to their synthetic sapphire crystals several years ago. It is always located in the six o'clock position and looks really cool.

Rolex Middle Sea Race

Rolex Middle Sea Race An epic Mediterranean adventure

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is unique in offshore yacht racing in that it starts and finishes in the same place, the Grand Harbour in Malta’s capital Valletta. Its spectacular course, an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Sicily, takes in the active volcanoes of Etna and Stromboli and a myriad of islands. In 2021, the 114-strong international fleet enjoyed exceptional weather that offered fast downwind sailing virtually the entire way. 

The maxi Comanche was overall winner, completing the 606-nautical mile (975 km) racecourse in 40 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds – a monohull record, seven and a half hours inside the previous best. It became only the third yacht in race history to claim the triple crown of line honours, monohull record and overall victory. Organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club since 1968, this epic Mediterranean adventure has been partnered by Rolex since 2002 as part of its wide-ranging support for yachting dating back more than 60 years.

Bob Saget Belongs To The Ages

 

Bob Saget

Belongs To The Ages

1956-2022

The world was shocked to find out today that beloved comedian and actor, Bob Saget passed away in Florida at age 65 from what appears to be natural causes. Nick Gold discovered Bob rocking a two-tone Rolex Oyster Quartz Datejust when he stared on the TV show titled Full House. 

The Olsen sister's were both members of the cast on the Full House sitcom which ran from 1987 to 1995 on ABC. Bob Saget played Danny Tanner on Full House. On the show the premise is that after his wife died the San Francisco sportscaster and his two new roommates, one of which is his brother-in-law end up raising his three daughters. 

The Paul Newman Daytona...

...Rolex Studio Shot of The Day...

The Paul Newman Daytona