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...

Colin Chapman: Founder Of Lotus Cars

Colin Chapman

1928-1982


Lotus Founder

&

Formula One Pioneer

A Passion For Sports Cars & Rolex Day-Date

Colin Chapman pictured above in 1981

Colin Chapman was born in 1928 and passed away in 1982 at the young age of 54. They say the candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long, which was likely the case with Chapman. Colin was a highly influential British designer, inventor, and automotive industry maverick that left his mark upon Formula One racing.

Colin Chapman pictured above in an early Lotus

Colin Chapman made his first Lotus, which he called the Lotus MK1, from a modified Austin 7 in 1948. From 1948 to 1951 Chapman made what he refered to as Mark 1 to Mark 3 Lotus models.

In 1952, Chapman founded the Lotus Car Company and began making his own cars.  Chapman was a revolutionary designer in the world of Formula One innovation. In the early years of Lotus Chapman raced his cars, but later focused on the engineering marketing sides of the business.

Among many of his innovative achievements was using struts as a rear suspension device. Colin Chapman once famously said, "Adding power makes you faster on the straights and subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."

Colin Chapman is pictured below with Formula One race car driver Jim Clark who was from Scotland. James Clark the world championship in 1963 driving his Lotus 25, after having earned the maximum number of points for that season.

Jim Clark and Colin Chapman.

Jim Clark won the Formula One championship in 1965 for Lotus. Unfortunately, he was killed in an accident in 1968 racing in a Lotus at the Hockenheimring in Germany, and Colin Chapman said at the time he had lost his best friend.

Colin Chapman is pictured below with Peter Warr who Colin chose in late 1969 to be Team Lotus' Competition Manager in Formula One. Clark led Team Lotus to World Championship victory in 1970 with Jochen Rindt, and again in 1972 with Emerson Fittipaldi. Warr left Lotus in 1976 and returned after Chapman's death to become the team boss.

Colin Chapman is pictured below in 1972 with then Brabham team leader Bernie Ecclestone at the Formula One South African Grand Prix. Bernie Ecclestone would go on to become the CEO of the Formula One Group.

Before Colin Chapman motorsports and Formula One was considered a wealthy man's sport. Colin changed that with his concept of sponsorship liveries. Meaning he was a pioneer in branding race cars with sponsors advertising their names and decals on Formula One cars, which became moving advertisements—a tradition in full force today.

Roger Moore

The Spy Who Loved Me

One of Colin Chapman's greatest coup was a getting a Lotus Esprit Coupe placed in the epic 1977 James Bond movie name The Spy Who Loved Me which starred Roger Moore as James Bond. 

The Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved me was no ordinary Lotus as it was not only a car but a submarine!

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla owns the actual Lotus Esprit that was used in The Spy Who Loved Me, and this is ironic as the first Tesla ever made, which was the Telsa Roadster was built upon a Lotus chassis.

The first image one of the publicity stills associated with the James Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me." If I understand it correctly, it was used in as a publicity still but not shown completely in the film. 

Ironically, Roger Moore is wearing a Rolex GMT-Master, as opposed to a Rolex Submariner, which we usually see him wear when he played James Bond.

Roger Moore is pictured below in what I believe is a Lotus magazine ad for the Lotus Esprit Turbo.

Colin Chapman would become involved with John Delorean in the development of Delorean's highly controversial DMC-12. The Delorean DMC-12 was basically a Lotus Esprit in disguise, and if you look closely you will notice the cabin and rear dimensions are almost identical. The difference is that the Lotus has a much more cab-forward design.

If you think about it, it is ironic that both the DeLorean DMC-12 and original Tesla Roadster were built on a Lotus chassis.

Colin Chapman's Rolex Day-Date featured a champagne dial with diamond markers as seen in the photo below.

As we see in the photo below, Colin is pictured sporting his trademark yellow gold Rolex Day-Date which kept the time of his life. From my research findings, it appears he began wearing his Rolex Day-Date sometime around late 1969 and wore it until he passed away in 1982.

"To add speed, add lightness." –Colin Chapman

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.

1957 Rolex Chronograph

...Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day...

1957 Rolex Chronograph

Tri-Color Pre-Daytona

Pre Daytona Rolex Chronograph models never cease to amaze me with their beauty. This 1957 model is Antimagnetic, and features dual scales printed on the dial, as apposed to the Daytona which has a single scale on the bezel.

Notice the subsidiary dial detail, that features the beautifully nested circular tracks...

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

Every Rolex Tells A Story: Alain Hubert

Every Rolex Tells A Story

Alain Hubert
A True Rolex Explorer
Alain Hubert is the real deal. He is a Belgian explorer, who is certified polar and mountain guide. He is also the President of the Board and one of the founders of The International Polar Foundation. 

Alain is responsible for obtaining the financing and as well as fro the construction of the 'Princess Elisabeth' scientific research station in Antartica, which is first 'zero emission' station. This station was designed and built under the spirit of the Madrid Protocol, which was established in 1992 to the strictest environmental rules.

Alain was the first Belgian to reach the North Pole, which he achieved in 1994 with Didier Goetghebuer. In 1998 the team set a world record crossing in the entire continent of Antartica all by themselves. It took them 99 days and they covered 3924 miles.

Rolex recently released this new "Every Rolex Tells A Story" video on legendary Belgian Explorer Alain Hubert, which is fascinating.

During Alain Hubert's expeditions he became shocked with the scope and pace of climate change, and has dedicated his life energy to overcoming this challenge. The very cool 2004 Rolex ads below features Alain Hubert along with his trusted BFFL Rolex Explorer II, which he still wears.

If you want to learn more about Alain Hubert's International Polar Foundation check out their amazing video collection.

Paul Newman's Daytona Hanging Out in Los Angeles

 

Paul Newman's Daytona

Hanging Out in Los Angeles

We got our first glimpse of Paul Newman's famous Rolex Daytona [Reference 6239] with the white exotic dial hanging out at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures back on September of 2021. A few days ago, my good pal, Bruce Franklin sent me these photos he snapped which offer a great view of Paul Newman's Daytona which is the Rolex holy grail of sports watches.

Hypophyse's Meters First Submariner [Reference 5512]

...Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day...

Hypophyse's Meters First Submariner

[Reference 5512]