Happy Halloween!!!!! From John Goldberger in Italy...

Happy Halloween!!!!!

From John Goldberger in Italy

Wow!!! What a nice surprise!!! I guess Leo was right about Halloween being celebrated in other parts of the world since John Goldberger from Italy sent in this great Halloween photo today to share with you. It features a very rare and unusual one of-a-kind pink gold Rolex Datejust with a beautiful blue lapis dial from 1974 [Reference 1601].

John Goldberger is one of the top Rolex collectors in the world and author of 100 Superlative Rolex Watches which, if you don't have copy, is an excellent Rolex book. You can check out my extremely detailed review of his book by clicking here.

Thanks for sharing John!!!!! Happy Halloween!!!!

American's Are Crazy About Halloween...

American's Are CrazyAbout Halloween
I live in San Francisco and it seems like everybody here is crazy about Halloween!!! I notice as the years go by Americans in general keep getting more and more into Halloween.
As a matter of fact, Americans spend more than$5 Billion a year celebrating Halloween!!! Perhaps it is because Halloween provides an escape from everyday reality? If you are not familiar with Halloween, people tend to dress up in costumes to pretend they are other people.
When I was a child it seems like it was more of a trick-or-treat thing, but it appears to have stuck with many adults who get really into it. This next video is really funny and strange at the same time. It features Al Roker, the host of the Today show, dressed up as the Hans Solo character from Star Wars that was play by Harrison Ford. Notice Al Roker is wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner on his right wrist in the video!!!
I am not sure what is going on, but the Ewok's seem to get drunk and loose their minds!!!

Speaking of crazy Star Wars costumes you gotta love this dudes crazy Halloween costume!!! Imagine if you showed up at a Halloween costume party with this setup!?!?!

Happy Halloween From Leo and Jake...

Happy Halloween!!!!!

From Leo & Jake

Leo and I would like to wish all our great international readership a Happy Halloween. I was talking with Leo about Halloween and mentioned I thought it was a U.S. only holiday and Leo said he thought it was starting to catch-on around the world. I imagine he must be correct because Morton Olesen from Denmark sent in this great Halloween Lume shot–so Leo must be correct.

Also an update: Things have been moving so quickly at Jake's Rolex Watch Blog that it is challenging for me to keep up. I was planning to resume our fascinating series The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER this week, but it looks like it will resume next week. Anyway, Have a Happy & Safe Halloween!!!

Birdmen On 60 Minutes

Birdmen On 60 MinutesFlying Through The Sky Like Superman
It's a Bird...It's A Plane...It's crazy dudes flying through the sky like Superman!!! Sometimes I dream I am flying through the sky like Superman. These totally crazy dudes are actually doing it!!! My jaw dropped when I first saw this. Totally fascinating with some incredible footage. Enjoy!!!


Historical Note: So where did this idea of a flight-suit come from? Franz Reichelt, an Austrian born tailor created an overcoat flight suit that was supposed to work like a parachute. To showcase his invention he jumped off the Eiffel Tower in 1912, which at the time was the worlds tallest man-made structure. Things did not work quite the way Reichelt expected and he fell to his death.
Warning: This video is pretty heavy (Literally & Figuratively).

Gotham City GMT Master...

Raymond Kelly

New York City: Police Commissioner

GMT Master II

Commissioner Kelly (Sounds very Batman–think, Commissioner Gordon) clearly prefers Coke over Pepsi, at least in his choice of Rolex GMT. It is interesting because on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog we seem to see so many more Pepsi GMTs than we do Coke GMTs, so it is nice to see somebody with a Coke and a smile (I think he is smiling?).

The more I look at this photo, the more it looks like he is doing the Rodney Dangerfield "I don't get any respect" thing with his necktie ;-)))) Now that I think about it even more, I think he kind of has an I-Spy vibe...Kind of like Kelly or Scotty wearing their GMT Master with a suite and tie with French cuffs and a handkerchief in their breast pocket...

Autistic Artist Draws New York Skyline From Memory!!!!

Autistic Artist Draws New York City Panorama

From Memory!!!!

This is a most amazing story!!! Since we just saw New York City Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, I thought it would be great to take another look at New York–this time drawn from the memory of a British man named Stephen Wiltshire.

As you can see, Stephen Wiltshire is an extremely talented artist, and one of the things that makes him unusual is that he is autistic. His artistic talent just blows my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Rolex OysterQuartz Datejust On The Rocks...

Rolex OysterQuartz Datejust

On The Rocks

Chip took this great photo of his OysterQuartz Rolex Datejust on top of some Quartz crystals. Kind of has a Superman's cave vibe to it. Remember in the Superman movie where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father? I think that was Marlon Brando's last movie he made just before he gained a lot of weight.

Every time I look at a Rolex OysterQuartz I get confused? I can't figure out if it looks great or just weird? The OysterQuartz Rolex watches definitely have a 1970s vibe.

Rolex Macro Shot Of The Week: Daytona Designation...

Daytona Designation

ChampTheKid took this stunning macro shot of his Rolex Daytona up-close. You have to love the red, white and black color combination!!!

The Most Complicated Rolex Ever Made...

Rolex Triple Date Chronograph [Reference 6236]

The Most Complicated Rolex Ever Made

Recently we saw how the Rolex Explorer II with orange hands was falsely dubbed "The Steve McQueen" but Steve McQueen never wore one. To the best of my investigative knowledge the same thing happened with the Rolex shown below which was also falsely dubbed as "The Jean-Claude Killy." I have NEVER seen any photographic evidence to suggest that Jean-Claude Killy ever wore this watch.

One of these days, I will write a definitive guide to falsely dubbed Rolex watches. That being said, the Rolex 6236 Triple-Date Chronometer is a beautifully designed complicated Rolex. The thing that surprised me when I first saw one in person was how small it was!!! I was expecting it to me like a modern Rolex Daytona at 40mm but it could not have been more than 36mm.

Rolex Sunrise over Biel Switzerland...

Rolex Sunrise Over Biel Switzerland

Michael Groove took this stunning shot of the sun rising over one of the old Rolex buildings located at the foot of the Jura mountains just above Biel, Switzerland. Michael says "The production facilities have been moved to the outskirts some time ago leaving some beautiful old buildings behind, now used for management, training and overhead staff."

Macro Wrist Shot Of The Day: LV Submariner

Macro Wrist Shot Of The Day

Vu took this great macro/wrist shot of his LV Submariner, which ironically is the watch Daniel Craig's Project X Designs PXD SS1 is based upon (in the article below). It is amazing how different a Rolex can look when you customize just a few details!!!

Part 11: Modern James Bond Rolex Mystery Goes Deeper: A 7th Different Rolex On Daniel Craig

Modern James Bond Rolex Mystery Goes Deeper

A 7th Different Rolex On Daniel Craig

A Project X Designs Limited Edition Rolex Submariner

I never thought this Daniel Craig Prefers Rolex Series would ever make it to a Part 11, but it has!!!

It has been a while since we looked into the Daniel Craig Prefers Rolex mystery, but Jake's Rolex Watch Blog has confirmed that Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond has been wearing a 7th different Rolex, and this time it is a Project X Designs PXD SS1 Limited Edition customized modern Rolex 50th Anniversary LV Submariner.

Before we to into detail on this watch, since it has been a while, let's reexamine what makes this a mystery? The James Bond series of movies, based on Ian Flemming's novels has been ultra-successful ever since Sean Connery first played Bond 47 years ago in Dr. No 1962. Just to put things into perspective, JFK was the President of the United States in 1962–this was many, moons ago.

For a super-detailed overview of the genesis of the James Bond character as well as an overview of all the watches worn in James Bond movies please click here.

Several years ago, a relatively unknown actor named Daniel Craig stepped in to play the role of James Bond. Daniel Craig's first role as James Bond was in Casino Royale, and in the movie he wore an Omega Seamaster just as his predecessor Pierce Brosnan had. Many James Bond fans thought that James Bond wearing an Omega was a travesty for many different reasons.

First and foremost, Ian Flemming himself wrote in his 1953 novel, Casino Royale, that James Bond "Could not just wear a watch. It had to be a Rolex." Furthermore, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton all wore Rolex Submariner watches in their movies–even Peter Sellers in the Casino Royale, James Bond spoof from 1967 wore a Rolex sports watch.

There has been much speculation about how Omega somehow became the official watch of James Bond, with many sources suggesting it was because Omega was willing to pay the James Bond franchise some kind of product placement fee that Rolex refused to pay.

Quantum Of Rolex

So What If The Guy Who Plays James Bond Has A Worse Case Of RISitus Than You!?!

About a year ago, I wrote a story about how I discovered photographic evidence that Daniel Craig, the new James Bond was wearing a vintage No Crown Gaurd Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] on a NATO strap!!!

You can imagine how stunning this revelation was!!! The great question of course, was why was Daniel Craig wearing a Sean Connery Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] as seen in the two pictures below?

At the Quantum of Solace debut in Rome was the first time I noticed Daniel Craig sporting his Sean Connery Submariner. Apparently, Daniel Craig wears it as an homage to Sean Connery who is one of his great role models.

Ironically, Daniel Craig was wearing his 6538 Submariner on a falsely dubbed grey and black NATO strap. To learn all about the difference between the real Sean Connery regimental strap and the falsely dubbed James Bond NATO and see the strap that is most similar and historically accurate please click here.

This story stunned everybody including myself. The strange thing was that I kept discovering Daniel Craig wearing different Rolex watches!!! It seem like they were popping-up, one right after the other:

1. Stainless Steel Vintage Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] that was very similar to the one Sean Connery wore in Goldfinger. (Pictured in two photos above).

2. Two-tone Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet.

3. Stainless Steel Rolex Datejust on an Oyster bracelet.

4. Stainless Steel 50th Anniversary Milgauss GV with Green Crystal.

5. Stainless Steel Vintage Rolex Daytona "Big Red Panda" [Reference 6263]. (Pictured below).

6. Stainless Steel Vintage Rolex GMT Master [Reference 1675]

7. Stainless Steel Modern "Project X Designs" Limited Edition, PXD SS1] customized original 50th Anniversary LV Submariner (Newest Discovery).

The photo below is of the 6th Rolex I discovered Daniel Craig wearing. This time a vintage Pepsi Rolex GMT Master [Reference 1675].

PROJECT X DESIGNS

PXD SS1 Limited Edition

Customized Original 50th Anniversary Rolex LV Submariner

Recently, I discovered Daniel Craig wearing what appeared to be a 7th different Rolex, but at first it confused me!?! It looked like he was wearing his vintage Sean Connery [Reference 6538] on a black NATO strapped since it had a big crown and no crown guards, very similar in looks to the one Sean Connery is wearing in Dr. NO in the picture below.

Ursula Andres with Sean Connery from Dr. NO in 1962

When I looked closer I noticed it was larger (40mm), it appeared to be a modern Rolex Submariner LV with Maxi Markers, with the green bezel swapped out with a black one!?!

I could not figure it out, then it hit me like a ton of bricks!!! It had to be a Project X Designs Limited Edition PXD SS1. I wrote a detailed review about Project X Designs back in April of 2009 which you can check out by clicking here.

I did not originally recognize this watch at first because Daniel Bourn from Project X Designs had quietly released this watch and I was used to seeing his Bespoke Submariner watches that had a PVD Black coating. Project X Designs, specializes in customizing watches for their customers and they also offer limited editions of 24 highly customized original Rolex watches.

I recently spoke with Daniel Bourn from Project X Designs and he confirmed, that indeed my analysis was correct and that Daniel Craig does wear one of his Limited Edition watches. The model Daniel Craig wears is pictured below.

The Project X Designs PXD SS1 (pictured above and below) is highly customized 50th Anniversary Rolex Submariner with the following changes:

• Green Bezel is swapped with authentic black Rolex Submariner Bezel.

• Project X Designs green "X" in circle logo applied to dial just above Submariner designation.

• Crown Guards Carefully shaved off with updated winding crown tube.

• Rolex Trademark Submariner Cyclops Date Magnifier removed.

You have to admit, the Project X Design Limited Edition PXD SS1 is a very cool looking watch with a definite vintage Rolex look. I think it is really cool that Daniel Craig not only prefers Rolex but likes wearing a customized Rolex that looks different than a standard vanilla Submariner!!! Also, by wearing a highly customized Project X Design PXD SS1, since it is essentially a customized authentic LV Submariner, it is much more sturdy and precise.

A Black Bond Meeting a British Bond?

Sean John Meets With Daniel Craig

In the photo below we see Daniel Craig wearing his Project X Designs customized Rolex LV Submariner (Model PXD SS1) while meeting Sean John Combs more popularly known as Sean John and/or P. Diddy and/or Puff Daddy and/or Puffy and or Diddy. The irony of this meeting is that Sean John desperately wants to be, in his own words, "The first black James Bond."

How badly does Sean John (P. Diddy) want to play James Bond? Sean John is so passionate about playing James Bond he reportedly spent more than $750.000 of his own money to make this demo film (below) which he submitted to Ion Productions for their review.

Before you laugh as Sean John and say that James Bond has to be British in order to play, James Bond, don't forget that Cubby Broccoli, the founding producer of the James Bond movie franchise offered Burt Reynolds (An American) to play James Bond, after Sean Connery announced he was done playing Bond.

I AM KING

Men's Cologne

by

Sean John

Sean John mentioned his I AM KING fragrance is dedicated to his positive role models like Martin Luther King, Mohammed Ali and Barack Obama (Two of which are Nobel Prize Winners).

If you wish to learn more about the Daniel Craig Prefers Rolex Series you can always start at the beginning:

• Part 1: Quantum James Bond Rolex Theory

• Part 2: Quantum James Bond Rolex Mystery

• Part 3: The New James Bond Rolex Mystery

• Part 4: More Answers Lead to More Questions

• Part 5: Ian Fleming Wore A Rolex Explorer

• Part 6: Quantum of Rolex Mystery

• Part 7: James Bond Rolex Mystery Solved

• Part 8: Yet Another James Bond Rolex

• Part 9: A 5th Rolex on Daniel Craig

• Part 10: A 6th Rolex on Daniel Craig

• Part 11: A 7th Rolex: A Project X Designs PXD SS1 (You Are Here)

• >> More James Bond Watch History: All James Bond Watches...From A-Z...

Amanico's GMT Master From The United Arab Emirates

Amanico's GMT Master

From The United Arab Emirates

Amanico took this stunning photo of his vintage Rolex GMT Master that was made for the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Eagle logo looks really cool!!! I never noticed before, but it appears the UAE Eagle has a sailboat symbol on its chest.

Windows 7 Is Now Available!!!

Windows 7 Is Now Available!!!

Microsoft Windows newest operating system named Windows 7 is now available!!! Windows 7 is a huge improvement over Windows Vista and Windows XP!!! If you are a PC user and you want to significantly improve your PC experience definitely upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7.

Get excellent Windows 7 Upgrade Pricing from Amazon.com:

Very Old Rolex Lost On East Coat...It is yours?

Very Old Rolex Lost On East Coat...It is yours?

If you live on the east coast and lost a very old Rolex watch recently, please contact me and I will assist you in getting it back. Assuming it is your watch, you must accurately describe it and I will put you in contact with the police department that has it.

A reader of Jake's Rolex Watch Blog alerted me to this, and I am just trying to help out.

Thanks,

Jake

Young RISdom...

Young Rolex WISdom

Kyle L. Pictured Above

Kyle is the youngest Rolex enthusiast I have ever met. He is 14 today and I met him when he was 13 when he sent in some photos of his Rolex Explorer he bought with his own money, which I put up on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog.

I fell madly-in-love with and purchased (with my own money) my first Rolex (stainless Submariner) more than a quarter-century ago, when I was 16, so Kyle is in many ways ahead of me. Timeless Rolex design definitely had a strong effect on my own sense of design and taste. So much so I ended up writing this crazy blog you are reading ;-)

I started Jake's Rolex Watch Blog a few years ago, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I really wanted to share everything I learned in my life about Rolex with my fellow Rolex fans. As a result, I have become friends with people all over the planet, which just blows my mind!!!! Very cool!!!

I think this wrist shot (below) that Kyle took of his Rolex Explorer is also very cool. I think it has superb composition and I just think Kyle is so cool!!! If exploring the world of Rolex design gives Kyle, in his lifetime, just 10% of the inspiration it has given me, it will be invaluable, but that is not my wish. My wish it that it inspires him 1000%.

Wristshot by Kyle L.

Thanks for sharing this great wrist shot with us Kyle!!! and thanks for being a great contributor to the online Rolex community, which in many ways, feels like a big family to me ;-)

Dave Mathews sings a duet named Iwoya with Angelique Kidjo on her album named Black Ivory Soul and Dave Mathews sings:

"You don't have to be old to be wise. A bird doesn't wait till he dies to fly," which is profound and on-point in my mind.

Kyle reminded me of the words from Iwoya so I thought I would include a link to Iwoya which is an amazingly uplifting song–as is the whole Black Ivory Soul album by Angelique Kidjo.

Below is a MP3 Clip Widget that will allow you to preview Angelique Kidjo's album named Black Ivory Soul which features the song Iwoya, which is the second song on the album. Enjoy!!!

Kyle has his own Rolex Watch Blog named TRF's Collection where he posts images from RolexForums.com members. The following LV Submariner photo and accompanying story from Rambam is awesome, and appears on Kyle's great blog!!!

LV For A Lifetime

"I bought the LV for my 30th Birthday. I wanted a nice watch which I knew would last me a lifetime–and then some. There was never any doubt, it had to be a Rolex and the LV just had me awestruck. Had to special order it and I didn't even get to try one on for size before it arrived. I was so excited when I got the call, it arrived the day before my birthday, excellent timing! Alot of watches have come and gone since, but this one will never leave." –Rambam

Apple's Snow Leopard...

If you are an Apple User and you have not already updated to Apple's Snow Leopard, it is a must, and with this special offer from Amazon it is only $25!!!

The Quest For The Best: Solar Powered Homes...

The Quest For The BestU.S. Department Of EnergySolar Decathlon 2009
Solar energy technology is amazing and it keeps evolving. I don't understand why they don't make it a law in the U.S. (or in all countries for that matter) that all new home construction should be required to be solar powered!?! In this recent Solar Decathlon contest in the U.S. Capital of Washington D.C., Team Germany won with this incredible design.

Speaking of Solar innovation, I don't understand why they don't cover the entire surface area, including the underbelly of cars with solar skins? The car would literally charge while you were driving it, or when it is parked!!!
The Solar Decathlon is a competition between international college teams to design and build the most aesthetically pleasing, energy-efficient, effective solar powered house. You have got to watch these videos!!!


You can learn much more about the U.S. Department Of Energy 2009 Solar competition by clicking here.

Major James Bond Rolex News Coming This Week!!!

Major James Bond Rolex News Coming This Weekend!!!
Looks like we are going to have some pretty major James Bond Rolex news coming up this weekend on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog so I thought I would share this Japanese 007 poster with you that I just added to the Complete History Of James Bond Watches Section on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog.
I just completed another major update to the James Bond section so if you want to get an overview of all the watches in all the James Bond movies as well as fascinating insight into Ian Fleming and the genesis of James Bond please click here.

Rolex Destinations: Paradise Found: Fourtané Jewelers: Carmel-By-The-Sea

"At Fourtané Estate Jewelers everything with a past has a future." –John Bonifas

Rolex Paradise Found

Fourtané

Carmel-By-The-Sea

Where Rolex History Meets The Present

I have an amazing story to share with you, about an extraordinary and magical destination in the world of Rolex. A place located in Carmel, California, U.S.A., named Fourtané Jewelers.

Carmel, California is like no other city in the world, and the magnificent photo below taken by Hella Rothwell most beautifully captures Carmel's majestic grandeur.

Image Appears Courtesy of Hella Rothwell

If you are not familiar with Carmel-By-The-Sea it is a magnificent coastal town located about 125 miles south of San Francisco, California in Monterey County on the West Coast of the U.S.A. Carmel is renowned for its majestic scenery and rich artistic history.

As you will learn, Fourtané Jewelers is extraordinary in many, many ways. I have never seen ANYTHING in my life like Fourtané Jewelers!!! In my mind Fourtané Jewelers is Rolex paradise found!!! It's a place where intentional Rolex enthusiasts make a pilgrimage to see their favorite Rolex grail watches. In many ways it is the Mecca of Rolex, or maybe the Disneyland for adult Rolex fanatics–like myself.

The first time I saw Fourtané Jewelers and their Rolex collection I was stunned–much in the same way an adult would be the first time they tour Las Vegas. Everything at Fourtané Jewelers seems bigger than life!!!

Fourtané Jewelers is located in the historical downtown of Carmel, California at the north-west corner of Ocean Avenue at Lincoln Street in an extremely cozy building that seems almost like it is located in a European village.

Fourtané Jewelers has been owned and run for a quarter-century by the Bonifas family and they have the largest collection of new and vintage Rolex watches I have ever seen in my life!!! In the photo below we see Kris Bonifas working with two men who came over from Asia just to attend the recent Rolex GTG and Vintage Rolex Concours at Fourtané Jewelers in Carmel.

Kris Bonifas is an extremely nice man with an encyclopedic knowledge of Rolex watches and history. From talking with him at the Councours and GTG I noticed he is extremely passionate about Rolex.

Kris Bonifas' older brother Joshua Bonifas is the General Manager of Fourtané Jewelers and Josh (as his friends call him) is a Vintage Rolex fan of the highest order!!! To be specific, Josh has an amazingly deep respect for and knowledge of Rolex history.

When Josh talks about vintage Rolex watches and Rolex history his face lights up like a Christmas tree!!! Josh speaks very passionately about the technical aspects of vintage Rolex watches and their place in history. He talks about how he loves the classic design and vintage style and the special Rolex aura that no other watches exhibit.

Josh Bonifas is picture below at a recent historical Rolex event held at Fourtané Jewelers, and we see him speaking with Dan Bennette who recently completed his stint as the President of the Explorer's Club.

In the photo below we see Josh's father, John Bonifas (pictured on the right) speaking with Rolex's Committee Member of The Rolex Awards For Enterprise, and world famous DEEP-SEA Diving pioneer, Dr. Phil Nuytten.

Dr. Phil Nuytten has amazing career achievements and most importantly he is an extremely nice and gentle man. (We will be exploring Dr. Phil Nuytten's career achievements on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog in an upcoming part of the series entitled, The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner and Sea-Dweller).

In the photo below of Josh Bonifas and Dr. Phil Nuytten they are examining one of the extremely-rare DEEP-SEA-SPECIAL Rolex watches that Jacques Piccard attached to the exterior of his Bathyscaphe Trieste when he took it down to the Marianas Trench in 1960 with U.S. Navy's Captain Don Walsh to set the world-depth record.

Also note that Dr. Phil Nuytten is holding the new DEEP-SEA-DWELLER in his hand and he is wearing his original yellow gold Rolex Submariner on his wrist which he bought in 1969. Also notice there are Rolex diving watches located in the glass vase with the flowers between Josh and Dr. Nuytten!!!

This is the kind of fanatical attention to historical detail I mentioned earlier which Josh exhibits. As a matter of fact, in the late 1920s through the 1940s Rolex dealers used to display Rolex watches in fish-bowls to show-off their waterproof Oyster casing. Josh takes a more elegant approach by putting them in the glass vase!!!

I believe this photo best sums up the notion that Fourtané Jewelers has a deep respect and appreciation of Rolex history, and indeed it is Where Rolex History Meets The Present.

This next photo is of the Rolex DEEP-DEA-SPECIAL that was on display at the Vintage Rolex Concours Exhibition at Fourtané Jewelers recently.

Pictured below is a vintage 1961 Rolex Magazine ad from Skin Diver Magazine that features the original Rolex DEEP-SEA-SPECIAL that Jacquess Piccard and Captain Don Walsh attached to the outside of their Bathyscaphe Trieste. This is the same Rolex DEEA-SEA-SPECIAL in the two pictures above.

It Was A Very Good Year

2009 was a seminal year for Fourtané Jewelers in many ways. First of all, Sheldon Smith of Minus4Plus6.com and I decided to add a second San Francisco GTG (Get Together) date to our annual GTG calendar in Carmel. Secondly, Fourtané Jewelers decided to have their first Vintage Rolex Concours (VRC) in which they displayed major historical vintage Rolex watches. This included (as seen in the photo below) the first Rolex ever made–straight from Rolex's vault in Geneva, Switzerland!!!

In the photo below we see many more historically significant Rolex diving watches including the ultra-rare SEA-LAB SINGLE RED SEA-DWELLER, and many Double Red SEA-DWELLERS.

I think you could travel the world and never see such an amazing collection of vintage Rolex watches anywhere!!! Pictured below are two very famous COMEX Rolex SEA-DWELLER watches from the famous JANIS IV.

In this next photo I am trying on an original Milgauss which is an unusually interesting Rolex. I really like the duaphine hands with the lightning bolt second hand and the honeycomb black dial with the red Milgauss designation. I also like the pyramid 3,6,9 indices along with the wide bezel.

The photo below is the side profile of the Rolex Milgauss above. If you click on the profile image below and study the details you really get a sense of what makes vintage Rolex design so great!!! Carefully study the detail in the riveted bracelet and the super-elegant Rolex stamped logo on the back of the clasp. The perfectly domed crystal with the extra-wide bezel. What lines!!!!!!!!!!

Back To The Future

In the next photo I am wearing Rolex #1. Rolex #1 is the first Rolex Hans Wilsdorf ever made in 1908. I put Rolex #1 on my wrist next to my LV Submariner on my trademark JAKEe FATSTRAP for comparison sake.

Several things stand out about Rolex #1 in my mind. First is there is that touch of red with the red 12. Second is how small and dainty the watch is by todays standards. Last but not least is the amazing historical significance behind the Rolex #1. To think I am wearing a Rolex that Hans Wilsdorf (the founder of Rolex wore in 1908) wore on his wrist just blows my mind!!!! What history!!!!!!!!!!

Rolex #1 is from Rolex's collection in Geneva Switzerland and was only for display, but as we see in the photo below I am comparing an early Rolex Moonphase [Reference 8171] to my LV Submariner. Despite being made in the 1940s, the first Rolex Moonphase was a large 38mm and was not an Oyster. It is amazing to see these watches next to each other and to notice how similar the lug shape is.

Another great benefit is to actually see these magnificent vintage Rolex watches in person and try them on. I am used to seeing photos of them in books and on the internet, but actually seeing them in person completely gives you a different perspective.

The Rolex Moonphase watches pictured above and below belong to Fourtané Jewelers and are part of their vintage Rolex collection they sell. The beautiful Rolex Moonphase pictured below comes in a Super-Oyster case and is a Rolex reference 6062 Moonphase, which is one of my favorite vintage Rolex watches.

The Steve McQueen Submariner

Fourtané Jewelers, as part of their Vintage Rolex Concours had on exhibit Steve McQueen's Submariner [Reference 5512]. This watch is owned by a private party and was not for sale. In the photo below, I have Steve McQueen's Submariner on my wrist next to my 50th Anniversary LV Submariner. The thing that really strikes me is how totally timeless and similar the two Rolex Submariner design language is, despite being manufactured 4 decades apart.

Steve McQueen was left-handed and wore his trademark Rolex Submariner on his right wrist, so I took this shot of the watch on my right wrist. Very, very cool!!!!

Steve McQueen is pictured below wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner standing next to his forest-green Porsche 911. The Porsche 911, Rolex Submariner and Steve McQueen are three of the most timeless and iconically cool images in the world.

As a side note, in Fourtané Jewelers you will find watches like the Steve McQueen Submariner. You will not find any falsely dubbed watches like the Steve McQueen Explorer which never existed. Why? because Fourtané Jewelers is the real deal. This is based on integrity and a passion for real Rolex history.

Fourtané Jewelers has the largest selection of vintage Rolex watches for sale I have ever seen or heard of in my life!!! They typically have around 150 vintage Rolex watches for sale, which makes visiting their store like a little kid visiting Disneyland. In many ways Fourtané Jewelers is like a Rolex museum–except, most of the time, most of the watches are available for sale.

In the photo below we see one of many cases filled with beautiful vintage Rolex watches!!!

In this next photo we see a case filled with Rolex Cellini watches including Rolex Prince models.

Since Fourtané Jewelers is an authorized Rolex Dealer, in this next case we see modern Rolex watches of every type. Fourtané Jewelers typically has 300 brand-new modern Rolex watches in-stock.

I have to say, the first time I stepped into Fourtané Jewelers, it completely blew my mind!!! They literally had every modern Rolex model I have ever seen–including all the exotic modern masterpiece Rolex watches.

I tried on a whole bunch of modern Rolex watches I had never seen before in person like the all-new Supercase (pictured below) yellow gold Rolex Submariner with the blue ceramic bezel insert. What a watch!!!

I also tried on the 50th Anniversary yellow gold GMT Ceramic Supercase which is probably my favorite yellow gold Rolex. I love the forest green dial with the contrasting yellow gold writing and Maxi Markers. Very cool!!!

Fourtané Jewelers also offers timeless estate jewelry and other fine modern Jewelry. John Bonifas, the founder of Fourtané Jewelers has always had a deep appreciation for high-quality estate jewelry from the most famous jewelers including Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Boucheron, Faberge, Lalique, Castellani, Giuliano, Van Cleef & Arpels and the list goes on an on.

The inaugural San Francisco/Carmel, California GTG (GTG Dinner pictured below) was a huge hit!!! Rolex fanatics flew in from all over the world to attend and we will be having the next Carmel GTG on Saturday, August 7, 2010. This is the Saturday before the Concours de Elegance car exhibition takes place in Carmel, California.

Fourtané Jewelers will also have its 2nd annual Vintage Rolex Concours that same week and from what Josh tells me, there are going to be some amazing historical pieces which should be really fun and fascinating!!!

If you have never attended the Concours de Elegance car exhibition it will blow your mind!!! I just attended it for the first time this year and it took my breath away!!! You can literally feel the magical energy in the air.

Next time you visit Carmel or California make certain to stop by Fourtané Jewelers and check out their mind-boggling collection of vintage and modern Rolex watches. You will never see or experience anything like Fourtané Jewelers!!! I know I haven't!!! Everything from their cozy store to their knowledgeable staff is incredible. Just incredible!!!!

Contact Information:

Fourtané Jewelers

Ocean Avenue & Lincoln at the Pine Inn

Carmel, California 93921

Phone (831) 624-4694

Toll Free: (800) 864-2468

E-Mail: Info@fourtane.com

Website: http://www.fourtane.com

If you are not familiar with Carmel-By-The-Sea it is a magnificent costal town located about 125 miles south of San Francisco, California in Monterey County on the West Coast of the U.S.A. Carmel is renowned for its majestic scenery and rich artistic history.