Seeing
a Rolex Submariner worn by Sean Connery in the movie
Goldfinger was when I discovered one of the main reasons
behind Rolex Sports watches as desired collectors’
items: Rolex enjoys a certain celebrity status that
is accessible to us all, the mere mortals. It is because
some of the most classic stars in the movie industry
have their names linked to Rolex Sports watches that
trigger them to be highly sought after; the Paul Newman
Daytona, the Steve McQueen Explorer, and of course,
the James Bond Submariner.
Who
would not want to wear the same watch as the man who
so sophisticatedly unravels terrorist attacks and saves
mankind from the likes of Auric Goldfinger, Mr. Big
and Ernst Blofeld as easily as he orders his martinis?
We may never come as close as achieving their celebrity
perfection but when wearing a Submariner identical to
Sean Connery’s in Goldfinger, what man does not
feel a bit like James Bond?
It
is the marriage of fantasy and reality that has magnetic
appeal in the acquisition of a Vintage Rolex Sports
watch. In recent times high profile legends such as
Eric Clapton have taken collecting Rolex watches to
a new level, and even had the Rolex Red Submariner named
in his honor.
The
James Bond Submariner
The
Steve McQueen Orange Hand Explorer
The
Paul Newman Daytona
The
Eric Clapton Red Writing Submariner
The Pussy Galore GMT
The
Roger Moore James Bond Submariner
The relationship between VIP's and Rolexes go back a
long way. Monarchs and Aristocrats greatly contributed
to the success of pocket watches, while celebrities
in various fields have unknowingly helped to promote
the wristwatch over the course of its history, first
helping to make Rolex popular, and now contributing
to the style and image of many different hybrids. Famous
faces all over the world have been casually wearing
famous faces on their wrists, not even realizing the
immediate jumps in value their timepieces acquire with
every click of a camera and before you know it, every
passionate watch collector has developed the ‘I
want one’ syndrome.
Symptoms
include statements like, ‘is that the vintage
Rolex Daytona that Robert De Niro wore in Fifteen Minutes?
I want one.’ Or, ‘Honey, did you see that
picture of Sharon Stone wearing the Date Submariner?
I want one.’ And it’s not just actors who
seem to have this colossal retail affect on its helpless
consumers. Skier Jean Claude Killy became a major phenomenon
in the 60s and 70s. The three consecutive gold medals
he won for his skiing performances at the 1968 Winter
Olympic Games in Grenoble, earned him a place in the
sports Hall of Fame. Naturally his Rolex was with him
every step of the way - a triple date chronograph Rolex
4767 that was eventually named after him and whose recent
price has exceeded six figures.
