Lance Armstrong and His Rolex Embrace Fatherhood

Is there any athlete in the world whose endurance and strength of character reflect the quality of a Rolex watch than seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong? A Rolex connoisseur with a preference for both the Rolex GMT Master II and the stainless steel Rolex Daytona, Armstrong has overcome testicular cancer not only to return to cycling, but also to embrace fatherhood again. Before Christmas, Armstrong happily announced to the press that his beautiful girlfriend Anna Hansen is pregnant. Armstrong told the Associated Press, “Anna and I are thrilled to confirm that we are expecting in June. We are very much looking forward to what 2009 brings on many fronts.” A Program Manager for First Descents, Anna Hansen loves nothing more than being outdoors on her mountain bike. As ideal as Armstrong’s connection is with Rolex watches, his relationship with Hansen appears to be an rare example of perfection.



After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 that had spread to his lungs and brain, Lance Armstrong was given less than a 50% chance of survival by his doctors. Facing the challenge of his disease with the endurance and fortitude of a Rolex watch, Armstrong survived surgery and several brutal cycles of chemotherapy. Armstrong and his former wife Kristin had three children using in vitro fertilization with sperm he had banked before his chemotherapy. Amazingly, Armstrong returned to win the Tour De France seven straight times until he retired in 2005. Astounding the world once again, Armstrong announced in 2008 not only his return to competitive cycling, but also the coming arrival of a new child through the means of a natural conception. After relationships with Sheryl Crow and Kate Hudson, Armstrong has found happiness with Hansen. The question now is whether he can find the fortitude to win an eight Tour de France in 2009.



Although Armstrong often wears a stainless steel Rolex Daytona, his favorite Rolex watch always has been the Rolex GMT Master II.The 50th anniversary edition of the GMT Master II was revealed at BaselWorld 2006. This new model features a number of technical enhancements, such as Rolex’s patented Parachrom hairspring as well as a larger Triplock crown. The new model also has several cosmetic improvements such as larger hands and a new bezel made of an extremely hard ceramic material, which greatly resists damage and discoloration.



With his decision to enter the Giro d’Italia and return to competitive cycling, Lance Armstrong received a warm reception from the Italian cycling community. Perhaps nobody in Italy has a closer bond with Armstrong than Ivan Basso, who still recalls how the American took time away from the pursuit of his 2004 Tour de France victory to help Basso’s mother fight cancer. Rolex always has been a company that has shown a balance between technical genius and philanthropy. Lance Armstrong truly reflects the best of Rolex in both his personal and professional lives.

- Rolex Luxury Watch Blog

Genki Sudo’s Birthday Present - A Rolex GMT Master

Genki Sudo, the Japanese K-1 Champion and Ninja Warrior Actor, was given a Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT Master for his 30th birthday by his father. In his Suki MMA online blog, Genki Sudo wrote: “The item I choose is a Rolex watch. I went to see my parents and told them about buying it. My dad said, you did great in your 20’s and I will pay for it.” Although MMA fighters are reputed to be as tough and brutish as their chosen sport, Sudo revealed true class in his choice of such a fine Rolex watch, living up to his nickname of the Neo-Samurai.

The all stainless steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT Master has a very attractive black dial with red and blue bezel and neatly contrasting red GMT hand. The bezel is the popular black and red combination. The watch is bi directional and ratchet operated with an automatic movement featuring the hack mechanism (second hand stops when crown is pulled out to set the time – a standard feature on all genuine Rolexes). Moreover, Genki Sudo’s birthday present has luminescent hour markings and hands, a sapphire crystal, and is completely water resistant. Indeed, it is the sign of a truly proud Japanese father when his son receives a Rolex for his birthday. Like Rolex, Genki Sudo has done well and excelled in his chosen field.



Without question, Genki Sudo’s father has every reason to be proud of his son, the Neo-Samurai. When his son enters the ring or the cage, he carries a flag that proclaims amid a tapestry of the flags of the world: “We Are All One”. Sudo’s signature moves are the spinning triangle and the flying backfist. Sudo has fought in three UFC events and won twice. The question is whether he will return to the UFC wearing his new Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT Master and take on the UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. If Silva and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar are not already wearing Rolex watches, when are they going to honor their belts and wear the watch that has stood for and continues to stand for the very best in the world? Of course, another intriguing question is what kind of Rolex these two great Champions would choose for themselves?

- Rolex Luxury Watch Blog

Daniel Craig Rolex Watch

Daniel Craig chooses to wear a Rolex Submariner 6358, even to interviews for the new Bond film Quantum of Solace. When playing James Bond in the film, however, Daniel Craig wears an Omega. Now what exactly is going on here?

With Quantum of Solace predicted to rake in over $60 million dollars on opening weekend, the producers of the new James Bond may not be worrying about the maverick approach of the new 007, Daniel Craig. Then again, maybe they should be listening to the wisdom of their chosen star and honor a great legacy.

Why is Daniel Craig a maverick? Although James Bond wears an Omega in the new films, Daniel Craig chooses to go against the grain of his producers and wears a classic Rolex Submariner 6358 to his interviews and in his personal life. Since Ian Fleming wrote in the original novels that his character James Bond wears a Rolex and Sean Connery always wore a Rolex Submariner 6358 in the early classic films, Daniel Craig pays tribute to these cultural icons by wearing a Rolex. At a recent GQ photo shoot, the entire wardrobe was styled for Daniel Craig, except for one key element: “Watch by Rolex, Craig’s own.”

In addition, at a recent Current.com interview, the writer described Daniel Craig’s entrance like this: “As 007 walks into the room, his charming smile breaks for a second – his right arm is dangling in two black slings. “My shoulder was at the doctor”, he jokes, offering his left hand (adorned with an old Rolex). “Sorry!” And The Daily Mail in the UK commented on the lifestyle choice of the new James Bond: “Daniel Craig owns a version of the original Rolex Submariner worn by Sean Connery in Dr No.”



Even if Omega named their new watch after James Bond and was willing to pay a bundle for the product placement, maybe the producers should respect the awareness shown by their star of the true legacy and history of their character. Throughout his time as 007, Sean Connery was equipped with the Rolex Submariner, which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and Ian Fleming clearly chose Rolex as the watch worn by his creation. “Daniel Craig likes to tell a story about his watch. It is a Rolex Submariner 6358, an exact replica of the one he remembers Sean Connery wearing in Goldfinger.” (Empire Magazine). Now is the time for the producers of James Bond to follow the lead of their star and honor the legacy of Ian Fleming and Sean Connery — Give 007 back his Rolex.

Agent Ari Emanuel Give Orlando Bloom His Rolex Datejust

Flying across Hollywood that Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel played against the grain of his tough-as-nails reputation in a moment of extreme generosity and gave his $10,000 Rolex watch to rising star Orlando Bloom after the actor admired it. Was Ari Emanuel trying to steal Bloom away from agent Kevin Huvane at CAA? Did this classic moment between an agent and an actor actually happen or is it just more Hollywood hot air?

To place everything in context, Ari Emanuel is the brother of President-Elect Barack Obama’s new Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, and a founding partner of the Endeavor Talent Agency. Emanuel is loyal to his Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Turn-O-Graph Datejust with the Blue Dial. Mark Wahlberg is one of Emanuel’s biggest clients and the producer of HBO’s Entourage, which is based on his experiences as a star. Wahlberg based the character of superagent Ari Gold, played by Jeremy Piven, on Emanuel.

Like his agent, Wahlberg is a huge Rolex enthusiast, and he wears a Rolex YG-GMT-II with the famous Green Dial. Premiere clearly illuminated Mark Wahlberg’s history with his Rolex: “Wahlberg has barely touched his corned beef hash. He checks his watch, a gold, anniversary edition Rolex with a green face that he picked up in Vegas. “I bought one for Rhea too,” he says, only half joking when he adds, “I told her, ‘I got you something so you’ll let me play golf for a month without any kind of argument.’”

In the past, Orlando Bloom has worn classic Rolex watches in his photo shoots for magazines. In Bloom’s GQ shoot, the credit is as follows: Vintage watch (without band): Rolex. After seeing all the other Hollywood stars like Mark Wahlberg wearing Rolexes, did Bloom want one as well? It is clear that when Orlando Bloom bumped into Ari Emanuel at a gourmet restaurant, the actor admired Emanuel’s Rolex Datejust. Explaining the agent’s normal demeanor, his fan site states, “Emanuel commonly is referred to in Hollywood circles as being competitive, aggressive and, at times, obnoxious.”



When Orlando Bloom gushed over his Rolex Datejust, did Emanuel experience a moment of true generosity and give the actor his watch? On the other hand, was the superagent just trying like Ari Gold in Entourage to win over another major client to his agency? We may never know whether the Rolex giveaway happened, and, if it did, what was the story behind it? In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will hope it was a moment of true generosity when Ari Emanuel gave Orlando Bloom his Rolex Datejust with the Blue Dial.