Doctor Edgar Mitchell's GMT-Master, The First Documented Rolex to be Worn on the Moon to be auctioned...

Note from Jake: When I first started blogging on RolexMagazine.com on Jake's Rolex World, back in 2008, I had a bizarre habit of writing long-form Rolex history stories I would publish an earlier draft of, then continue working on updating the article over the course of a couple of days. Today, I don't live blog that often, but I am going old-school on this story as it goes so deep, and contains so much important Rolex Space Race history. In particular, I am certain this story will tie together and clarify a number of previously confusing loose ends. I have already put together quite a bit on this story, but plan to update over the next couple of days, and when I feel it is complete, I will remove this note.

If you have followed Jake's Rolex World over the past few decades, you know I have been passionately obsessed with capturing all of Rolex's Outer Space History. As a matter of fact, I have been working for years on putting together a series of 15 books, which have yet to be published, which cover the ENTIRE Rolex history Arc. 

My upcoming books are a veritable encyclopedia of Rolex history and I have one volume dedicated exclusively to Rolex's Conquest of Space, and below we see the working cover art for the book and it's named "Rolex, Space Conquest: From Switzerland to the Moon and Beyond, by Jake Ehrlich."

The Rolex Space Race

When many people think about NASA and Astronauts, they think about OMEGA watches, but the truth is many, many, many NASA astronauts chose Rolex to keep the time of their life personally, as well as in space and on the moon with Rolex watches. I think it would be safe to say if OMEGA was the choice of watch for Astronauts to wear in space, Rolex was the personal choice of Astronauts to wear in their everyday lives, as well as in space. 

Suffice it to say Jake's Rolex World today is the single largest repository of Rolex Space related history on the web, and that ranges from Rolex being worn on the moon, or on the International Space Station, as well as on the Space Shuttle. The image below is of a Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master floating in zero gravity about the International Space Station taken by Saudi Astronaut, Ali AlQarni, during the Ax-2 mission aboard the International Space Station in 2023.

“The vision recurs; the eastern sun has a second rise; history repeats her tale unconsciously, and goes off into a mystic rhyme; ages are prototypes of other ages, and the winding course of time brings us round to the same spot again.”  

—Mystic Rhyme (1845)

Rolex SPACE DWELLER

At one point Rolex actually made a rare model named the Space Dweller, but its older sibling named the Rolex SEA-DWELLER was made for Aquanauts who lived on the Ocean Floor. A Supreme irony is one of the rarest SINGLE RED SEA-DWELLERS actually made its way up to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor during Mission STS-118. The irony is this same SRSD was made by Rolex for the U.S. Navy SEALAB program for Dr. Joe MacInnis.

Rolex SPACE SHUTTLE

One of my favorite Rolex Space stories that come to mind covers NASA Astronaut, Dr. Leroy Chiao who I interviewed in 2008. Dr. Chiao is a really cool guy and is one of the most decorated astronauts in history. Dr. Chiao is pictured below as he prepares for take-off on the Russian Soyuz Rocket on its way to the International Space Station. 

In the picture above you first notice the American Flag on Dr. Chiao's arm, and if you zoom in close you notice the Pepsi GMT-Master on a Jubilee bracelet.

Rolex Apollo Astronauts

I have an exciting secret to share with you. This article focuses on Apollo 14 and Dr. Edgar Mitchell's GMT-Master, but I have some over-the-top, game-changing  crazy Rolex Apollo news coming up soon, that will forever change the moonscape for the Apollo moon missions, and I plan to reveal it soon on Jake's Rolex World, so stay tuned...Actually, I was saving it for my upcoming Rolex Space Conquest book, but I think it's too important not to share sooner than later. If you want to know the truth, I am terrible keeping secrets as I love sharing with people, so I am like a kid who keeps trying to open Christmas presents long before they are supposed to be opened...

Over the decades I have published many stories on Apollo 14's Moon Mission among many other NASA stories. I began chronicling Apollo 14 back in 2008, and I wrote a story that was updated many times named "Apollo 14, Rolex Moon Watches, Pepsi Rolex GMT Master", which I last updated on July 23, 2012. 

In the photo above we see the prime crew of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. Pictured from left to right we see mission commander, Stuart Roosa, Alan Shephard Jr., and lunar module pilot, Dr Edgar Mitchell.

On Friday, November 18, 2018, I published as story titled "Newly Discovered Video Confirms Pepsi GMT-Master Being Worn by Commander Stuart Roosa Aboard Apollo 14 CSM". That story was very exciting as I was the first to discover and document the fact that Roosa also wore a Rolex GMT-Master. Thus completing the trifecta of all 3 Apollo 14 NASA Astronauts rocking Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master models.

It turns out that all three Apollo 14 Astronauts wore Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master Models as their personal watches. In the image above we see Alan Shepherd Jr. wearing his GMT-Master as he posses with his fellow prime team members in front of the Saturn Rocket which would take them to the moon.

Again, on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 I published an article named "50th Anniversary, Apollo 14 Astronauts Prefer Pepsi GMT-Master", which among other things showcased how all 3 Apollo crew member wore Pepsi GMT-Master models as their personal watches, and at least 2 of them wore and depended on their personal GMT-Models while they flew to the moon and back.

Before we take a closer look at Dr. Edgar Michell's Rolex, let's take a closer look at the Apollo 14 mission. It turns out that all three Apollo 14 mission NASA Astronauts wore and chose to depend on the exact same model watch, which was a Rolex GMT-Master.

Dr. Edgar Mitchell

First, we see Dr. Edgar Mitchell rocking his Pepsi GMT-Master as he wore it on his right wrist. This is the same GMT-Master that is currently being auctioned.

NASA Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Dr. Edgar Mitchell pictured in 1971 wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master he wore to the moon. (Photo: USN)

In this next photo we see Alan Shepard (light blue shirt) and Ed Mitchell (cap) on a geology field trip, at Craters of the Moon, Idaho on August 22, 1969. Notice that Ed Mitchell is wearing his trademark Pepsi Rolex GMT on his left wrist.

Alan Shepard 

Next up we see Apollo 14 Commander, Alan Shepard JR. rocking his Rolex GMT-Master.

NASA Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard pictured above on October 27, 1971 at the United Nations (Photo: AP/UN)

In the photo below we get a crystal clear identification shot of Alan Shepard rocking his GMT-Master.

Stuart Roosa

Next up we see Stuart Roosa wearing his GMT-Master, which is also flipped around, just like Alan Shephard's pictured above.

NASA Apollo 14 Command Module Pilot pictured wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master (Photo: AP/UN)

Apollo 14 Mission

This next NASA photo is of the NASA Apollo 14 Lunar Module parked on the Moon surface which delivered Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Alan Shepard to the moon surface and returned them to the Service Module. Dr. Edgar Mitchell took the photo below of Alan Shepard on the moon surface, posing with the American flag, and in this photo we see Dr. Mitchell's shadow in the front of the photo.

Dr. Mitchell would go on to take the longest recorded moon walk in history which exceeded nine hours, during which he specifically stated that he wore his Pepsi GMT-Master on his right wrist.  

This next NASA photo is of the NASA Apollo 14 Lunar Module parked on the Moon surface which delivered Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Alan Shepard to the moon surface and returned them to the Service Module.

Dr. Edgar Mitchell's

Rolex GMT-Master

Moonwatch

Coming to Auction 

Today, we are witnessing another chapter being written in the Rolex Space Conquest History book as Dr. Edgar Mitchell's Rolex GMT-Master is in the process of being auctioned by RR Auction in the United States. This watch is only the second Rolex Moon watch to ever come to public auction, with the first being worn by Ronald Evans of Apollo 17. Ronald Evan's watch sold back on October 8, 2009 for $131,450.

Photo above of Dr. Edgar Mitchell's Rolex GMT-Master appears courtesy of RR Auction and shows Dr. Mitchels Pepsi GMT-Master which is a Reference 1675.

This is an interesting type of auction as RR Auction opened up the biding online  on September 26, 2024, while informing the world that the action would culminate on October 24, 2024 at 7PM EDT, and told the world that bidders must register and bid by 6PM EDT on October 24th to be allowed to bid in the final 30 minutes of the live auction.

NASA Apollo 14 Astronaut, Dr. Edger Mitchell pictured above putting on his Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master as he suits up to fly to the moon. It has always fascinated me that the red and blue bezel insert on the Pepsi GMT-Master along with the large white 5-minute markers always have always matched and reminded me of the American Flag, which we also see on Dr. Michell's left arm.

Fly Me To The Moon 

It's interesting to note Dr. Mitchell's Rolex GMT-Master is only the second lunar worn Rolex to be offered for public sale. Also, Dr. Mitchell was the sixth NASA Astronaut to walk on the moon. Also, it's assumed that Dr. Mitchell's Rolex was the first Rolex worn on the moon, but I am aware of additional evidence that suggests a different Rolex may have been previously to his on the Moon, but suffice it to say Mitchell's is definitely the first documented Rolex to date that was worn on the moon.

When the auction first went live, I think the first bid was in the low tens of thousands of dollars. Today, as I write this there have been 26 additional bids, and Dr. Mitchell's Rolex GMT-Master is now up over $500,000.00. This makes sense as this watch has an unusually strong provenance and historical significance, coupled with the fact that it's a really great looking watch.

Below we see a certificate of Authenticity that was signed by Dr. Edgar Mitchell confirming he wore his Pepsi GMT-Master on the moon. 

Ceramic LV Submariner Bezel Insert

Ceramic LV Submariner Bezel Insert

This is an amazing Rolex photo of the current ceramic Rolex LV Submariner bezel insert. If you look closely at the detail, it is incredible how the markers are etched into the ceramic!!!! 

Pepsi in Winter Wonderland

...Wrist Shot Of The Day...

Quentin's Ice-Cold Pepsi GMT

We are heading into Fall in the Northern Hemisphere again, and soon we should see some snow. So I thought it would make sense to take a look at Quentin's vintage Pepsi GMT-Master.

The John Player Special...Exotic Dial Up Close...

...Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day...

The John Player Special

Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona

Can it be that it was all so simple then...

...or has TIME rewritten every line?

Adrienne Vittadini 1997 Rolex Explorer Ad

Adrienne Vittadini

1997 Rolex Explorer Ad

I thought it would be interesting to look at this magnificent Rolex Magazine ad from 30 years ago. I remember seeing this Adrienne Vittadini ad 23 years ago, in 1997, and it only took me nine years to find it in high-resolution?!! This is a fairly major piece of Rolex history, and it is probably the first Rolex advertisement that shows a woman wearing a man's 40mm Rolex...

Adrienne Vittadini is an American designer who was born Adrienne Toth in 1944. Andrienne's father was a physician and a staunch anticommunist and was a supporter of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Below we see a photo of Adrienne Vittadini taken in 2018 and, notice, she is wearing a stainless steel Rolex Daytona with a white dial...

In this next photo taken in 2012, we see Adrienne wearing a Lady-Datejust... 

Petter from Hungary wrote in and said:
Hey Jake,
Just saw your post on the blog about Adrienne Vittadini. She was born in Győr - Hungary, my hometown.
Lovely little place, have a look :)
Kind regards,
Petter

1977 Rolex Brochure Cover...

1977 

Rolex Brochure Cover

I am pretty certain this is the first Rolex brochure I ever looked at when I was young...Total Deja Vu when I look at this now!!!

THE BOSS: Bruce Springsteen Vintage Rolex Collector

A True Empresario

On The Night Shift

There is nothing more interesting than when a famous, super-iconic singer covers a song or songs that they just love and do it better than the original singer, and that is exactly what occurred with Bruce Springsteen's hauntingly great cover of The Commodores "Night Shift".

Bruce is unusual, in the sense he performs a significant number of covers—meaning singing songs other people made famous, but he does it so well, and always ads his own unique "Boss-like-flavor", which I find to be infinitely interesting... As usual, he offers a command performance, and one thing Bruce has in common with Rolex is they are both highly charismatic timeless icons that have endured...Bruce is 75 years young, and still going full-speed-ahead...

I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't include the original version of The Night Shift (below) by The Commodores, as it is an amazing classic...and it's filled with Rolex watches...

THE BOSS

Bruce Springsteen

Vintage Rolex Collector

Bruce Springsteen is one of the greatest singer, songwriter, guitarist who has ever lived, and to say he is an international treasure would be an understatement. I first reported on Bruce Springsteen wearing a Rolex Submariner back in 2009, and with this story we learn that 'The Boss' is an avid vintage Rolex collector. Special thanks to Nick Gould for discovering these images of The Boss...

Bruce Springsteen is pictured below back in 1974 in an amazing photo taken by Barry Schneier which appeared in a superb story by Rolling Stone Magazine.

I first became a fan of Bruce Springsteen when I was 14 years old back in 1980 when he came out with his landmark double album named "THE RIVER" which featured highly iconic songs like "Jackson Cage", "Sherry Darling", "Hungry Heart", "The River", "Cadillac Ranch", "Point Blank" and "Fade Away"—just to name a few.

Bruce Springsteen's followed up with what might perhaps be his most famous and iconic album of all time that was BORN IN THE U.S.A. which is pictured below which was released in 1984. 

In the first photo above we see Bruce Springsteen rocking his vintage Pepsi GMT-Master on a Jubilee Bracelet, and in the next image below we see The Boss wearing his Single Red Submariner (Reference 1680).

In this next photo we see Bruce rocking a vintage Rolex Daytona [Reference 6263] when he recently appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

1951 ROLEX Magazine Datejust Ad...

1951 ROLEX Magazine Datejust Ad

BLUEPRINT OF Supremacy

Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative: “Expedition Amazon – Into the Waters”

 

 National Geographic +Rolex 

Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative 

Expedition Amazon - Into the Waters 

Over the course of two years, teams of Explorers on the Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition have studied the Amazon River Basin from source to mouth – across six countries. In this bonus material to National Geographic’s “Expedition Amazon” documentary, premiering on 10 October, National Geographic Explorers Thomas Peschak, Fernando Trujillo, Thiago Silva and Julia Tavares guide us from the farthest source of the river, the Nevado Mismi in Peru, to the official start of the Amazon at the Brazilian Meeting of the Waters. 

Along the way we meet an adored Colombian rescue manatee named Moechi, and travel to rare Bolivian clearwaters, where gilded catfish are plentiful. Discover more of the Amazon's incredible wildlife, nature, and communities through the immersive experience on National Geographic.

Dimitri Rebikoff and How the Rolex SUBMARINER was Born

...Story Preview...

DIMITRI REBIKOFF

The Genesis of the Rolex Submariner

A Story of a Man and His Machines

Nicholas Foulkes interesting new book on the Rolex Submariner goes into some detail on the role Dimitri Rebikoff played in the development of what went on become the most famous dive watch in history. I have been working deeply on researching Dimitri Rebikoff's role in the genesis of the Rolex Submariner watch model for many years now, and have been preparing to publish a detailed story with my clarifying findings sometime soon, so the timing seems perfect to share this preview with you now:

In my upcoming story we will hop in the Rolex Time Machine and travel back to yesteryear to learn all about Dimitri Rebikoff (pictured above and below) and his amazing lifetime career achievements from many people I have interviewed who were close with and knew him well. This is an amazing story about a man and his machines he brought to life as necessity compelled. The photo and excerpt below on Dimitri Rebikoff were published in 1957.

The Rolex Submariner is one of the most iconic and famous sport watches on earth. It's handsome, rugged, and sporty, yet super versatile.

The late art-deco design language from the early 1950s that still permeates the Rolex Submariner continues to transcend time. The Submariner can be dressed-down with everything from a pair of shorts and a T-Shirt with flip-flops, to being dressed-up with a formal black tie. The photos below of Hollywood actor and producer, Brian Kelly rocking his Rolex Submariner illustrate this point perfectly as they were taken more than a half-century ago, yet they almost look like they could have been taken yesterday...Brian Kelly played Porter Ricks on the 1960 aquatic show named Flipper.

There are many examples of this from the vintage Sean Connery as 007, rocking his Rolex Submariner while he dives, as well as when he wears his Submariner with his white dinner jacket, and you can fast forward to today and see the greatest tennis player in history, Roger Federer wearing shorts and a T-Shirt or a tuxedo, and the coolest thing is anybody and everybody can accessories a Submariner any way they want and truly make it theirs.

One of the great unanswered questions is 'Where exactly did this timeless Rolex Submariner tool watch come from, and how—precisely—did it get its name? And, how is Submariner properly pronounced? This upcoming story will answer these and many of other seminal questions for the first time.

The Life Aquatic

In this upcoming story we will learn all about how the Rolex Submariner began its humble life as a Rolex Explorer variant, which of course, began its Maratime career as an Oyster Perpetual variant, which we witness with the 1929 Rolex Magazine ad (pictured below) for the then avant-garde Rolex "Oyster" tool watch. 

Just to be crystal clear, on the simplest level, I am saying the Rolex Submariner evolved from the Rolex Explorer, which had previously evolved from the Rolex Oyster Perpetual.

This early 1929 Rolex Oyster advertisement pictured above appears in my upcoming book series in Volume 1 and is the earliest known aquatic themed Rolex Magazine advertisement I am aware of, but suffice it to say Rolex's founder Hans Wildsorf was always very aware of the role it could play in the life aquatic. 

Below we see another magnificent art deco Italian Rolex mermaid Rolex Magazine advertisement which is so beautiful...

Rolex's very first Rolex Magazine advertisement that featured a deep sea diver made its debut in 1948, and featured Italian diver, Adolfo Vanni. Adolfo was a hardhat diver, which means his breathing apparatus was tethered to a ship up on the surface, and in October of 1948 he reached an extraordinary depth 1066 Feet, which is 325 meters, while wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Watch on his wrist. Special thanks to Rolex history researcher, Pierre Jean @therolex_archivist, who discovered this amazing vintage Rolex Magazine ad.

Are You Going to

Basel Fair?

Rolex Showcases Their 

Technological Waterproofing Prowess

Basel Fair was the biggest watch trade show in Switzerland and was founded in 1917. Rolex first exhibited their watches at Basel Fair in 1939, and in 1942, Rolex flexed their technological prowess when they displayed Rolex watches easily withstanding their environment in a tank pressurized to 120 Meters (394 Feet), as we see in the image below that was published in the Revue internationale de l'horlogerie.

If you look closely, you will notice there is an unusually large watch located on the left side of the tank displayed on the bottom image of the page seen above and it features a black dial. Below we get a closer look at the mysterious Rolex Diving Watch from 1942, and it's located in the bottom left hand corner, and appears to have a black dial.

My best guess is this may be the highly elusive Rolex Reference 2533 with a cushion case that was published in a 1935 Rolex Catalog, but unfortunately today there are no known examples out in the wild, although it has been rumored Rolex has an version of it in their private museum collection in Geneva, Switzerland. 

The Rolex Reference 2533 formed the basis for which the original Panerai Watches were based upon, and essentially Rolex took a 47MM Rolex Oyster Pocket Watch as illustrated below, and rotated the case 90 degrees to the right, then soldiered lugs on the case, and removed the hanging watch chain fob as seen below in this image from the ultra-knowledgable horological forensics expert, Jose, at Perezcope.com.

The supreme irony with the oversized 47MM Rolex Oyster pictured above is in many ways it represents the genesis of the Rolex diving watch in the sense it was the first watch destined to conquer the Deep Sea, and when I publish the full version of this article, it will go into great detail on the evolution of this watch model and how it ultimately led to the advent of the Rolex Submariner.

Basel Fair 1954

The Birth of Rolex Cosplay

In 1954, Basel Fair radically expanded and modernized their facilities in Basel, Switzerland when they launched Hall 2, which is pictured below in the Ariel photo on the right. If you look closely at the photo below you will see the original Basel Fair Hall 1 on the left. 

Basel Fair Hall 1 and Hall 2 pictured above in 1954 in Basel, Switzerland

Basel Fair in 1954 represents and demarcates a seminal year in which classism gave way to modernism in the world of horology—as the world raced ahead into the space age—and Rolex was there front and center with a cadre of new Rolex Sports Tool Watch models as seen in this page from Europa Star published in 1954. 

Keep in mind that despite the fact the Rolex Submariner today is considered to be an absolute classic design, it was once considered to be extremely bold and modern. At the time many people ridiculed Rolex sport watches saying they were way too big and heavy. 

    "All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed—only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle."

—Nikola Tesla

The Rolex Magazine advertisement seen below for the Rolex Explorer is from 1964 and captures the core essence of Rolex tool watches, as it features the Rolex Explorer, but there is much more to the Explorer than meets the eye.

Where's The Beef?

Where's the Submariner? Show me the Submariner!?!! One of the interesting details I couldn't help but notice in Nicholas Foulkes recently released Rolex History book named Oyster Perpetual Submariner, The Watch That Unlocked The Deep, which I will be reviewing soon here on Jake's Rolex World, is it strangely didn't contain any photos of Dimitri Rebikoff wearing a Rolex Submariner? 

This seems like a supreme irony to me as Rebikoff helped bring the Submariner to life, so I thought I would share some images in this preview, and mention I have many more never before seen exclusive photos coming up in my full article. The photo below shows Rebikoff rocking his prototype Submariner back in 1955 as he is working in his back yard on an underwater lighting "Torpedo".

Talent does what it can... Genius does what it must...

Below we see a Rolex Magazine ad featuring the Submariner from 1957 that was taken during prototype testing.

Speaking of books on Rolex History, I have been working for years now on a series of 15 books, or volumes, that cover the entire historical arc of Rolex, and my chapter on Dimitri Rebikoff is featured in VOLUME 3, which is titled, "The Complete History of Rolex MAD MEN: How They Created The International Mark of Success, by JAKE EHRLICH", and we see the cover art for that volume below.

Speaking of Rolex Mad Men, the reason Volume 3 of my book series is titled "Mad Men" has to do with the role the original Ad Men of Madison Avenue played in making Rolex the most reputable brand on earth today. 

Pictured above we see Jon Hamm rocking a Rolex Explorer as he poses for a photo from the Mad Men series, and I think it is likely derivative of George Lazenby's 1969 photo below rocking a Rolex Submariner while he poses for a publicity shot from the James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Many people have been asking me when I plan to begin publishing my upcoming series of 15 volumes on the history of Rolex? Essentially, I have been researching and writing the equivalent of an Encyclopedia on Rolex History, which is a massive undertaking. My goal is to leave no stone unturned, and I wan't to make certain I deliver books that are as magnificent as Rolex itself, and as they say, 'good things take time.' As soon as I have a firm ETA I will post a story here on RolexMagazine.com.

In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed this teaser for my upcoming story on Dimitri Rebikoff, and when I publish this full story later this year, I am certain it will shed substantial light and immense insight on the genesis of the Rolex Submariner that has never been previously documented—so stay tuned...Special shout out to the Uber talented horological historian, Nick Gould for his invaluable contributions to this story...

Also, thanks to Dimitri Rebikoff for his invaluable design and utilitarian engineering contributions to the Rolex Submariner which he wore his entire career, and we see it on his wrist in the exclusive photo below that has never been published before from the collection of Captain Litt, who worked with Dimitri Rebikoff many years ago. In my upcoming article on Rebikoff, we will see many more action photos of him rocking Rolex Submariner watch models which he kept the time of this amazing life with.

ROLEX

The Timeless Time Machine

I put together a bunch of cool images that depict what I illustrated in the story above, as they tell a story without me having to write words beyond this: