Dr. Jonny Kim Amazing Photography

...Rolex Outer Space Shot of The Year...

Dr. Jonny Kim

NASA Astronaut 

International Space Station 

Pepsi GMT-Master

In the past, we have shared some very cool images of Rolex watches being used in the zero gravity environment in outer space. We have seem images taken aboard The Space Shuttle, The International Space Station, and even on the moon. That being said, this image that Eagle Eyes, Nick Gould recently discovered of NASA Astronaut, Dr. Jonny Kim taken aboard the International Space Station is epic for many different reasons.

First of all, it's just a really cool image of a Pepsi GMT-Master taken in outer space. If you didn't know any better, you might assume Dr. Kim is just taking photos of earth out the window, but there's much more to this image as we will soon see...

The fact that it's shows Dr. Kim taking a photograph while floating upside down is also really interesting. 

The way the earth is pictured in the background is also fascinating. If you look closely at the image, you will notice Dr. Kim is taking photos of the Crew-11 ship from Space X as it approached the International Space Station just before it docked. The images below that Dr. Kim took looks like a screenshot from a Star Wars movie, but it's real.

You can learn and see much more by checking out NASA's Jonny Kim Facebook page, which Dr. Kim updates regularly.

Time Lapse Beauty

Dr. Kim took following time lapse videos of earth from the International Space Station and they are magnificently beautiful:

Vintage Rolex Milgauss Rolex Magazine Ad

Vintage Rolex Milgauss 

LIVE FOR GREATNESS 

ROLEX MAGAZINE AD

Weekend Watching Jon Rahm

 Weekend Watching

Jon Rahm

 

"Golf is You v. You!"

This is a fascinating video documentary from Rolex on Jon Rahm, who is an amazing golfer, and his background story is super interesting as he is the first Spaniard to become a U.S. Open Champion. Rahm's life journey has been filled with challenges he has overcome to build an amazing life.

Rolex said: "One of the most talented and successful golfers of his generation, Jon Rahm shares his extraordinary journey from being a young talent in Spain to reaching the pinnacle of the men’s game. In an exclusive documentary series about the Rolex family, he opens his personal journals to reveal how he developed his “Mind Over Matter” mentality and learned to channel his emotions – a skill that has been integral to his success."

Day-Date 40 With Green Matte Dial

The Color of Money

Rolex Day-Date

With Green Lacquered Dial

The thing about Rolex watches, is often times you fall in love with a model, and then you just can't seem to get her out of your head, and that's the case here...well actually it's more the dial...Rolex introduced this magnificent beauty at Watches and Wonders back in 2022, and at the time a few escaped the press releases though they had never been in the Rolex catalog before. And they deserve a mention. Check out Jake's story, for example, on his favorite release of 2022, a release that flew under the radar: The Datejust 41 blue fluted motif dial.

The Rolex that caught my eye at the time was the then new 40mm Day-Date in yellow gold⁠ with a lacquered green dial and gold Roman numerals which also escaped media coverage. I find the watch just absolutely beautiful. Long-time watch aficionado Kristian Haagen was able to try one on. This was a new 2022 model.

Photo Credit: Kristian Haagen

The yellow gold combined with this green dial reminds me a lot of the discontinued yellow-gold GMT-Master II. 

I find this new Day-Date beautiful; it's pure class and surely deserves to be highlighted.

Photo Credit: @Watchesbykell

Howard Schultz: Founder & CEO of Starbucks

...Rolex Coolness...

Howard Schultz

Howard Shultz rockin' his vintage Single Red Submariner [Reference 1680]

Starbucks

Founder & Chairman 

Do you think Starbuck coffee taste great? I am not much of a coffee conisure, but one thing is for certain, and that is Howard Shultz has Amazing taste in Rolex watches. Howard Schultz is no longer involved in Starbucks' operations or leadership. He stepped down from the board in September 2023 and holds the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus, which carries no legal or company authority.

Shultz definitely has a penchant for collecting and wearing magnificent vintage Rolex watch models. Back in 2020 Howard Shultz entered the race for president of the United States and then strangely pulled out citing he thought his campaign would have been divisive which seems ridiculous to me as I think he would have made a good President. There have been many President's that wore Rolex watches throughout history. As a matter of fact the bracelet on the Day-Date is named "The President". If you want to learn more about this subject I recommend reading my story titled "The Complete History Of The Rolex President".

Howard Shultz was interviewed on how he was seriously considering running for President of the United States in the video below: 

Vintage Rolex Keeping The Time Of His Life

Howard Shultz is not only the founder and CEO of Starbucks, but a vintage Rolex collector. Howard is pictured below on the cover of the 2016 Forbes Magazine Special Issue named, "Meet The Richest People On The Planet."

2 Different Black Dial

Paul Newman Daytona Models

This is a really profound!!! In the photo above on the cover of Forbes Magazine we see Howard Schultz wearing a Rolex Daytona Reference 6239, and you can tell it's a 6239 as it has pump pushers and two lines of text under the Rolex Crown on the dial just like in the photo below. It also has a silver bezel.

Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 Pictured Above

Daytona Rolex Oyster Sotto

This is where it gets really profound! In the next two photos we see what at first appears to be the same Paul Newman Exotic Dial Daytona as seen on the cover Forbes Magazine covers, but upon closer inspection it is a Daytona Rolex Oyster Sotto [Reference 6236] Notice it has screw down pushers and a third line of text under the Rolex crown on the dial that has says "Rolex Cosmograph Oyster." This watch is commonly known as the "RCO". If you look closely you will also notice it has a black bezel insert.

For frame of reference I am including the photo below of a very rare Rolex Daytona Oyster Sotto Reference 6236. Notice it has three lines of text under the crown as apposed to just 2, and also features screw down pushers. The 6263 is MUCH rarer than the Reference 6239 and is currently worth around $1.5 Million, as apposed to the Oyster Sotto Reference 6236 which is worth between $150k-$250k—largely depending on condition. 

Rolex Daytona Oyster 'Sotto' Reference 6236 Pictured Above

When you are a multi-billionaire and one of the wealthiest men on earth it makes sense you could own, and most importantly wear two different Rolex Daytona models that look almost identical, but have such a huge market value delta. "Sotto" is Italian and translated into English it means 'under'. Basically a Sotto is a 6262/64 with a Paul Newman dial, where Rolex later added the World "Oyster" under "Rolex" and "Cosmograph".

Phillips recently auctioned a beautiful Rolex Daytona 6239 model with an amazing provenance from LeeRoy Yarbrough, who won it as a prize when he own the Daytona 500 in 1969.

Christie's Auction House successfully auctioned an ultra-rare Rolex "Paul Newman Mark 1 Oyster Sotto Daytona" on December 7, 2017 for around $1.1 Million, and it is worth taking a look at if you want to learn more about the Rolex Daytona Reference 6263.

Big Red Rolex Daytona

In this next image we see Howard Schultz wearing his "Big Red" Daytona [Reference 6263].

Pre-Daytona Chronograph

In the next two images we see Howard Schultz sporting a pre-Daytona Rolex Chronograph on a Oyster bracelet. 

The Rolex Pre-Daytona Chronograph [Reference 6538] differs from the Daytona as it has it's timing track on the outer rim of the dial, whereas the Daytona has the track on the bezel. When George Lazenby played James Bond in the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" he wore the same model but with a silver dial.

Triple Date Chronograph

In these next images below we see Howard Shultz sportin' a very rare complicated Rolex Triple-Date Chronograph [Reference 6236].

I am including a photo below for frame of reference. This is not Howard Shultz's Triple Date, but a model very similar to it. This photo appears courtesy of Christie's Auction House and the watch was recently sold at auction last month for $87,500.

In this next photo we see Howard Schultz wearing his triple date Rolex Chronogaph on a leather strap. It is interesting to not the Rolex 6236 Chronograph is the most complicated Rolex watch ever made in the history of the company.

This Rolex Triple Date Chronograph was made in 1958 and is a magnificent watch but commonly falsely attributed to Rolex brand Ambassador, Jean-Claude Killy, just like the false association between known as the Steve McQueen Explorer which NEVER existed. 

Explorer II "Orange Hand"

You can learn much more about false Rolex associations in my article named "The Complete History Of Rolex Mythbusting." Ironically, in this next photo of Howard Shultz, he is wearing his vintage Orange Hand Explorer II [Reference 1655], which is the model that Jean-Claude Killy actually wore, but Steve McQueen was falsely attributed to have worn :-)

Espresso GMT-Master

In this next photo we CEO Howard Shultz sporting a vintage Rolex Espresso GMT Master.

Rolex Explorer

In these next photos we see Howard Shultz wearing a vintage Rolex Explorer.

The Starbucks Submariner

With all due respect, I think Howard Schultz would be better-off wearing a Starbucks Submariner or 50th Anniversary Submariner. I created this graphic illustration seen below years ago to illustrate how the LV Submariner reminded me of the Starbucks logo.

In all seriousness, Howard Schultz wrote one of the absolute best and most inspirational business autobiographies I have ever read, which I very highly recommend!!!

The book titled Pour Your Heart Into It tells the story not only of how Howard Schultz built the Starbucks empire, but goes into great detail on his business ethics philosophy. I remember he talked about how he insisted that all Starbucks employees be given health care and I also remember him talking about "the power of Under-promising and Over-delivering." 

Rolex Macro Shot of the Month: Jean-Michel's Rolex SEA-DWELLER

...Rolex Macro Shot Of The Month...

Jean-Michel's Rolex SEA-DWELLER

Michael Madsen Belongs To The Ages

 

Michael Madsen

Belongs To The Ages

1957-2025

Hollywood is reeling from the loss of Michael Madsen, the iconic actor whose unforgettable performances left an indelible mark on cinema. Madsen passed away on July 3, 2025, at the age of 67 due to cardiac arrest, joining a wave of beloved figures who have departed in recent times. Known for his rugged charisma and intense screen presence, Madsen was often seen sporting his Rolex Explorer, a timepiece that mirrored his gritty yet sophisticated persona.

Madsen’s career spanned over four decades, with more than 300 film and television roles to his name. He first gained widespread recognition as the psychopathic Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992), a role that showcased his ability to blend menace with magnetic charm. 

His collaboration with Tarantino continued in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) as Budd, a weathered hitman, and later in The Hateful Eight (2015) as Joe Gage, cementing his status as a Tarantino staple. Beyond these, Madsen’s versatility shone in films like Thelma & Louise (1991), where he played the soulful Jimmy, and Donnie Brasco (1997), portraying a mobster with understated depth.

His contributions extended to voice acting, notably as Maugrim in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), and independent films like The Natural (1984), where his early work hinted at the star he would become. Madsen also explored writing and directing, showcasing his creative range, and appeared in music videos, including Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money,” adding a modern edge to his legacy.

The Rolex Explorer, often seen on Madsen’s wrist, was a fitting companion for a man whose career was defined by resilience and authenticity. With its robust design and timeless elegance, the Explorer echoed Madsen’s ability to navigate Hollywood’s highs and lows with unwavering presence. Whether on the red carpet or in candid moments, his watch was a quiet testament to his enduring style.

As we reflect on Michael Madsen’s remarkable legacy, his Rolex Explorer remains a symbol of a life lived boldly. From indie gems to blockbuster hits, his work continues to inspire. Rest in peace, Michael Madsen—your grit, grace, and timeless talent will not be forgotten.

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: Roberto's Pre-Daytona Rolex Chronograph

Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day

Roberto's Pre-Daytona Rolex Chronograph

Roberto is from Italy and he has an amazing collection of vintage Rolex watches. He took this stunning image of his pre-Daytona Rolex Chronograph. Notice is has a different scale running around the outside of the dial, along with the secondary scale on the bezel insert.

Rolex Laureates Weekend Watching

...Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative...

 Weekend Watching

An Amazing Story

 

of Rolex Laureates 

Let's face reality for a moment. We live in a hectic world, and are bombarded on a regular basis with many negative things, thus this video from Rolex is a breath of fresh air, as it features two female leaders who are completely pushing the envelope on what is possible in order to make the world a much better place.

Miranda Wang is realizing a decade of research and innovation. With support from Rolex, she has successfully built a first-of-its-kind demonstration plant that can turn low-value plastics into high-quality materials, a major milestone towards a plastic circular economy.

Plastics are one of the defining materials of the modern age. Today, they can be engineered to create almost any product, from components in spacecraft to snack packaging and socks. But the qualities that have made plastics so ubiquitous: durability, strength, flexibility and affordability, have also resulted in their becoming one of humanity’s biggest headaches. 

Most plastic waste can so far not be re-used. Traditional plastic recycling is only able to generate lower-quality products than the original material, resulting in a constant down-cycling. At present, just nine per cent of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastics created each year are recycled. An estimated 52 million tonnes spill uncontrolled into the environment, harming ecosystems, endangering marine life and damaging human health.

Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona On Instagram

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

Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona

This is one of my favorite Daytona shots from the Rolex Instagram page, that features a yellow gold Bumble Bee Daytona, which is some kind of wonderful.