Racing superstar Danica Patrick has joined a long list of motorsports superstars that have signed up to compete in the 47th anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 24-25, 2009. The grueling 24-hour race demands the very best from the competitors if they are not only trying to win, but also even finish. As a trailblazer, Danica Patrick last season became the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race. Although she failed to finish the Rolex 24 in 2006, she is back after taking a year off and ready to go for the blue ribbon. With natural talent and instinctive daring, Danica has the inner qualities necessary to win. If only Danica had a Rolex on her wrist before the race, she might see how the precision timepiece reflects the qualities she tries to achieve on the speedway.

If Danica Patrick could be given a lead on a Rolex watch to acquire, which Rolex ladies watch should she get to aid her in her cause? Although many of the professional men’s Rolex watches like the GMT Master II or the Daytona would do just fine, Danica needs a watch that reflects her style and class both on the raceway and on the red carpet. Melrose Jewelers happens to have a watch in stock that would meet Danica’s needs. The Ladies 2T Rolex Datejust is a spectacular watch showcasing the stunning Submariner Blue Diamond Dial. Its Oyster bracelet offers a modern appearance and is quite eye-catching with the combination of glossy Stainless Steel and 18k Yellow Gold, reflecting Danica’s balance between professional sports and fashion. Lastly, the .7ct Beadset Diamond Bezel set in 18k White Gold surrounds the magnificent dial and adds to the already glamorous appearance of this masterpiece. Such an incredible watch matches the blue colors of racing while offering the professional perfection of a Rolex. With the added diamond, it provides the glamour that a star like Danica Patrick not only needs, but also demands.

Danica competed in the Rolex 24 in 2006, but the team finished 50th after a mechanical breakdown. “I had such a good time,” said Patrick of her 2006 Rolex 24 start. “So many drivers come together for this event. Of course everyone wants to win and do well. But there’s such camaraderie at this. I’m just really grateful to come back to this team again. To be with a group of drivers like this, we have a great chance at winning this race.” Danica Patrick, who races with Andretti-Green Racing in the IndyCar Series, will spend this weekend’s test getting familiar with the Daytona Prototype again. She has plenty of memories from her lone 2006 start.

“There wasn’t a ton of running so it was hard to get a real feel of how the rhythm of the race goes and how it goes through the night and into the next day,” Danica said of her 2006 Rolex 24 experience, which cut short due to mechanical failures. “I’ll definitely be asking questions as we go along about that. I remember what it feels in the car and how it was around here and I think that will be able to carry over but also the car has improved too.” Hopefully, both the racing car and Danica’s team have improved because she deserves the opportunity to win the Rolex 24 and receive a Rolex watch as the prize for such a victory. Danica Patrick is a class act, and she would look perfect with a Rolex on her wrist.

A question that must be asked is whether the famous and infamous Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan has more Rolex watches or more love affairs with both men and women? There is little question amid the multitude of voices in today’s popular culture that Lindsay Lohan is a talented performer. Recently, however, Lohan’s most dramatic and eye-catching performances have taken place in her so-called private life. Her supposed committed gay relationship with Samantha Ronson went nuclear in the Miami airport over the New Year holiday with the two young women viciously screaming at each other. The Los Angeles Times reported hysterics and drama to the point where a flight attendant on American Airlines asked if they would like to disembark. Later, after they arrived and returned to their home in the Hollywood Hills, neighbors reported more screaming and glasses shattering. It is lucky Lindsay was not wearing her Rolex Daytona because the luxury watch would make quite a projectile weapon if thrown and not worn.

If Lindsay Lohan actually used her Rolex Daytona as a weapon, it most likely would have survived the impact. Rolex professional watches are known for their strength and endurance, even a gold and jeweled watch like Lindsay’s Daytona. Still, if Lindsay Lohan managed to actually damage her Rolex Daytona, she would have several more Rolex watches to choose from in her own personal collection. Lindsay Lohan tends to prefer wearing oversized Men’s Rolexes in both stainless steel and yellow gold. Yes, Lindsay is known for going through relationships these days faster than she checks in and out of rehabs. Beginning with Ronson, these relationships now include both women and men, which should continue in the future. Since Lindsay has been photographed in the past wearing more than one Rolex at a time and as many as three, there is no question that she loves the fashion and power that a Rolex watch represents in the popular culture. So does she have more Rolex watches than relationships, and is she willing to sacrifice her Rolex watches as projectile weapons whenever she breaks up with a lover?

Okay, more than a touch of irony is expressed in that last question. Hopefully, Lindsay will see the quality and precision reflected in each Rolex watch, and then attempt to mirror that quality and precision in her own life. In 2009, it is time for the talented performer to shift her performances away from her private life and return the drama and talent to her professional career. Lindsay Lohan’s love of Rolex watches reveals her inherent taste and respect for true quality. Now Lindsay has to learn to respect and love herself.

Since 1982, Spanish-Mexican operatic tenor José Plácido Domingo has been an extraordinary Ambassador for Rolex Watches in both advertising and philanthropy. Although originally hired to represent the Rolex GMT Master, Plácido Domingo also has been connected with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watches over the years. Giving him even greater international recognition outside of the world of opera, he participated in The Three Tenors concert at the opening of the 1990 World Cup in Rome with José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. A statue of him was erected in Mexico City as recognition to his contributions to the 1985 Mexico City earthquake victims. He is considered a talented and hard-working musician: in March 2008, he debuted in his 128th role, giving Domingo more roles than any other tenor. Despite his hard-working schedule, Plácido Domingo has been a tireless spokesperson for Rolex while promoting many worthy causes under the Rolex banner.

Here is the in-depth information on the Rolex watches that Plácido Domingo has become identified with over the years. The Rolex GMT Master in stainless steel is an automatic dual-time bracelet watch with a date display It has a gloss black dial with luminescent hour markers, sweep centre seconds, GMT hand, aperture for the date, three-part case, polished and stained, sapphire crystal with magnified lens, 24-hour bezel, screw-down case back, Twinlock crown, stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, case, dial and movement signed. It is the essence of the Rolex professional watch class, originally designed for pilots of Pan Am. In contrast, to celebrate Rolex’s 100th birthday, the Swiss watch company released a lavish update to its classic timepiece called the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date II. It features a bigger dial (41mm versus the 38mm the old Day-Date had) and a choice of 18K gold or platinum with matching Super-President bracelet.

In 1993 with the full support of Rolex, Plácido Domingo founded the Operalia, a huge event to discover young talent in the field of Opera singing. A panel of renowned Opera artists selects singers for all the voice categories. Singers consider it a great honor to be able to display their talent in front of such renowned artists through this competition. Moreover, The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative continues the long Rolex tradition of honoring those who make a meaningful contribution to the world in which we live. Plácido Domingo has taken an active role with the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative since the beginning, offering his support to young artists beyond the Operalia.

As a spokesman for Rolex, José Plácido Domingo not only does print ads for Rolex, but he also takes time out of his busy schedule to help Rolex open new stores around the world. On February 28, Rolex opened a luxurious Hong Kong boutique. Plácido Domingo was on hand for the ribbon cutting and opening ceremony. A longtime brand ambassador for Rolex, Plácido Domingo realizes that Rolex watches are extremely popular in Hong Kong, and the city is one of the brand’s most important Asian markets. Without question, Plácido Domingo is the Rolex Ambassador extraordinaire.

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.

Singer-songwriter Mark McGrath of the hit band Sugar Ray is so passionate about his Rolex Submariner that he had the Rolex logo tattooed on his back. The former host of Extra TV from 2002 to 2008 and a guest judge on American Idol, Mark McGrath is a Hollywood party boy who truly enjoys the fruits of his fame. Whenever he is out on the town in Los Angeles, hitting the hottest clubs and the most exclusive parties, he is always wearing his Rolex Kermit. The Rolex Anniversary Submariner (16610LV) is known as the Rolex Kermit. In 2003, Rolex released the 50-year commemorative model with a unique green bezel and a redesigned dial. This popular model is the watch that Mark McGrath favors, although he also has been seen with a Rolex Datejust and a Rolex Explorer.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner is a line of watches manufactured by Rolex, designed for diving and known for their resistance to water. The first Submariner was introduced to the public in 1954 at the Swiss Watch Fair. Copied by other watchmakers, the Rolex Submariner is recognized as a classic, and one of the most widely recognized luxury products in the world. The luminous triangle at the 12 o’clock position on the Submariner was initially intended to be red, but red turns out to be the first wavelength to be lost underwater. As a result, the initial Rolex testers asked that it be made white instead. The codename for the Submariner while under development was Frogman. Thor Heyerdal, the Norwegian anthropologist, wore a Rolex Submariner in his 1970 Ra II sea expedition. Initially waterproof to 100 meters, the depth rating was increased to 200 meters in 1954, then to 300 meters in 1979. The first Submariner with a date complication was launched in 1969, along with the first gold model. In 1979, the Plexiglas crystal was replaced with the synthetic sapphire crystal still used today.

Still, no matter how impressive the Rolex Submariner is to both deep-sea divers and watch enthusiasts, Mark McGrath has taken his love of the Rolex Submariner to the next level. McGrath is very proud of his Irish heritage and displays it by sporting a four-leaf clover tattoo on his right wrist. Keeping with the Irish-green theme on his left wrist, is a Rolex “Kermit” Submariner. As a well-known celebrity tracker wrote about celebrities and luxury watches, “You devote the majority of your life creating some beautiful and mechanically significant piece of art - and then a public figure is photographed wearing your product. It has to make you feel good about your work. In the case of Mark McGrath, the lead signer of Sugar Ray, he is such a Patron of the Rolex brand that not only does he diligently wear his Rolex Kermit everywhere he goes - He had the brand logo tattooed on the side of his body…Talk about great advertising!” When it comes to Rolex watches and the dedication of Rolex enthusiasts, nothing really seems all that surprising.

There is no question that superstar actor Brad Pitt loves Rolex watches. He wears them in his movies, like the Ocean Trilogy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and he wears Rolex watches in his private life. Brad Pitt, however, has a sexy secret, and it has nothing to do with Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston. For several years, Brad Pitt appeared in Rolex Advertisements in Japan for the luxury goods company, Evance. These print and video spots, splashed across billboards and constantly running on television in the Japanese market, are nothing like his American and European fans have ever seen before. Showing Brad Pitt lying in bed half-naked, gazing at his Rolex Explorer like a satisfied lover, the Rolex advertisements quite simply would blow his adoring female fans away. In the print ads, Pitt looks like a rugged playboy as he lies in bed, wearing only his Rolex Daytona. With the opening of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Christmas day and his nomination for several top acting awards (still waiting on the Oscar nods in January), Pitt wants nothing more than to be taken seriously as an actor. And Brad Pitt is a serious actor, but his advertising work for Rolex reveals the inherent sex symbol lingering within.

Brad Pitt and Rolex watches intimately have been connected with each other for many years. The actor particularly has been known to be close, on both a professional and private level, with the Rolex Daytona. Commenting on the rarity of these ultra-popular Rolex watches, a South African newspaper pointed out: “Annual production of Rolexes is limited to an estimated 750,000 watches. The waiting list for the stainless steel Daytona runs up to five years. Demand for the prestigious Swiss timepieces - with the crown imprimatur - always exceeded the supply. Rolex cachet is such that during World War II, a German mountaineer pursued by British soldiers in India partially financed his escape by selling his watch to a remote Himalayan villager. That story is told in the Sony Pictures movie “Seven Years in Tibet,” starring Brad Pitt.”

Beyond this professional connection, Brad Pitt has been seen wearing a Rolex Daytona in his private life and recently he sold one of his Daytona’s online. On a major online auction site, the following posting ran with an embedded link in the article that revealed a picture of Brad Pitt: “The steel Daytona needs no introduction, if you are viewing this piece you know what you are looking for. This 2004-2005 piece is in pristine condition, featuring the white dial. We purchased this timepiece from a large Hollywood dealer who supplies watches to the top movie stars. While confidential in nature, it does come with the Rolex paperwork indicating the identity of such owner. These stars trade their watches in often for brand new models (why put it in your closet when you can just get a new one, right?)”

Brad Pitt is a huge movie star and a talented actor with a private life plagued by the paparazzi, particularly given his marriage to fellow superstar Angelina Jolie. Nothing is bigger in the Western popular culture bubble than Brangelina. Beyond this given reality, Brad Pitt is not only a major Rolex watch owner, but he sold the watches as a pitchman in Japan. And those advertisements reveal a truly sexy secret: the dashing and rugged Brad Pitt that every woman in this country has been longing to see.

In Stephen Sodebergh’s new film Che, Academy Award winning actor Benicio del Toro wears a Rolex to accurately portray Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Over four hours in length, Che combines two films, Che Part 1: The Argentine and Che Part 2: Guerrilla, into one massive epic. Che wore a Rolex GMT Master, and the actor wears the same classic Rolex watch in the film. Previously, Benicio Del Toro and Stephen Sodebergh teamed up to make Traffic, and they both walked away with Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Director, respectively. As for the watch, Rolex launched the GMT Master in 1954 to aid pilots who travel through multiple time zones.

In the extreme left wing and somewhat revolutionary community online, the fact that Che wore a Rolex GMT Master continues to elicit vigorous debates on whether the revolutionary sold his soul for a Rolex watch. As an anonymous revolutionary writes in defense of Che on revleft.com: “Rolex was one of the only watches known for their ability to keep accurate time, with little worry of breakdown…. The fact that Che wore a Rolex (a GMT Master) merely indicates that he had a need for a quality watch that told accurate time.” Even a revolutionary understands that no watch in world compares to a Rolex when it comes to quality and precision. According to legend, Che received the watch as a present and eventually donated the gold band to charity. In pictures of Che, the jubilee bracelet on his Rolex GMT Master remains in place. It makes perfect sense that Che would wear a Rolex GMT Master while fighting in the jungles of South America. Such violent struggles demand nothing less than perfect timing for both attacks and secret gatherings.

Unfortunately, Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s struggle for victory in Bolivia came to a bitter end when he was captured and executed in 1967. Che allegedly said to his executioner, “I know you’ve come to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.” At the end, Che was interrogated and executed by Felix Rodriguez who cut off Che’s hands for proper identification for the CIA. Before performing this gruesome deed, Rodriguez took Che’s Rolex GMT Master and placed the watch on his own wrist. In ensuing years, the executioner proudly would show-off the Rolex watch to reporters and onlookers. Such a legendary Rolex should not have ended up as a souvenir of an assassin. Luckily, actor Benicio Del Toro and director Stephen Sodebergh in their new epic film, Che, revive Che’s memory and the true legacy of his Rolex GMT Master. Che’s stylized visage can now be seen on multiple t-shirts and posters around the world, as he has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol worldwide. In addition, everyone should remember that Che Guevara was smart enough to wear a Rolex GMT Master when his struggle and his life were on the line because even a Revolutionary knows the value of a Rolex.

Impresario Vince McMahon, the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment and the Czar of professional wrestling in America since the 1980s, presented champion wrestlers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels with Rolex watches. As Wrestling 101 reported in April of 2008, “Vince McMahon gave Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels Rolex watches. Both watches were inscribed with “24,” with Flair’s saying “To Be the Man,” and HBK’s saying “You Gotta Beat the Man.” Classy move by Vince.” Giving the Rolex watches revealed that McMahon could overcome his past resentments and feuds. In November 2001, Ric Flair returned to WWF after an 8-year hiatus saying that he was the co-owner of the WWF. McMahon hated this and said that he was the only owner of the WWF. The two faced each other at Royal Rumble 2002 in a Street Fight, which Flair won. On the June 10, 2002 edition of Raw, McMahon defeated Flair to end the rivalry and become the sole owner of WWE. Moreover, McMahon’s feud with Vince Michaels is legendary, including betrayals, sneak attacks and dirty battles with his son Shawn McMahon. Showing his true pride and glory, McMahon transcended the violent and sordid past with a magnificent gift of two diamond-studded, jewel-encrusted Rolex watches to Flair and Michaels.

Beyond the realm of Vince McMahon, Rolex always has played a strange role in professional wrestling. A Rolex watch has often been a wrestler’s symbol of success and luxury. Naturally, such a symbol becomes a target for the wrestler’s opponent. In the Wrestling Booking Sheet, Michael Cole wrote, “Mankind said he was dominating The Undertaker’s gang when The Rock came in. The Rock said he broke his Rolex for Mankind.” Yes, wrestlers have been known to destroy a precious Rolex wristwatch on camera in order to intensify a feud with another wrestler. Would anything make you angrier than having your Rolex Day-Date President or your Rolex Oyster Datejust Jubilee crushed right in front of your very eyes?

Vince McMahon is not the only major executive in the wrestling world to wear a Rolex. The following excerpt is taken from the Los Angeles Times in 1999: “Eric Bischoff, Turner’s wrestling chief, ponders how to make chicken salad out of a crisis that beset his World Championship Wrestling’s pay-per-view the night before. . . “You know we wouldn’t do something that looks like some manipulative ratings ploy, now would we?” Bischoff asks. Then he takes off his Rolex, dons his leather jacket and prepares to go before a sold-out arena in Phoenix to assume his on-screen persona–of a smirking, scheming wrestling czar.” What is so intriguing is the story represents another side to the proverbial coin: Bischoff’s Rolex is his own watch that represents his real world success in his personal life. In order to enter the crazy world of professional wrestling, the top executive removes and protects his Rolex watch, as he morphs into the crazy character he becomes on television. Indeed, Rolex and professional wrestling make for a strange marriage, but they have walked down the aisle for quite some time and, most likely, will continue to do so for many years to come.

Rolex is the new champion in the auction house, certifying the watch company’s legendary position as the creator of the highest quality wristwatches. On April 23, 2008, an ultra-rare 1971 “Albino” Rolex Daytona, formerly owned by rock n’ roll legend Eric Clapton, sold at Sotheby’s “Important Watches Auction” for $505,000 including buyer’s premium. Although it was expected to fetch $100,000-$150,000 by watch experts, the Rolex Daytona broke all records when it sold for over half a million dollars once the dust had settled.

Created by Rolex in 1971, the watch is nicknamed the “Albino” Daytona because the background and subsidiary dials are a monochrome silver color, in stark contrast to the normally contrasting dials of more common Rolex Daytonas. It was a design that was not too popular, as the contrasting outlined sub-dials make for better visibility. If you look at the Rolex Daytona models today, they have no “Albino’s”. Basically, the watch was an unpopular variant of a popular model. Before the auction, the Rolex Daytona was not even expected to be in the top three of most expensive watches sold on that day. At this auction, the 6th most expensive watch sold was a “James Bond” Rolex Submariner from 1959, which brought in $211,000. The 2nd through 5th most expensive watches sold at this auction belonged to Pate Philippe and ranged from $217,000 to $445,000. At the Antiquorum’s recent $8.5 million Rolex auction, the top-priced timepiece sold for $248,000.

For years, Eric Clapton has been recognized as a major Rolex watch collector. The guitar legend’s personal collection is quite extensive, and Clapton even named his record collection of greatest hits, Timepieces. Still, nothing in Clapton’s collection compares in price to the 1971 Rolex “Albino” Daytona, which will now go down in history as the Rolex that shocked the refined world of high-priced auctions.

After a frightening suicide attempt in 2007, Rolex watches and benefits appeared to play an essential role in actor Owen Wilson’s recovery. On August 29, 2007, Time magazine reported: “speculation about his drug use, depression over his May break-up from Hudson and a recent fight with a friend have peppered the coverage of Wilson’s hospitalization. A People magazine cover story out Friday quotes a friend as saying: “Owen was very despondent. He slit his wrists. He almost did not make it.” It was a dark period in Wilson life, and Rolex played a key role in helping Owen regain his bearings and his success.

Although Owen Wilson has worn a Rolex GMT Master in the popular films Wedding Crashers and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, he chooses to wear a Rolex Submariner in his everyday life. It is not surprising that he would make such a choice. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner originally was designed for diving and known for their resistance to water. The first Submariner was introduced to the public in 1954 at the Swiss Watch Fair. Copied by other watchmakers, the Rolex Submariner is recognized as a classic, and one of the most widely recognized luxury products in the world. The Rolex Submariner is part of Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Professional line. After returning home from the hospital, Owen was captured by a photographer walking on the beach, wearing his Rolex Submariner. Later, he was seen riding his mountain bike in Santa Monica with the Rolex Submariner on his wrist. Obviously, the quality of a Rolex watch helped Owen realize and appreciate the quality of his own life.

A celebrity is expected to show up at a multitude of events, and Owen used the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative Benefit in New York City to make his entrance back on the social scene after his crisis. As Liz Smith wrote in The New York Post on November 11, 2007: “THE APPEALING Owen Wilson is easing his way back into public life after hospitalization and a rumored suicide attempt. He appeared - looking good - at the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative gala in Lincoln Center this week.” In contrast, the National Post of Canada was not so kind when they wrote: “And who was that I saw swooping in, last-minute, into a swirl . . . Well, that was the bad-day-having-of-late clown Owen Wilson, who just that week was also staring out from People magazine with a cover that read: “Picking up the Pieces.”

Whatever the hawks of the media choose to write, it is clear that Rolex played a major role in Owen Wilson’s recovery. Back in good form, the actor is nothing less than a comic genius in a time when comedy is a necessity. Wearing a Rolex Submariner and attending Rolex Benefits helped Owen Wilson realize his life was valuable and worth living. Once again, the precision and quality of a Rolex proves to be a lifesaver in more ways than one.