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.

In an emailed statement on December 20, 2008, Rolex Group, the Swiss watchmaker, named Finance Director and respected ZKB baker Bruno Meier as head of management after Chief Executive Officer Patrick Heiniger resigned. As respected as the Rolex watches the company makes, the resignation of Patrick Heiniger came as a major surprise, ending almost half a century of leadership under the Heiniger family. Heiniger replaced his father Andre in 1992 who was the first executive to lead the company since the brand was created by Hans Wilsdorf in 1908. With Meier’s ascension to the top post, it will be the first time in the history of Rolex that the company has not been run by either Wilsdorf or a member of the Heiniger family.

Rolex invented the Oyster, the world’s first waterproof watch, and the company is renowned for its consistent history of quality and precision. The Rolex Group makes more than 170 models of the Oyster, including the Rolex Day-Date and the Rolex Datejust Presidential models, now and employs 8,000 people. Under the leadership of Patrick Heiniger, Rolex took over the entire manufacturing process of its watches, avoiding any reliance on third-party suppliers. Interbrand Chief Executive Officer Jez Frampton said Rolex has maintained a focus on making the very best in luxury watches, while other brands have ventured have introduced cheaper versions of their products to attract new clientele. “They’ve stuck to their knitting, “ Frampton said, “This is the key for a luxury brand: you can’t sell yourself cheap.”

Although 2008 will have been a record year, according to the Rolex Group, under Heiniger’s leadership, the departing CEO could not escape recent rumors that he had invested the company’s profits in the worldwide ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff, the American asset manager charged with $50 billion dollar fraud. With a rumored loss of over a billion dollars, Heiniger, 58, stepped down for “personal reasons” to pursue “personal projects”. The company is privately owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, and, according to Interbrand, the Rolex brand is worth about $5 billion.

At ZKB (Swiss Bank Zürcher Kantonalbank), Bruno Meier was head of the Risk Management Unit, which seems appropriate given the risky times the luxury goods market is now entering. Here is the respected executives bio from the ZKB website: “Bruno Meier was appointed Head of the newly created Risk unit and a member of the executive board on 1 April 2008. He has served with ZKB since 1971, having performed a variety of key roles in distribution and risk management. From 2002 until the beginning of 2008, Bruno Meier was responsible for the credit office, where his remit covered credit analysis for the bank as a whole, specialist financing, as well as real estate valuation and consulting.”

Meier will be responsible for running the company along with the board of directors and management, Geneva-based Rolex said in an e-mailed statement today. This year will have been a “record” under Heiniger’s leadership, the watchmaker added that one of Meier’s first tasks will be to protect Rolex’s market share as the wealthy cut spending on luxury goods. The world’s richest people are likely to see the value of their assets shrink for the first time in at least 12 years in 2008, according to a report by Capgemini SA. Weaker spending may cause a drop of as much as 15 percent in Swiss watch exports next year, John Guy, an analyst at MF Global Securities, estimated. “The pain will be shared by all,” wrote Alessandro Migliorini, an analyst at Helvea SA in Geneva. “The shock wave from the financial crisis has finally hit all major markets.” With the end of the Heiniger era coinciding with the worldwide recession, Rolex enters new dangerous waters, which they believe can be navigated precisely by Meier as he raises the sails of continued quality and success at the legendary company.

Realizing the unique connection between Rolex and Royalty, Zara Phillips, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of England, has signed a contract to be the new face of Rolex watches. The Rolex watch chosen for Zara Phillips to endorse is the classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust. An elite equestrian who attained the title of Eventing World Champion in 2006, Phillips will receive £100,000 pounds and three free watches to appear in advertising for the Swiss watchmakers. The first Rolex advertisement-featuring Phillips appeared in Vanity Fair, which is a further display of the great value placed by Rolex in the acquisition of such a high profile representative in the United Kingdom and beyond. The advertisement shows Zara Phillips with her horse Toytown who carried her to victory in the Eventing World Championships.

In order to illuminate the Rolex watches that Phillips has been chosen to endorse, here is a more in-depth examination. A description of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust is as follows: Stainless steel case and bracelet. White dial. Date displays at 3 o’clock position. 18kt white gold bezel. Synthetic sapphire crystal. Hidden deployment clasp. Case diameter 26mm. 31-jewel chronometer automatic movement. Water resistant at 30 meters (100 feet). A description of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady Datejust Pearlmaster is as follows: Stainless steel case. 18kt yellow gold and stainless steel bracelet. Gold dial. Date displays at 3 o’clock position. 18kt yellow gold bezel. Synthetic sapphire crystal. Hidden deployment clasp. 31 jewel chronometer automatic movement.

Rolex has supported excellence in human endeavors for over eighty years, and many of their spokespeople have been champions in their respective sports. Zara Phillips provides a unique combination of Royal blood and athletic excellence to the Rolex stable. Zara was voted 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year by the British viewing public. What is truly fascinating in the story line is that Zara’s mother, Princess Anne, was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971. Clearly, like the lineage of one great Rolex watch design to the next, Zara Phillips follows in her mother’s footsteps of athletic excellence. Zara was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 New Years Honours List for her services to equestrianism. Married to England rugby player Mike Tindall, Phillips has expanded her commercial activity since becoming a professional eventer to help meet the £500,000-a-year cost of maintaining seven horses. She receives no money from the civil list, but her mother, Princess Anne, gives her free accommodation. Imagine how proud the Queen must be to have her Granddaughter chosen to be the new face of Rolex watches.

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.

Rolex has earned its elite reputation not simply by creating precise, superbly crafted timepieces, but also by investing in high-tech research and development that has produced patented technologies.  These technologies, unique to Rolex, keep the company in a league of its own. Read the rest of this Rolex Watch Blog »

Like all other jewelry, useful or for the purpose of adornment, the watch is an extremely personal item.  Its design and function reveal a great deal about the one who wears it.  Read the rest of this Rolex Watch Blog »

Rolex is truly a symbol of class and elegance in the global watch market. It has given the world truly luxurious watches which continue to capture the hearts of  fans across the globe. People feel extremely proud to own a Rolex, and many collect them. This goodwill has been earned over the years through innovation and supreme expertise  watchmaking. Rolex watches have come to define not only luxury, but precision and quality as well. A perfect example of such precise and qualitative craftsmanship is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust.

Read the rest of this Rolex Watch Blog »