Trendsetters and their watches

http://www.watchtime.com/2010/06/celebrity-watches-by-vincent-daveau/


Newly released Celebrity Watches traces well-known and obscure connections between leading watch brands and their famous owners. From Napoleon to Steve McQueen and Einstein to Shaq, the author, a Paris-based watch journalist, chronicles the intersections between brand history and celebrity.

Each of the book’s 23 chapters focuses on a watch brand, with big time and smaller players represented. Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Patek Philippe are chronicled alongside fashion-oriented brands like Boucheron, Dior, and Chanel. Each chapter presents a compact brand history, studio shots and descriptions of representative watches, and images of the celebrities who wear them. The book’s 160 pages contain 200 color and 50 black and white photos including portraits, studio shots, publicity stills and paparazzi snaps.

Celebrity Watches profiles movie and rock stars, sportsmen and women, politicians, and other VIPs including historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth and Marie Antoinette, celebrities from bygone days like Duke Ellington and Charles Lindbergh, stars from Hollywood’s golden age such as Humphrey Bogart, Liz Taylor and Clark Gable, and modern stars including Rihanna, Hugh Laurie, and Ben Affleck.


JFK wore an 18 carat gold Cartier watch given to him by his wife Jacqueline for their fourth wedding anniversary. It is inscribed with the President’s initials, the Kennedy family arms, and their wedding date.


The modern Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch by Longines.
Lindbergh Hour Angle

Most well-known watch connections get a nod: a selection of James Bond’s Rolexes and Omegas (Connery, Brosnan and Craig), Omegas in space, McQueen’s Monaco, Stallone’s Panerai, Elvis and the Ventura, Lindbergh’s Hour Angle, and Newman’s Daytona are all presented, while a few are missing: you won’t find Arnold with his AP, John Travolta sporting a Breitling, or Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne with his TAG Heuer (though Leo is included).


The Omega Seamaster played parts in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and the World is Not Enough.
Pierce Brosnan as 007


Leonardo DiCaprio wears a Tag Heuer Carrera Caliber 16 Day-Date Chronograph
Leonardo DiCaprio

Celebrity Watches is a light look at a cross-section of watch brands, and the famous people who wear them. Those seeking in-depth historical accounts and technical horological insights may not be entirely satisfied, but if you like watches and you are style conscious or star struck, you may want to add this title to your collection. Celebrity Watches is available at most book stores, online booksellers, and at www.voyageurpress.com.

Celebrity Watches by Vincent Daveau
ISBN: 978-0-7603-3836-0
Hardcover / 9 ½ x 9 ½ / 160 pages / 200 color & 50 b&w photos
MSRP $30.00 US $37.50 CAN
9.5 x 9.5 inches
160 pages
200 color and 50 black and white photographs
Published May, 2010

I'm torn on this one. I saw this at WatchTimes.com the other day. Historically significant individuals, maybe. Actors and what they wear... not so much. For me, at least.

porschefan wrote:

I'm torn on this one. I saw this at WatchTimes.com the other day. Historically significant individuals, maybe. Actors and what they wear... not so much. For me, at least.

I feel the same way. JFK also wore a Cricket. Wonder if that's in his book? Oh, and the Kennedy family arms....get real, his dad was a rum runner and made all his fortune that way. They were shanty Irish prior to buying the big houses with Prohibition money. Geez.

None of those yahoos make me want to buy that watch. A celebrity endorser is much more likely to make me resent the watch than love it.

What might influence me more:

merichar wrote:

None of those yahoos make me want to buy that watch. A celebrity endorser is much more likely to make me resent the watch than love it.

And question the extra cost. Rolex says that they only spend $50 million a year on advertising. I love the "only" part. It makes me think of my son (9) telling me that a Wii Game is "Only $29" when they use the word "only" it is never, ever, in relation to their own money.

Take some time and learn about rolex. 50 million in advertising is nothing compared to what they do with the profits.
rolex is a private company that doesn't trade stocks.

Hans Wilsdorf, the late founder of Rolex, and Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, can be described as two very similar men in respects to their business instincts and their philanthropic visions. Although they respectively started two of the most influential and powerful companies of the modern age, their charitable works just might come to define the true legacies of these revolutionary entrepreneurs. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation both help to confront and solve the world’s most challenging and persistent problems. A great visionary as an entrepreneur, Hans Wilsdorf foresaw the shift away from pocket watches so he developed the first quality wristwatch, registering the name Rolex in 1908. The incredible innovative history of Rolex is well known. What is not as well known is that at the time of his death in 1960, Hans Wilsdorf owned all of Rolex. When it comes to giving back in the form of charity and cultural support, philanthropy became an intrinsic part of the Rolex culture and philosophy. Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in which he left all of his Rolex shares, making sure that a large percentage of the company’s income would go to charity. The company is still owned by a private trust, and shares are not traded on any stock exchange. The foundations funnels much of the profits generated by Rolex into charitable endeavors. These proceeds discretely go to children’s charities around the world (Hans Wilsdorf was an orphan) and to innovative entrepreneurial and cultural endeavors

Think about this when wondering whether a rolex is worth the money.It is to me.

yamahaki wrote:

Take some time and learn about rolex. 50 million in advertising is nothing compared to what they do with the profits.
rolex is a private company that doesn't trade stocks.

Hans Wilsdorf, the late founder of Rolex, and Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, can be described as two very similar men in respects to their business instincts and their philanthropic visions. Although they respectively started two of the most influential and powerful companies of the modern age, their charitable works just might come to define the true legacies of these revolutionary entrepreneurs. The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation both help to confront and solve the world’s most challenging and persistent problems. A great visionary as an entrepreneur, Hans Wilsdorf foresaw the shift away from pocket watches so he developed the first quality wristwatch, registering the name Rolex in 1908. The incredible innovative history of Rolex is well known. What is not as well known is that at the time of his death in 1960, Hans Wilsdorf owned all of Rolex. When it comes to giving back in the form of charity and cultural support, philanthropy became an intrinsic part of the Rolex culture and philosophy. Upon the death of his wife in 1944, Wilsdorf established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation in which he left all of his Rolex shares, making sure that a large percentage of the company’s income would go to charity. The company is still owned by a private trust, and shares are not traded on any stock exchange. The foundations funnels much of the profits generated by Rolex into charitable endeavors. These proceeds discretely go to children’s charities around the world (Hans Wilsdorf was an orphan) and to innovative entrepreneurial and cultural endeavors

Think about this when wondering whether a rolex is worth the money.It is to me.

Sean,

I know all that. I'd rather direct my own charitable giving then do so through my watch purchases thereby putting it into some self-important foundation directors hands. I always look at the lifestyles of the "Charity" directors before I make a decision about supporting a charity. I've looked at Rolex and what their executives and directors appear to make (as they do not publish such) and am not impressed.

Of course, everyone is entitled to do as they will with their after-tax dollars. I just view the shear arrogance of everything Rolex as a blight on WISdom. My opinion, yours may vary.

. . . I have to admit that companies associated with timing at major level auto racing do garner attention in my mind. Heuer and Longines carry an attraction for me.

wagon wrote:

. . . I have to admit that companies associated with timing at major level auto racing do garner attention in my mind. Heuer and Longines carry an attraction for me.

Obviously, me too, Randy. That and many others, Omega with the Olympics; Longines with downhill skiing and tennis; Rolex with racing, equestrian and tennis; Heuer with racing; and so on.


Sean, where did the part of your post about Wilsdorf and Gates come from? I'd like to read more about that. My Uncle, that passed away recently, did some work with the Gates and their charities, and I'd like to read more about it, maybe I could find more info. Thanks.

They dont make me want to buy a watch but of the brands i do own that are in those ad's are my best watches! Love Rolex, hate Rolex just dont tell me i'm stupid for owning one! I would much rather have one classic piece that will last a lifetime than 80 watches sold by a snake oil salesman! I'm sure that i'm not the only one that gets the invicta monthly by email that will have about 10 endorsers of the brand(most never heard of but still putting their name on the line for invicta)! If someone is happy with a bunch of average watches by brands that wont be around in 7 years thats great and i'm glad for them, but just layoff brands like rolex that most have never even put on much less owned.

P.S. i dig the budweiser commercials but dont drink their beer, advertising has very little to do with any of my purchases!

cali kid wrote:

P.S. i dig the budweiser commercials but dont drink their beer, advertising has very little to do with any of my purchases!

What Budweiser makes, they call that beer????

Agree with you on all of that Trev. Although, some really stupid commercials would keep me away, like any ad Carl's Jr. has done for the past ten years.

cali kid wrote:

They dont make me want to buy a watch but of the brands i do own that are in those ad's are my best watches! Love Rolex, hate Rolex just dont tell me i'm stupid for owning one! I would much rather have one classic piece that will last a lifetime than 80 watches sold by a snake oil salesman! I'm sure that i'm not the only one that gets the invicta monthly by email that will have about 10 endorsers of the brand(most never heard of but still putting their name on the line for invicta)! If someone is happy with a bunch of average watches by brands that wont be around in 7 years thats great and i'm glad for them, but just layoff brands like rolex that most have never even put on much less owned.

P.S. i dig the budweiser commercials but dont drink their beer, advertising has very little to do with any of my purchases!

Who on Earth would ever call you stupid!?! You have a very deep and diverse collection with some truly outstanding pieces. Still, the fact that good guys own a brand doesn't change my attitude (problem) about that brand

cali kid wrote:

They dont make me want to buy a watch but of the brands i do own that are in those ad's are my best watches! Love Rolex, hate Rolex just dont tell me i'm stupid for owning one! I would much rather have one classic piece that will last a lifetime than 80 watches sold by a snake oil salesman! I'm sure that i'm not the only one that gets the invicta monthly by email that will have about 10 endorsers of the brand(most never heard of but still putting their name on the line for invicta)! If someone is happy with a bunch of average watches by brands that wont be around in 7 years thats great and i'm glad for them, but just layoff brands like rolex that most have never even put on much less owned.

P.S. i dig the budweiser commercials but dont drink their beer, advertising has very little to do with any of my purchases!

Yer stoopit fer ownin' 1.

cali kid wrote:

Love Rolex, hate Rolex just dont tell me i'm stupid for owning one!

You are stupid for owning a Rolex


















I kid, I might actually pick one up...I love the LV (green) bezel!!!

I'm glad these aren't 44mm or I would want one!

My standard response to Rolex haters is Blow me.

Looks like a great book !..It would be interesting to see
out of all the celebrities there, who was or is, actually
into watches, and who just mainly endorses a watch
brand ! ..Thanks for the info Doc !