Following in the tradition of founder Hans Wilsdorf during World War II, Rolex helps open Fisher House, designed to help United States veterans and their families. Dedicated to the well being of United States service men and women, the Fisher House Foundation offers aid and support to the families of military veterans who require medical care after being wounded while on duty. The Fisher Houses provide a friendly and safe place for military families to stay while visiting their loved ones in a Veterans Administration Hospital. Rolex has made what it describes as: A significant financial pledge� to the opening of the new Fisher House facilities in Los Angeles and Dallas in 2008. Allen Brill, president and chief executive officer of Rolex Watch USA, said, “We are extremely proud of our long association with the Fisher House Foundation. We admire their dedication to our greatest national treasure…our military men and women and their loved ones.�

The direct support of military personnel by Rolex falls right into the traditional footsteps of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf and the legendary actions he took to support British Prisoners-of-War during the Second World War. If an allied prisoner of war was captured by the Nazis, they could write to Rolex via the International Red Cross and the company would send them a Rolex watch. Like Rolex, the International Red Cross was headquartered in Geneva. In addition to the watch, a letter would be sent to the prisoner, asking that the watch be paid for in Swiss Francs at the end of the war. Hans Wilsdorf himself wrote the letters that accompanied every watch dispatched to a P.O.W. and ran the administration of the program. The reason the British Prisoners of War needed a new watch was that most of them would have had their own wristwatches confiscated when they were captured. Wilsdorf also led programs that sent food and basic resources to the P.O.W camps while making sure to support any Rolex employees and their families caught in the fighting.

By supporting the Fisher House Foundation, Rolex continues to do the positive work that Wilsdorf began, expanding a tradition that reflects the very best of the corporation. Rolex has been a long-time supporter of the foundation. Contributions from Rolex have aided the opening of Fisher Houses in Ft. Campbell, Ky. and San Antonio, Texas, in recent years. Since its inception in 1991, more than forty Fisher Houses have been opened and by the end of 2010 as many as 59 Fisher Houses may be opened. On account of advanced medical practices, the survival rate for soldiers with extreme wounds is much higher now than ever before. The Fisher House Foundation and other organizations that support the returning veterans and their families have become essential. By supporting such a cause, Rolex recognizes the importance of caring for American soldiers not only during the conflict, but afterwards as well. If Hans Wilsdorf were alive today, he truly would be proud!

Legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood truly represents the daring spirit of Rolex. At the age of 78, Clint Eastwood has been receiving accolades and awards for his performance in and direction of the film Gran Torino. Although primarily known as a successful action star, Eastwood has directed more films than Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas combined, and he has won two Academy Awards for directing. Earlier this year The Changeling, directed by Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, was released. In his acting career, Eastwood has worn a Rolex watch in several of his films. In Firefox, he wore a Rolex GMT Master with a Jubilee bracelet, and in the hit film, In the Line of Fire, he wore a two toned Rolex Datejust.

In 2007, French President Jacques Chirac awarded Eastwood the Legion of Honor, a rare distinction for an American citizen. Recognized around the world as a true artist of the cinema, Eastwood’s talent has evolved and expanded over the years. In Gran Torino, Eastwood plays with his classic Dirty Harry tough guy image by showing a similar character grown up to be a bitter, angry man. “You always look for a character that can go somewhere, start one place and go another,” Eastwood said in a voice that now is almost a whisper. “I was intrigued by the Gran Torino script because it was not only about the Hmong culture, which was new to me, but it is also a kind of statement that you’re never too old to learn tolerance and learn a lot of things. Of course Walt Kowalski is a man who’s out of his time and he has trouble adjusting, but that makes hurdles to go over and they make the character fun to play.â€� Like Rolex, Eastwood has learned not only to love adventure and daring, but also the importance of giving back and helping his fellow man. It is hard to imagine an individual more deserving of wearing a Rolex watch than Clint Eastwood.

In Gran Torino Eastwood worked with an unknown cast of non-professional actors, including Bee Vang and Ahney Her, both born in the US to Hmong parents. “They were very nice kids and they were really earnest,” he says. “It’s interesting with the young people of the Hmong culture that, although they were born here, they all know the language of their parents and grandparents and they have a great respect for adults.” At 78, Eastwood demonstrates incredible energy and daring, continuing to evolve as an actor and an artist. If we could choose a Rolex watch for Clint Eastwood, a Rolex Stainless Steel Datejust with a Black Dial and a Fluted Bezel would be the perfect fit. With a combination of elegance and robustness, it matches the legendary character of this American icon.

In October of 2005, a gold Rolex Day-Date, commonly known as a Rolex President, sold at the Alexander Auction House in Greenwich, Connecticut for $120,000 dollars, breaking the house record. A stunning watch indeed, it was the historical ambiguity of the watch’s origins that drove up the selling price.

Purportedly, the gold Rolex President was given to John F. Kennedy by the iconic Marilyn Monroe on the evening the actress famously serenaded him, singing a sultry rendition of “Happy Birthday to Youâ€� on May 19, 1962, at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Inscribed with the words, “Jack, with love as always from Marilyn, May 29th 1962â€�, the watch was sold with a poem entitled: “A heartfelt plea on your birthday,” typed in black on a paper disc placed at the bottom of the gold case containing the gift. The date on the inscription corresponds with Kennedy’s birthday. However, even after garnering an exorbitant price at auction, many experts still question whether the watch is a real piece of history or an elaborate fake.

According to the story, Marilyn Monroe gave the watch to Kenneth O’Donnell, Kennedy’s aid, on the night of the celebration. Widely accepted to be having an affair, the watch was a gift from Monroe to President Kennedy. When Kenneth O’Donnell passed the watch on to J.F.K., Kennedy told him to “get rid of it,� according to a note that was sold with the watch.

The Rolex was put up for auction in 2005 and was expected to sell for between $40,000 and $60,000, a gross underestimate considering the final selling price of $120,000. Bill Panagopulos, founder of the auction house, explained the huge discrepancy: “It’s the hardest thing I ever had to estimate, historic relics, especially when there is a hint of scandal attached, defy any attempt by an auctioneer to estimate their selling price.”

The biggest question, when considering the watch’s valuation, is whether it is actually authentic. Rather than being sold by the O’Donnell family, Panagopulos said the Rolex President had been brought to him by an English citizen, “who describes his family as being prominent pawnbrokers for the upper classes.” According to Panagopulos, the watch’s serial number and engraving are appropriate for the time, and the history of the watch was confirmed by a family member of Kennedy’s former aide.

An ornate design on the top lid of the round gold case containing the Rolex shows two doves “kissing.” In the bottom of the case, there is a round piece of paper printed with the poem from Marilyn to her alleged lover. Titled “A heartfelt plea on your birthday,” the poem reads, “Let lovers breathe their sighs/And roses bloom and music sound/Let passion burn on lips and eyes/And pleasures merry world go round/Let golden sunshine flood the sky/ and let me love/ or let me die!”

Overall, the Rolex and its accompanying notes represent a dramatic course of events that will always be shrouded in speculation. Marilyn Monroe’s death, by a mysterious drug overdose in August 1962, and President Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, means that the truth may never be known. The aide, Kenneth O’Donnell, who was given the watch in the story, passed away in 1977, and his family refuses to comment on the gold Rolex and its historical validity. It seems that whether or not the tale is true, the anonymous buyer of this Rolex President will never regret the timeless sophistication of this watch and the intrigue of its origins.

Arguably, the most successful actor of his generation in terms of the box office, Harrison Ford chooses to wear a Rolex Datejust in his everyday life. In the thriller Frantic, renowned director Roman Polanski has Harrison Ford’s character wear a stainless steel Datejust on a Jubilee Bracelet. If one legendary film character, however, definitely should have worn a Rolex, the adventurer’s watch, it is Ford’s greatest creation, Indiana Jones. In relation to Ford’s mastery of the character, one critic wrote, “Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones. He owns the role like a seasoned Rolex.� Furthermore, like the conquerors of Mount Everest or the divers in the ocean’s deepest depths, Indiana Jones represents the very essence of Rolex quality and daring. Yet, for some unknown reason, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg never gave Indiana a Rolex watch to wear on his wrist. Even worse, they made Harrison Ford stumble through the final film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, backed by a bad plot and a terrible screenplay. If Indiana Jones had worn a Rolex watch in the last film, he might have been checking the time to see when it would be over like members of the audience.

The plot line left many patrons not merely bored, but angered, as illustrated by a controversial South Park episode, which left Kyle moaning about the third film’s Alien’s. If you did not see the film, are you shaking your head right now? Aliens in an Indiana Jones story just reduces it to the absurd and mocks the classic adventure roots of the character. Indeed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a mockery of perhaps the greatest adventurer in modern film. Moreover, not giving Indiana Jones a Rolex is simply doing him a great disservice. First, as you can see from the pictures, Harrison Ford looks great in a Rolex watch, whether it is silver or gold. Second, like the real life adventurers that Rolex has teamed up with over the last century, Indiana Jones represents the best of man’s daring and courageous spirit. Nothing, not even Nazis or a tunnel overflowing with the grossest bugs you could possibly imagine, ever stopped Indiana from achieving his goals. In real life, Harrison Ford looks positively awesome in his Rolex Datejust. Indiana Jones may have done better with a Rolex GMT Master II, a Rolex Explorer, or even a Rolex Submariner like James Bond. In the end, Indiana should have had a better send-off in terms of a quality film and a Rolex on his wrist.

When it comes to giving back in the form of charity and cultural support, philanthropy is an intrinsic part of the Rolex culture and philosophy. Through the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a large percentage of the profits of the Rolex go directly to philanthropic causes. 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 some 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 various charitable endeavors. Given that Rolex is not a publicly held company, exact numbers are not known, but it is clear they generate huge sums of money for worthy charities. Below, the descriptions of the two eminent Rolex philanthropic programs are paraphrased directly from Rolex accounts that describe the programs with a perfect balance of humility and clarity.

Through its two primary philanthropic programs, the Awards for Enterprise and the Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, Rolex fosters innovation in science, exploration, conservation, and the arts worldwide. 
 The Rolex Awards for Enterprise were created to foster a spirit of enterprise and advance human knowledge and well being around the globe. They support pioneering work in five areas: science and medicine; technology and innovation; exploration and discovery; the environment; and cultural heritage. In each series, ten Awards are presented to visionary men and women whose groundbreaking projects benefit their fields of endeavor, their communities and the wider world. Winners are innovators who typically work outside the mainstream and often have limited access to traditional funding. Rather than reward past achievements, the Rolex Awards provide financial assistance and recognition to individuals embarking on new ventures or carrying out ongoing projects. Grants of $100,000 are awarded to five Laureates and $50,000 to five Associate Laureates in each series. These grants must be used to complete their projects. All ten also receive a Rolex chronometer. Each of the Laureates represent the best work being done in their field, reflecting the excellence that Rolex has accomplished with their ground-breaking watches.

In 2002, Rolex launched the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, a global program that pairs emerging artists with masters in dance, film, literature, music, theatre and the visual arts for a year of intensive collaboration. Building on a legacy of supporting culture that dates back to the 1970s, Rolex launched the Arts Initiative to help ensure that artistic excellence is passed on to the next generation. Unparalleled in its artistic and geographic reach, the program has helped over 200 notable talents from 39 countries since its beginnings. Noting the lack of corporate support for individual artists in a multitude of disciplines, Rolex created the program to foster the next generation of artistic excellence and fill a void in arts philanthropy. Renowned artists from around the globe have participated in the program, ranging from Rolex representative and Mexican tenor Placido Domingo to Israel violinist Pinchas Zukerman. Through the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, Rolex has expanded its influence well beyond the scope of groundbreaking watches and chronometers. Through its philanthropic programs, Rolex created a true corporate culture of giving back, leading to cultural achievements and scientific breakthroughs that have benefited the entire world.

Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is fielding his own Grand-Am series racing team this year in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Following in the footsteps of the late Paul Newman, Hollywood heartthrob Patrick Dempsey has become an actor turned sports car racer by acquiring the team formally known as Hyper Sport. The Grand-Am team will compete against the finest drivers in the world in the No. 16 under the Dempsey Racing banner.

Although Dempsey attempted to compete in the race last year, he had a frightening mishap exiting pit road during the trials. Dempsey is prepared, however, for the challenges this time around, as he explains: “”Last year, I didn’t really have an understanding. Certainly, getting out the pits was my first realization. Every time I go out, I’m much slower and careful.” In his second trip, Dempsey feels like he is making progress on the twist and turns of the 3.56-mile road course: “I’m really pleased with this morning and where I was last year and where I am this year,” Dempsey said. “I hope that continues on.”

In the race, Dempsey has teamed up with the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer, and he will be promoting breast cancer awareness. The Dempsey Racing team will add a touch of pink to the Rolex 24 by adding a swathe of bright pink down the centre of the car as it competes in the GT class of the Grand-Am Rolex Series opener. When asked about the pink swathe in such a manly sport, Dempsey laughed: “Real men can wear pink. All of us at Dempsey Racing are proud to partner with the Avon Foundation in its fight against breast cancer. I am so proud to support the cause, which raises funds that directly save lives,” Dempsey continued, “While two very different types of endurance events, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and sports car racing have the common tie of the mental and physical stamina required to achieve success.

With that juxtaposition in mind, a special contest for top fundraisers of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer will be unveiled during the Rolex 24.” Like Rolex, the sponsor of the 24-hour racing event, Patrick Dempsey has showed himself to be nothing less than a class act. By carrying on the tradition of Paul Newman, Patrick Dempsey manages to connect the Grand-Am Rolex Series with philanthropy, doing his best to help others as he pursues his car racing dreams.

Running arguably the biggest Ponzi scheme in the history of the world, Bernard Madoff stole over $50 billion dollars from his investors, including Rolex. Supposedly, Rolex lost 1 billion Swiss francs ($900) in the criminal web of high finance fraud, leading directly to the resignation of Rolex Chief Executive Patrick Heiniger. Bernard Madoff loved Rolex watches, and he is not the first or last criminal, both big and small, to translate such a love of luxury into greed larceny. Although Madoff did not steal any Rolex watches directly, his actions severely damaged the company.

In a piece for the London Times online, Morwenna Coniam writes about George Somlo, owner of Somlo Antiques in London, who deals in platinum and diamond watches. He also handles the resulting wealthy and respected clientele. Bernard Madoff, “… was trustworthy,� Mr. Somlo insisted. “If he had come to me and said, ‘can I borrow half a dozen watches to take home and show to my wife?’ I would have given them to him without question.� He admitted that Mr. Madoff had a taste for Rolex, but he would not dream of discussing how many of “the top collectable watches� Mr. Madoff bought, or how much he paid. Naturally, the privacy of a criminal must be kept because breaking such privacy could lead to having your legs broken or your money stolen in a Ponzi scheme.

Since Bernard Madoff was caught and his connection to Rolex revealed, online resources have reported on two more criminals and their Rolex-related illegal actions. In Georgia, a local thief was caught on video at a jewelry store, using his booty to buy a Rolex. Sylvania police revealed that the suspect swiped two credit cards, and then bought a $6,000 Rolex. Meanwhile, the victim did not even know his cards were missing. The owner has cancelled both cards, but the thief has not been caught. With the books fudged to the extreme in the Madoff case, you would think the federal regulators would have realized something was missing. When the rich steal, however, the crimes tend to be buried beneath mountains of paperwork.

Perhaps inspired by Madoff’s criminal success, a North Carolina man was arrested in early January 2008 on charges he attempted to defraud his insurance company of almost $25,000. Donnie Ray Cozart, 68, is accused of reporting to Kemper-Unitrin insurance company that his Rolex watch had been stolen. However, authorities say Cozart sold the watch, valued at $24,950, and tried to make an insurance claim for that amount. He was arrested by an agent with the N.C. Department of Insurance and charged with one count of insurance fraud. Isn’t it just incredible that small fry trying to pull off a Rolex insurance fraud scheme is caught immediately while a big fish defrauding investors in a Ponzi scheme is allowed to continue for years on end until the damage amounts to $50 billion dollars? A simple truth about our capitalist economy is revealed: the more money you have, the more money you can steal. In addition, unfortunately, the more money you steal, the more Rolex watches you can buy, staining the reputation of a quality brand of historical significance.

British pop sensation Lily Allen does not need British rap star Riley to ask her who has been wearing her Rolex because she is recording with him. The Sunday Mirror reported that Lily Allen wears multiple deluxe versions of the luxury watch, including a $95,000 dollar (Euro 75,000) Rolex Submariner that was given to her by New Look in 2007. Thanks to the success of the clothing line she designed for them, New Look presented Lily Allen with the super duper bling Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner in 18k gold and studded with diamonds. 
Single-handedly Lily Allen brought British pop music to its knees in 2007 with such catchy songs as “Smile” and “Alfie”. 
Her style and her songs are as spunky as Lily, who is noted for getting kicked out of 13 schools in her short 21 years of life. Accused of cultivating a gangster image, Allen seems to live her life by her own rules. Keeping with her gangster image, Lily also sports a gold Rolex Presidential watch.

Even more exciting, Lily Allen has collaborated with Wiley on the ‘Wearing My Rolex‘ man’s new album. “I always wanted to work with Lily since I heard ‘Alright, Still’,” Wiley told the paper. “It was weird ‘cos when I listened to it I used to sit there giggling thinking ‘this girl’s cool’. But then I realized she wasn’t just cool, she’d sold a million records. I respected her even more after that. The track we’ve done is a scorcher. This is the way I want to go. I want to push boundaries but I want to stay in the charts by making tunes that connect with people. It’s pop all the way from here.” Lily Allen has blamed her record company, EMI, for the delay of the release of her forthcoming second album, which is tentatively titled ‘Stuck On The Naughty Step’ which is now scheduled for a February release. The British like to think of her as Cindy Lauper 2.0, but in truth, she is a creation all her own, as precise and original as the Rolex watches she chooses to wear. Not only can the girl sing, but she has taste as well.

Wiley may still be wondering who is wearing his Rolex, but Lily Allen certainly knows her collection of Rolex watches is safe, and she might just let Wiley wear one for a while. Then again, Wiley certainly has his own problems lately. On November 2 2008, a fake BBC News Report was created and spread around the net claiming that Wiley had died. This rumor turned out to be false as on November 3 2008, Wiley’s My Space display name was ‘I AM NOT DEAD’. Luckily, Wiley is still kicking it and hanging with Lily Allen because they both make great music and they both love the bling of their luxury Rolex watches.

In a recent entry in the Rolex Forums, Chris in Melbourne reported on his encounter with Flavor Flav in Australia. Taking a break from his hit television show Flavor of Love where women compete to be the next Mrs. Flavor Flav, the extravagant rapper who wears a series of huge clocks around his neck was touring with Public Enemy. Known for contributing the hit song Fight the Power to Spike Lee’s iconic film Do The Right Thing, Public Enemy was the cornerstone of politically conscious rap in the 1990s. The band became so famous that action figures of Flavor Flav and Chuck D were sold. Chris in Melbourne clearly understood that Flavor Flav needed to complement the clock hanging from his neck with a Rolex luxury watch on his wrist.

In his description of the encounter, Chris wrote: “While waiting (at the Melbourne airport), I noticed a group of young men (who obviously weren’t from these parts). Well, I’ve never seen so much ‘bling’ on a bunch of blokes in all my life! I noticed one guy wearing a clock (running an hour fast) around his neck. It was the US band Public Enemy . . . most of the guys in the group were wearing some pretty flashy watches including some that appeared almost totally covered in ‘ice’. The pick of the bunch for me however, was an 18 Ct Yellow Gold Daytona on a honey colored strap that really caught me eye.â€�

In Yahoo Answers, when asked why does Flavor Flav wear that clock, the winning answer was, “He said that he wears it because time is the most important element in our lives so he wears it to represent that belief.â€� Another popular answer was, “The man is reportedly worth 90 million dollars. You’d think he would buy a Rolex!â€� On the respected music blog site Grits And Porgies, the blogger provided a more philosophical perspective by commenting: “To the untrained eye Flavor Flav may have looked like your typical rapper, sweatsuit, sunglasses, gold teeth, and sneakers. But instead of sporting Rolex watches and jewelry, Flavor Flav decided it would be more fashionable to wear giant clocks around his neck.â€� Nevertheless, even if Flavor Flav keeps the clock hanging, he still needs the precision and quality of a Rolex on his wrist. So what kind of Rolex should the rapper acquire?

On the Melrose Jewelers site, there is a Men’s Rolex Day Date Super Presidential watch with just the perfect mix of philosophical precision and beautiful bling to meet the needs of Flavor Flav. In 18k yellow gold, the luxury watch has a custom champagne diamond dial with eight round and two baguette cut diamonds. The “Super” Presidential is a name given to the Men’s Rolex Day Date Presidential with both “Pave” diamond band and diamond lugs in addition to the classic diamond dial and diamond bezel. New “Super” Presidential models as issued by the Rolex factory are very rare. Wearing such a watch is nothing less than remarkable, making the luxury model a perfect fit for a remarkable man like Flavor Flav. After all, such a talented performer needs not only to have a clock around his neck, but also a Rolex Day Date Super Presidential watch on his wrist.

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.