**Rolex book giveaway**

[Lol-x]

Hi guys/gals

I got this great little full colour paperback size book from Japan.

It is 160 pages and shows in detail each of the plexiglass sports models, heaps of subs, gmt's SD's Daytonas etc. including Comex and military subs. It also shows bracelets and other Rolex related vintage booklets etc.

Except for some Rolex booklet reproductions, the text is stated in Japanese, nevertheless it is a nice addition to ones Rolex library.

Here's what it looks like:











To have a chance to receive this book in the mail simply post a Rolex related photo or a short Rolex related anecdote (story) in this thread.

The cut off date to be in the running is 1 April and the winner will be announced on 3 April.

The moderators decision will be final.

Good Luck to all.

[jasonbellevue]

Generous gesture Steve!

[mdx77]

Very cool.....going to have to work on my pic's......Jocke.....can I borrow your camera?

[krattzz]

I will go out tomorrow and buy a translation book and have it memorized by April 1st:)

[daunwaun]

Very nice Gesture Steve!

[jasonbellevue]

I posted this before, but what the heck, it's not everyday that you see a Rolex being worn by an Astronaut.

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/stat...p10/index.html

Here's my entry, pictures of a GMT-ll worn by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Okay, a small anecdote. So here goes:

Just NOW, 3 minutes ago, while sitting at work, a guy comes in who is to join a meeting.

I immediately spotted his GMT! So I could simply not help myself commenting on it.

He showed me the watch. It was a GMT 1675, all original down to the tiniest parts! Wow, what a great watch! The hands were of the old stainless steel kind, so they were just a bit corroded, and the bezel had faded a little. I asked about when it had been lastly serviced and he replied "two years ago". He wanted to have the hands exchanged next time, but I went "NOOO" and explained him about loss of resale value if he did this and that the Tritium seemed to be well bonded to the hands so that there was no reason for doing this.

We then had a long talk about watches, and I showed him my SD and mentioned that I have an SS Daytona, too. He nearly fell over! This was his GRAIL watch! But he was also interested in getting an IWC Portuguese and loved Audemart Piguet watches.

It was a very nice experience to have a little chitchat about watches at work.

[Baptistman]

Ok, I really want that book so going to share something personal. here goes.

Back in 2005 I purchased my first serious Rolex Watch. I had saved quite lie
literally for 4 years in order to buy it cash. Finally the time came around Oct/Nov 2005 for me to make my choice. I had always wanted the Sub date, which had been my grail watch. Having taken time to make my choice, I had narrowed it down to the SD.

I enjoyed that watch, it was my absolute pride and joy as far as material things go.
Well come the new year, I had a phone call from a very close friend asking if they could come over and speak to me. (Worth pointing out, that I am in no way wealthy in the slightest by UK standards) At that time I would of been on a lower bracket salary.

Well the friend came over had coffee and poured there heart out. They were in some financial mess, imo partly to blame, but nevertheless recognised and making attempts to resolve the situation without much success.

I promised the friend I would give some thought how we could help and comforted the friend.

My wife and I had no money in the bank except my new SD on my wrist. We both agreed that we could not see our friend suffer when I was wearing such and expensive watch . So we sold it on TURF, and gave the money to the friend who was able to get themselves out of the situation.

My Wife and I really felt good, but I have to say it did hurt losing the SD. But the relief on our friends face and financial release it gave was worth it.

Well we had not really given the money much thought, and indeed had written it off. But a couple of weeks ago, the friend now back on solid ground, repaid the money in full. At first we refused it, but they were insistent that everything was now resolved thanks to what we had been able to do.

Our friend still does not know how we got the money.

[Gaijin]

Baptistman wins.

[Baptistman]

Originally Posted by KansaiVet

Baptistman wins.

[wanasub]

Originally Posted by KansaiVet

Baptistman wins.

x10 Baptist Man wins. What a guy!!!

[Baptistman]

Originally Posted by wanasub

x10 Baptist Man wins. What a guy!!!

Your sentiments are appreciated.

[Lol-x]

No winners yet, still open to a lot more entries, so come on, who knows you might be lucky!!!!!!!!!

[Trurolexer]

Nice book!!! I have a couple Japanese books and magazine, they have good pics and very complete and detail.

[funlab]

ok - here's a picture of my 3 year old son, the smile says it all.

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by funlab

ok - here's a picture of my 3 year old son, the smile says it all.

A childs smile, worth more than all those Rolex, priceless!

Great photo.

[Jimbits76]

I'm not all that worried about being in contention for the book etc...I just want to share the story of my family and the watch that symbolises quality, craftmanship and hardwearing ruggedness.

You've heard it before when I joined and seen the pics now and again but it means a lot to me and defines why I love this collection of tiny moving parts on my wrist.

To paraphrase another leading watch company; you never own a luxury watch, you are merely looking after it for the next generation.

The Lewis family and their Rolex watches are maybe a case in point.

Lesley Lewis, a young Englishman was posted with the British Army in Singapore in the 1950's with his wife Muriel and his son Nicholas.
At the end of his tenure, he decided to sell his Hillman car and duly purchased a 1957 6534 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date in early 1958.
Lesley Lewis had always dreamt of owning a Rolex. In 1958 the 6534 Rolex cost thirty English Pounds, the exact same amount he received for the Hillman motorcar.
Upon discovering his purchase, his wife Muriel was fairly unimpressed to say the least even when the rapidly sought purchase of an antique campherwood chest was proffered as some kind of compensatory measure.
"It is the finest wristwatch in the world," Lesley stated in defence. "These things are almost bombproof!", he pleaded.
As luck would have it, the very next day the winding crown fell out of the watch. Word has it that Muriel's sister Audrey could hear her crowing laughter whilst stationed in Japan!
Unable to repair the watch themselves, the Rolex dealer; Chusan Ltd had to send the Rolex back to Geneva by seagoing vessel.
The family returned to England, Rolex watch and Campherwood chest in tow, Muriel Lewis grumbling for the majority of the trip home that the sale of the car could have paid for a new alligator handbag, an object unseen in the small English town they called home.

When Nicholas Lewis was eighteen years old, he lost his father Lesley to a severe coronary.
Amongst the personal items shared out between his mother, his sister and Nicholas, the Rolex found a new owner.
Nicholas Lewis never wore a different watch. The Rolex 6534 was one of the only links he had to his father and it was his and his alone.
Due to the reverance his father placed upon this watch, Nicholas loved and treasured the Rolex, boldly stating it's greatness as his father had before him.

In 1976, Nicholas' wife Christine gave birth to a son, James.
As James grew, his head filled with silly fantasies about space operas and invincible secret agents, his father always instilled in him the fact that quality, not quantity matters. "There are theree things you should never buy cheap; watches, wines and diamonds!"
"Always buy the best you can afford!"
Each year a new Rolex catalogue arrived displaying the latest, most fascinating watches and strange, exotic sports models. To a seven year boy, Rolex were the greatest watch in the world. Large glossy adverts in the austere Sunday Times supplements, sponsorship of Wimbledon, James Bond's very own choice of wristwatch, the fact that this untouchable, steel timepice was locked to my fathers wrist. The boy never stood a chance.
Who need's marketing when you can rely on your customers and their ancestory's blatant love of your product?

In 1991, at thirty four years old, the watch died!
A cheap service by a local jeweller allowed a seal to be missed.
Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean during a family holiday in Florida, the Rolex filled with seawater and was announced dead on arrival at the nearest AD.
Nicholas Lewis had the movement cleaned but the salt and moisture had almost destroyed the movement and the case.
For ten years it sat dead in a drawer, Nicholas heartbrokon by it's demise and almost emotionally spurned by it's loss.
It was a sad testament to his father until Nicholas realised that he could remove the functionless symbol of his late father from his life and claim on his insurance for a new watch to replace it.
Not only a new watch but his coveted bimetal Datejust! The very watch he used to mark with an asterisk or folded corner in every Rolex catalogue over the years.

During this period, young James had grown up and was living on the island of Gran Canaria, scraping together a living whilst generally enjoying life.
Upon his latest venture, his PADI training, James' passion with Rolex was reignited by the premise of spending his "rainy day" savings on a shiny, new Rolex Submariner. The very same watch he used to mark with an asterisk or folded corner in every Rolex catalogue over the years. The greatest watch Rolex made. Bond's watch!

If his father's Rolex Oyster was supposed to be fantastically waterproof, imagine what a Submariner could do with it's mythical Triplock crown.
Unfortunately James returned home before he had the chance to purchase his dream watch due to a bad case of influenza.
Upon his return home, he struggled to settle and the "rainyday" money slowly vanished as did his dreams of owning his Rolex Submariner.
Following a valuation and insurance write off in 2001, Nicholas Lewis was finally prepared to allow his father's watch to pass on to Rolex Paradise.
When his son, James learned of this, he commission Mr Tylden Reed to repair the watch for a princley sum of £1300. The dream of a Rolex Submariner had well and truly evaporated.
The money did not matter to James, the Submariner no longer mattered to James. There was only his grandfather's watch. Promised time and time again that someday the watch would be his, this watch was his future inheritance. It was his grandfather's legacy. It was part of his family's history. It was really the only link James Lewis had to a grandfather whom he never had the chance to meet.
After eight months the Rolex 6534 came home, almost as as good as new.

This watch now belongs to me and hopefully one day my son, William.
Last year I finally managed to purchase my Sub, the Z series LV. This means that somewhere on file, there are three original certificates with the names of three generations of direct descendants of the Lewis family.

Even though my grandmother stated that she could not believe the fuss over a silly £30 watch, you could tell that she loved it and it would always remind her of her late husband.
Whenever I wear it I catch her looking at it and she cried when I told her I wore it at our wedding in Cuba. Not only wore it but was proud to wear the forty nine year old timepiece inscribed with the words; L J Lewis on it's caseback. It was as close as him being there with us as possible.

So that's it! Why do I love these watches? They are as much a part of my family as the blood that runs in my veins.
To some people they will always be just a watch and they will never understand.

To others, the look, the heritage and history, the form, the function and the tiny heartbeat within mean it will never be just a watch, it's something a whole lot more special.

Thanks for your time and patience.


James Anthony Lewis
(Third Generation Rolex Owner)

[Baptistman]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

I'm not all that worried about being in contention for the book etc...I just want to share the story of my family and the watch that symbolises quality, craftmanship and hardwearing ruggedness.



James Anthony Lewis
(Third Generation Rolex Owner)

Really enjoyed that story. Thanks for sharing

[TDH]

Rolex related anecdote, Hmm- Do you know why the cyclops was conceived by Hans Wilsdorf - Anyone?















Hans conceived the famous magnifying (Cyclops) lens above the Oyster’s date display, which was originally intended to help his nearsighted wife read the date on her wristwatch.!

[funlab]

congratulation jim, an amazing story for sure.

[Andad]

I can't think of anything to say.

Enjoy wearing it.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by directioneng

I can't think of anything to say.

Enjoy wearing it.

Eddie, you ought to win with this one!

[Letsgodiving]

My current Rolex library.

[Lol-x]

So it seems you guys don't have any photos
Here's my entry:-

[BiG JeEzY]

Hmmm, post ANY Rolex photo eh??

How about I post this baby? (The photo is of course not mine. )

I would like cite http://www.fiftyfathoms.net/. That is where I saw this picture.

It is a GMT 6542 with the white dial.

I know some Japanese from studying it in college so I can be able to translate some of the kanji characters in that book.

[newrolexman]

[jac67]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

My current Rolex library.

Now THAT'S funny!


John.

[jac67]

I feel like a New-Man.




John.


P.S. - Steve, you know, I don't really need that book.

[redshirt1957]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

So it seems you guys don't have any photos
Here's my entry:-

Have not posted any pictures because I feel that I have already won just being able to be a member of TRF. Thanks to you and the Moderators for all the time, effort, money, lack of salary, and just all around good vibes that have been given. Nice jesture on your part with the give-a-way.

[Gaijin]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

Have not posted any pictures because I feel that I have already won just being able to be a member of TRF. Thanks to you and the Moderators for all the time, effort, money, lack of salary, and just all around good vibes that have been given. Nice jesture on your part with the give-a-way.

My thoughts exactly. Well said Joe.