Truth in Rolex advertising

[Subfiend]

Here's a little something to steam Ed's tail (and also the rest of you GMT lovers).

The following is a 1973 Rolex ad for the Red Sub 1680, supposedly featuring Thor Heyerdahl and his Ra II expedition. However, the guy in the photo with the sextant is not Thor, it's Capt. Norman Baker, Thor's navigator, and Norman wasn't given a Sub, he was given an engraved GMT 1675 (which he showed to me in March).

What gives? Did they have Photoshop back in 1973?

[C.J.]

Great ad, Dave Thanks for sharing it

[mike]

I love those old ads. Thanks!!

[JJ Irani]

The old ads are fantastic, David....thanks once again for sharing!

[mailman]

Love the old ads David. Thank you.

[padi56]

Great add Dave bet that took a lot longer to do then without computers.

[Subfiend]

Thanks guys. I actually have two copies of that ad, but the first copy I bought is too large to fit my scanner.

The guy in the picture is an old friend of mine. I tried to get him to sell me his watch, but he laughed and said no way. He did, however, let me examine it. It's a late 1960s GMT 1675 engraved with "Ra II" on the back.

None of my explorer friends will let me buy their old watches. I have been bugging my old friend Don for years, but he keeps giving me the brush off. He did, however, offer to sell me his plane for a decent price. But I would have to finish my pilot training first, fly to Oregon, and then fly cross-country in an open cockpit biplane. After I got home, I would have to rent a hanger to store it. Maybe next year......

In the meantime, I would rather have his 1665.

[colemanitis]

Any chance you could get a pic of his GMT?

[GMTIIPilot]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

He did, however, offer to sell me his plane for a decent price. But I would have to finish my pilot training first, fly to Oregon, and then fly cross-country in an open cockpit biplane. After I got home, I would have to rent a hanger to store it. Maybe next year......

In the meantime, I would rather have his 1665.

Umm, want some company on that flight. Now that would be a blast, and a great use of a GMT Master. I doubt there would be much in advaced avionincs on a bi-plane, so timed legs would be needed and the abilty to track multi time zones. I set my 24 hr hand to Zulu, makes checking weather easier.

[Subfiend]

I would love to have company, but it's only a single seater. And no, there are no advanced avionics. I think the GMT-Master II on my wrist would be the most advanced piece of equipment in the plane.

I would love to do it, but I need more training and more hours in the air first. On the other hand, maybe I could buy the plane and you could fly it cross-country?

Originally Posted by Subfiend

Thanks guys. I actually have two copies of that ad, but the first copy I bought is too large to fit my scanner.

The guy in the picture is an old friend of mine. I tried to get him to sell me his watch, but he laughed and said no way. He did, however, let me examine it. It's a late 1960s GMT 1675 engraved with "Ra II" on the back.

None of my explorer friends will let me buy their old watches. I have been bugging my old friend Don for years, but he keeps giving me the brush off. He did, however, offer to sell me his plane for a decent price. But I would have to finish my pilot training first, fly to Oregon, and then fly cross-country in an open cockpit biplane. After I got home, I would have to rent a hanger to store it. Maybe next year......

In the meantime, I would rather have his 1665.

Funny how peeps won't part with certain things.

When I skied with Steve Podborski and Alberto Tomba, neither would sell me their skis. When I trained with Alex Steida and asked him if I could buy one of the yellow jerseys he won in the Tour de France, he laughed... when I was doing shots with Mike Myers one evening, I asked if I could buy a script from Austin Powers, he said no... and when I was on-set of the filming of The Hurricane I asked academy award winner Norman Jewison if I could buy one of his Oscars and he shot me an evil look.

Don't know why they wouldn't want to part with their stuff.

[C.J.]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Funny how peeps won't part with certain things.

When I skied with Steve Podborski and Alberto Tomba, neither would sell me their skis. When I trained with Alex Steida and asked him if I could buy one of the yellow jerseys he won in the Tour de France, he laughed... when I was doing shots with Mike Myers one evening, I asked if I could buy a script from Austin Powers, he said no... and when I was on-set of the filming of The Hurricane I asked academy award winner Norman Jewison if I could buy one of his Oscars and he shot me an evil look.

Don't know why they wouldn't want to part with their stuff.

Knowing you, you probaly just didn't ask nicely

[Launch Mini]

Funny thing John, I tried to buy a Stanley Cup ring from a buddy, I got the same response.
Something along the lines of F.O.A.D...

[Subfiend]

The subject of this ad, Capt. Norman Baker, died in a plane crash on Wednesday. He was 89. May he rest in peace.

http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Rep...459464063.html

[Subfiend]

And if you are wondering how a Rolex GMT-Master should spend its life on the wrist of its owner, read this:

Norman Baker's adventures started early. He won a contest for taking flying lessons at the age of 13 and soloed on his 17th birthday.

At Cornell University he played lightweight football, rowed on the crew that won the American Henley Championship, became president of the Cornell Pilots Club, learned to ski and won a number of ribbons riding in horse shows. Graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree, Mr. Baker returned the next year to study creative writing, literature, philosophy and history, and to coach the lightweight crew.

His first job was in the gold mines of Alaska, initially as a laborer and later as an engineer for the same company.

Mr. Baker's second job was in the desert country of Colorado and New Mexico, staking out that last state boundary in the nation that had never before been surveyed. He was working on a pipeline being built between New Mexico and California when the Korean War broke out. He served two and a half years on a destroyer engaged in troop support and shore bombardment, all four ships in his destroyer division taking direct hits by shore battery fire.

After the war Mr. Baker earned a commercial multiengine pilot license but instead of flying airlines he sailed the Transpacific Yacht Race as a deck hand, rising to first mate and finally professional captain of the ship, sailing her from Honolulu to Seattle for the owner. He learned to scuba dive while working as underwater assistant and celestial navigator for a marine biologist on a research expedition that started in Hawaii and finished in the South Pacific. Mr. Baker later worked as first mate on a commercial schooner with a crew of 21, voyaging between Hawaii and the South Pacific Islands.

Returning to New York, he started a construction company with his brother, a Professional Engineer, attending Cooper Union College at night to become licensed by New York State as a Professional Engineer. That same year he took up skydiving.

On his honeymoon in Switzerland he satisfied a childhood dream: he climbed the Matterhorn.

Thor Heyerdahl, whom Mr. Baker met in Tahiti, engaged him as celestial navigator, radioman and second-in-command on his three reed boat expeditions, Ra, Ra II, and Tigris.

In addition to working as an engineer, Mr. Baker was for nine years captain of the sailing schooner Anne Kristine, a Norwegian ship built in 1868 and one of the oldest vessels plying the open seas, conducting sail training and ocean research several months each year. He, his wife and children worked three years rebuilding Anne Kristine in the British Virgin Islands before sailing her in the Tall Ships Parade for the Statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration in New York. Most recently he participated in Explorers Club Flag expeditions to Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada and to Thailand, Southeast Asia. He is a Fellow and Director of The Explorers Club, does white water canoeing, scuba diving, horseback riding, flying, served as a senior member of the National Ski Patrol and as an instructor of oceanography with the Naval Reserve in which he holds the rank of Commander.

[GradyPhilpott]

Wow! What a life!

Rest in peace, Mr. Baker.

[Renbro]

I used to have one explorer a while ago but the bracelet broke. After that experience, I am not inclined anymore on such watch as you might get disappointed. I even created a 3min video to digested my horrible experience. :/
https://youtu.be/NYosGuKru0w