Orlando Bloom's Vintage Rolex Collection

.Celebrities.
Orlando Bloom wearing a vintage Rolex Explorer II image from CrownandCaliber.com

Orlando Bloom is an English actor whose breakthrough role came as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This was followed up by The Hobbit trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Troy (2004). Bloom has had great success as part of historical and ensemble casts. However he has received numerous nominations and awards while creating some of the most memorable supporting characters in history. Personally, Bloom has been tied to superstar singer Katy Perry, super model Miranda Kerr (who he married), and actress Kate Bosworth.

In 2009, Orlando Bloom was robbed by thieves connected to the Bling Ring. They stole over $500,000 worth of Rolex timepieces including some of the beautiful Vintage Rolexes shown below.
Rolex Explorer II: Image from Fratello Watches
Orlando Bloom clearly has a taste for vintage Rolex timepieces.  This first Rolex is an Explorer II reference 1655.  It was introduced in 1971 and was manufactured until 1984/5, when it was replaced by the reference 16550.  

The Explorer II was developed for the Speleologists or "cave explorers" who worked day or night underground and would often lose track of time due to lack of sun exposure.  It was adopted by mountain climbers too, who admired the big Orange 24 hour hand indicating AM and PM, on the immobile 24 hour scale indicator on the bezel.  

The Reference 1655 is water resistance to 300 feet.  It has a date window and a cyclops lens.  The stainless steel Explorer II was dubbed the Steve McQueen by collectors even though the timepiece may not have been worn by McQueen.  

The Reference 1655 has an hour hand, minute hand, seconds hand and the 24 hour hand.  It has a large hour triangle marker at 12 o'clock and smaller markers at 9 and 6 o'clock.  There are smaller markers indicating the various 24 hour markers.  For example at 1400 hours, there is a marker closer to the bezel at the beginning and end of the 1400 hour.  Or specifically at 1400 and 1500 hours.  There is another marker closer to the center of the dial, indicating the middle of the 1200 hour or 1430.  These markers can be visible in dark lighting situations.  

The Reference 1655 is powered by the caliber 1575 which provides about 48 hours of power reserve.  The 1655 sells for around 17k in the after market.  The Explorer II has gone through several changes over the years.  In 1984 Rolex introduced the Explorer II 16550 which was built on the Caliber 3085, and changed many features including the hand design.  In 2011 Rolex released the reference 16570 which had a new caliber 3187 and 904L steel case with Oyster bracelet.   It is quite a stunning timepiece with the black dial, and stainless steel case.  It can take a pounding.  The 24 hour luminescent markers are quite different from the modern Explorer II timepieces, making this, particularly more useful in the darkness.

Rolex Milgauss 6543: Image BobsWatches
The second Rolex from Orlando Bloom's collection is a 1950's Vintage Milgauss 6543.  This is quite a rare fined for the famous actor since the Reference 6543 was in production for a short period of time  when it was replaced by the 6541.  It is thought that only 88 of these timepieces actually were manufactured by Rolex.  

The Milgauss got its name from the French "mille" meaning one thousand and "Gauss" referring to the German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss who was well known for his research into magnetic fields.  The Milgauss was designed to resist magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss.    It was marketed to research laps including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) who reportedly asked Rolex to develop the Milgauss.  It was ideal for people who work around strong magnetic fields such as researchers in laboratories, hospital employees, and power plant workers.  However, by today's standards, the Milgauss would probably not withstand the magnetic fields of some equipment and should probably be removed before handling those tools.  

It is anti-magnetic since the escapement is made of anti-magnetic alloy.  The 6543 has a honeycomb dial that over time turns a dark brown.  First manufactured in 1954, the Reference 6543 features a caliber 1065 automatic movement which provides approx. 44 hours of power reserve.  It has a 40 mm case and has dagger numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.  The hands are luminous and it has a screw down crown, water resistant case, and a 60 unit black bezel.  The cost on this timepiece ranges from 82-144k at auction.

Vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675
Image: BobsWatches
The third vintage Rolex from Orlando Bloom's collection is a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 which was produced between 1959 and 1980.  The "Pepsi" coloring of Red and Blue on the dial is quite popular among collectors.  This timepiece has a beautiful yellowing aged patina on the dial's hour markers which contain a large triangle at 12 o'clock, rectangles for 6 and 9 o'clock and circles for all other markers except 3 o'clock where the cyclops lens and date window are located.  The 1675 has a 40mm case and has crown-guards.  Linked to the aviation industry, the GMT-Master has grown to be one of Rolex's finest timepieces made.  

It is powered by a caliber 1575 and sports 44 hours of power reserve.  It is waterproof to 165 feet.  It was initially produced with a linked bracelet, but the Jubilee bracelet was introduced in 1968.  

The 1675 has an hour hand, minute hand and second hand.  The second hand markers surround the entire black dial.  The red 24 hour hand helps aviators and world travelers keep track of a second time zone with the rotating 24 hour bezel.  A world class actor such as Orlando Bloom could definitely appreciate having the ability to track 2 time zones as he travels from one movie set to another or hangs with his entourage, models and actresses.  His collection of vintage Rolex timepieces is quite impressive.  Hopefully the theft does not damper his enthusiasm to collect such fine representations of Rolex history.  




Ellen DeGeneres Wears Rolex

.Celebrities.
Ellen DeGeneres wearing a steel Rolex Daytona with black dial (Picture from EllenTV)
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is a very popular American comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer and activist.  She got her start doing stand-up in the early 1980's and appeared on The Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey Show and elsewhere.  She has appeared in person and as a voice over actress in movies The Love Letter (1999, Finding Nemo (2003) and has been highly successful hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003.  She has also hosted the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys, and even stars in the Disney World's Epcot Center Universe of Energy attraction (Ellen's Energy Adventure).

To say that Ellen is a Rolex fan would be a major understatement.  Although she has been seen wearing Panerai and Audemars Piguet, she is more often seen wearing various styles of Rolex, including new and vintage models.  Although it would be difficult to cover all of her Rolex collection in one sitting here, I will show you three of her more distinctive Rolex timepieces.

Rolex Daytona
Ellen is quoted once as saying that Rolex Daytona watches were her favorite, claiming that the Daytona is the "only watch I wear."  She owns both vintage and new models like the steel Rolex Daytona with the black dial pictured above and to the left here.

Although I could really start with some of the more rare and expensive Daytona's in here collection, I love connecting with Ellen's down-to-earth personality which has helped her tremendous rise to fame, by showing this reasonably priced Cosmograph Daytona in steel.  Certainly one of the lower priced items in Ellen's Rolex collection, this timepiece combines so much power, beauty and craftsmanship into a single unit. Ellen did not get where she is at today without working hard, and this timepiece can keep up with her work ethic like a champ.

The simple timelessness of steel and luminescent hour markers is beautifully countered by the black dial and bezel.  The Oyster case is 40mm 904L steel as is the matching Oyster bracelet.  The black bezel has a tachymetric scale which allows drivers to perfectly measure average speeds up to 400 kilometers or miles per hour.  I don't think you will find Ellen driving a racecar any time soon.  However, she obviously admires the symmetry of the 3 mini dials- a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock, a 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12 hour counter at 9 o'clock.

The caliber 4130 mechanism gives Ellen approximately 72 hours of power reserve.  The screw down crown and pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock, along with the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal give a water resistance up to 330 feet.

Rolex Day-Date
The second Rolex is a 36mm Presidential Day-Date.  This model comes with either a fluted or domed bezel.  The hour markers could either be luminescent gold markers or gold Arabic numerals.  The 36 mm Oyster case is made out of 18 ct Everose (pink) gold, and is matched with a President 3 link bracelet, also in matching Everose gold. 

The functions of this timepiece include a center hour, minute and seconds hands in gold.  It has an instant date and day in windows at 3 o'clock and 12 o'clock, respectively, with rapid setting and stop seconds for precise time setting.  The screw-down crown and double lock system provide water resistance to 330 feet.  It is powered by a caliber 3155 and has a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.

This is a stunning timepiece by any calculation and I applaud Ellen for adding this distinctive and regal "Presidential" timepiece to her collection.  Ellen is Hollywood royalty and deserves to own one of the crown jewels of the Rolex line.


37mm Rolex Yacht-Master II
The last watch I want to cover here is a beautiful Yacht-Master II, 37 mm in Everose Gold.  Ellen has been seen lately sporting this beautiful "ladies" timepiece.  The smaller 37 mm Oyster case is made from 18 ct Everose (pink) gold.  The bracelet is a flexible metal blades system covered with high-performance elastomer and an oysterlock safety clasp. 

The black luminescent markers surrounded everose gold, look stunning against the black matt sand-blasted dial.  The bidirectional rotatable bezel is similarly in a stunning raised black lettering with lighter black background allows the wearer to calculate sailing time between two buoys.  The date window and high-precision timekeeping of this Swiss Chronometer helps keep Ellen on time even in amidst her busy schedule.

It is powered by a caliber 2236 movement with approximately 55 hours of power reserve.  The scratch-resistant sapphire and Triplock waterproofness system gives the timepiece waterproofness up to 330 feet.  Although Ellen clearly will happily wear a larger 40mm Rolex, this 37 mm is probably more fitting for her petite frame.




Mark Wahlberg loves his Rolexes

.Celebrities.
Mark Wahlberg and his Gold Rolex Yacht-Master II 
It is hard to believe that the Irish/ Swedish Mark Wahlberg today was a convict (convicted of assault against two Vietnamese men after he had tried to rob them and served 50 days in prison) and a teen pop boy-band sensation (Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch).

Today he is not only an acclaimed actor with an Oscar nomination to his name (Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for The Departed (2006) ) and a Producer of hit shows like Boardwalk Empire (2010) and Entourage (2004).  He has been in some memorable movies such as the two Ted comedies, The Perfect Storm, Boogie Nights, Fear and Planet of the Apes.  He has certainly come a long way from his street and hood background. Today he is found supporting his Youth Foundation and donating to charities like the feminist group Time's Up.

Gold Yacht-Master II
Mark loves his gold Rolex watches.  Just like Mark himself, he isn't afraid to be flashy and catch attention.  The Gold Yacht-Master II Rolex does that in spades.  This stylish timepiece is shaped from a solid block of 18 carat yellow gold. 

Although it is available in pink or white gold, Wahlberg prefers the look of yellow gold almost exclusively of any other metal.  The case is a 44mm Oyster with a gold Oyster bracelet.

The screw-down winding crown and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face give the watch water-resistance to 330 feet.

The beauty of the white dial, offset by the blue bezel with bidirectional 90 degree rotatable Ring Command, is stunning.  The timepiece has a center hour and minute hand, small seconds window at 6 o'clock. 

The caliber 4161 perpetual movement gives the watch up to 72 hours of power reserve.
GMT-Master II

Mark Wahlberg's 2nd gold Rolex is a 50h-anniversary yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II ceramic reference 116718g.  This is a slightly smaller model to the Yacht-Master with a 40 mm oyster case, yellow gold case and oyster bracelet. 

The green dial is a bit darker green than the luminescent light green hands of the hour, minute and seconds hands.  with a green dial reference

The outer bezel is black with the 24 hour markers in gold text.  This bezel is rotatable and the 24 hour hand can help keep track of a 2nd time zone for travelers.  The hour markers are luminescent markers surrounded in gold.

The sapphire crystal and screw down crown give the GMT Master a water resistance to 330 feet.  The GMT-Master II has a cyclops lens above a date window at 3 o'clock.  The timepiece is powered by a caliber 3186 which gives the wearer a 48 hour power reserve.

Gold Rolex Submariner 
Mark's 3rd Rolex in his collection is a gold Rolex Submariner with a black dial.  Sticking to his gold metal, Mark has discovered the beauty of the Rolex Submariner line - the model launched in 1953.  The stunning black bezel and black dial look fantastic against the 18 ct gold case and band.  The bezel is unidirectional and rotatable in 60-minute graduations.  It has a center hour, minute and seconds hands with a date window under cyclops lens.  The stop seconds allows for precise time setting.

The timepiece is powered by 3135 self-winding movement with a 48 hour power reserve.  The Submariner has water-resistance to an outstanding 1000 feet.  The Oyster case is 40 mm in size and the bracelet is an Oyster style with 3 piece links, folding Oysterlock safety clasp and Rolex Glidelock extension system.  The time markers are all chromalight blue luminescence surrounded by gold, providing legibility in dark situations.

Mark has a fine Rolex collection here.  Certainly all three timepieces can serve different purposes.  However, we can tell from Mark's preferences that he prefers not only the beauty of 18 ct gold, but also the versatility of various color options.  Here is pictured the blue Yacht-Master, green GMT-Master and black Sub.  Also, he has opted to go for the date window option rather than a no-date Rolex.


Featured Post

Rolex Online Resources