"Actor's Watch" focuses on watches worn by actors in movies, television, etc.
In this 78th installment, we will be introducing the Rolex Day-Date that appeared in movies .
*Source: blog.watchdealer.app
The Day-Date was born in 1956, 11 years after the birth of the Datejust in 1945. It is said that the Day-Date came to be called the " President " because it was presented to Eisenhower, who was the President of the United States at the time.
The Rolex Day-Date, the world's first watch with a date and fully spelled-out day of the week display, is Rolex's highest-end model, available only in rare materials such as gold and platinum, and has been worn by many presidents, including Lyndon Johnson , Gerald Ford , Bill Clinton , and Donald Trump. It is known as a watch favored by many prominent figures in politics and business, including former American presidents and Warren Buffett , known as the world's greatest investor.
This issue of "Actor's Watch" will focus on the Day-Date .
The Day-Date in 1980s Movies
Don Johnson in "Miami Vice"
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
Sonny Crockett ( Don Johnson ), an undercover cop for the Miami Police Department's Special Investigation Unit, drives a Ferrari, dresses casually in Armani and Versace clothes confiscated from criminals, and pursues drug cartels while posing as a playboy. He teams up with Detective Ricardo Tubbs of the New York Police Department, whose brother was killed by a drug cartel, to fight against the criminal organizations that control Miami.
The detective drama series "Miami Vice" (1984-1989) was a huge hit in the United States in the 1980s, featuring a handsome investigator clad in luxury brand items from head to toe. It also featured realistic action scenes, such as gunfights, supervised and directed by the IPSC (International Practical Shooting Federation ).
The Rolex Day-Date worn in this film is Don Johnson, who plays the lead role of Agent Sonny Crockett. Given its age, it is likely to be a model around the Ref . 18038. It would be the perfect prop for a rich playboy trying to lure out drug dealers.
Michael Caine in "The Man Who Wasn't There"
*Source: https://oracleoftime.com/
Lawrence ( Michael Caine ) is a British con man who defrauds wealthy housewives. When his true identity is discovered by an American con man named Freddie ( Steve Martin ) on the French Riviera, Lawrence challenges Freddie to a "con game" to see who can get $50,000 out of a woman who happens to be at the hotel first. Lawrence plans to beat Freddie and kick him out of the Riviera, but...
" The Rogues " (1988) is known as a masterpiece of the "con game" movie that depicts a battle of wits . In this movie, Michael Caine, a leading British actor who plays the veteran con man Lawrence, wears a Rolex Day-Date Oysterquartz (Ref. 19018) . This watch is one of Michael Caine's personal favorites and was worn in the movie, but it is a perfect watch for the wrist of a "playboy who plays the rich man."
☞ Read #60 The watch of British film legend Michael Caine
Tom Cruise in "Rain Man"
*Source: https://rare-watch.net/
Charlie ( Tom Cruise ), a high-end foreign car dealer, learns of the death of his estranged father and returns to his hometown to claim his inheritance, only to discover that his autistic older brother Raymond ( Dustin Hoffman ), whom he had never even remembered, will inherit the entire $3 million inheritance. Scheming to get his hands on the inheritance, Charlie tries to take his brother out of the hospital and back to his home in Los Angeles, but on the way, he notices his brother's extraordinary memory and recalls the days he played with him as a child.
In Rain Man (1988), which depicts the reunion and bond between two brothers who were separated, Tom Cruise, who plays Charlie, a vain younger brother who is after his inheritance, wears a Rolex Day-Date (presumably a Reference 18238) . As he reminisces about his childhood with his older brother, who he initially only saw as a source of income, the Day-Date is effectively used as a prop to express Charlie's "change of heart."
☞ Read #28 Actor Tom Cruise's Watch
The Day-Date in 1990s Movies
Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas"
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
Henry ( Ray Liotta ), who had dreamed of becoming a mafia member since he was a child, is recognized for his sense of making money while working for a local mafia boss, and he ends up teaming up with the most feared men in town, Jimmy ( Robert De Niro ) and Tommy ( Joe Pesci ). With the backing of the mafia, Henry opens his own store, but when Tommy kills someone there, his life starts to go awry little by little...
In Goodfellas (1990), which depicts the life of real-life mobster Henry Hill , Ray Liotta, who plays the lead role of Henry, wears a Rolex Day-Date . Given the time period in which it was filmed, it is likely to have been either a Ref. 18038 (late 70s to late 80s) or a Ref. 18238 (1988 to 2000).
☞ Read #70 [Tribute Column] RIP Ray Liotta's Watch
Alec Baldwin in "Skyscraper Highway"
*Source: https://www.avsenggcollege.ac.in/
Blake ( Alec Baldwin ), a young executive at the headquarters, announces to the sales department of a major New York real estate company that anyone ranked third or lower in sales performance will be fired. While the desperate salesmen compete with each other to secure contracts, the staff who are not getting results start to make a desperate plan.
In "The Man Who Was a Star " (1992), which depicts the harsh world of business, veteran actors such as Jack Lemmon , Al Pacino , and Ed Harris play businessmen who experience ups and downs. In this film, Alec Baldwin, who plays the young executive Blake, wears a Rolex Day-Date (model unknown) . He shows off his watch with a confident look on his face, as if to say, "If you want to wear a watch like this, you'll have to improve your sales performance."
James Gandolfini in "The Sopranos"
*Source: https://www.apmusicales.com/
Anthony Soprano, aka "Tony" ( James Gandolfini ), runs a garbage collection company. His true identity is that he is the heir to the Soprano family, a mafia that controls New Jersey. However, in today's underworld, just like in regular companies, it is difficult to develop competent subordinates, and the older generation imposes outdated values. Tony, who is plagued by the pain and stress of being a middle manager, collapses from stress. He decides to continue his job as a mafia boss while attending therapy...
The popular TV series " The Sopranos " (1999-2007) depicts the struggles and stresses of modern mafia members who are not absolute rulers but are forced to play managerial roles in the organization. James Gandolfini, who plays the violent yet sensitive "Tony" in the series, wears a Rolex Day-Date (Ref. 18238 ) .
Day-Date in Movies Since 2000
Brad Pitt in "Ocean's Twelve"
*Source: https://www.spotern.com/
*Source: https://bilder.fernsehserien.de
Benedict ( Andy Garcia ), a casino tycoon in Las Vegas, was outwitted by a team of thieves led by Danny Ocean ( George Clooney ) and lost a huge amount of money and his mistress. To get revenge, he demands Ocean pay back all the money he stole. He threatens that he will not guarantee the lives of the entire team if Ocean does not do so. Ocean and his team, who have used up all the money they stole, start a big job in Europe to pay it back, but they are beaten to it by another group of thieves.
Ocean's Twelve (2004), the second film in the popular "Caper Movie" series, is about a team of criminals with special skills, such as con artists, pickpockets, safecrackers, and professional drivers, who team up to take down their targets. In this film, Rusty ( Brad Pitt ), Ocean's right-hand man, scout, and planner, wears a Rolex Day-Date Ice Blue . The bezel is not smooth and has a design, so it is likely to be a " Ref. 118366 " set with baguette diamonds.
☞ Read #31 The watch of the eternally handsome actor Brad Pitt
Dominic Cooper in The Devil's Double
*Source: https://www.montres-de-luxe.com/
Uday Hussein ( Dominic Cooper ) is the eldest son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein , who used his position as the son of the most powerful man to commit atrocities and illegal acts, earning him international notoriety. Latif, a young man who resembles Uday, is forced to act as his body double. Angered by Uday's repeated crimes, which he follows instinctively, he soon becomes attracted to Uday's lover, Sarav.
The political suspense film " The Devil's Double" (2011) is based on the autobiography of Latif Yahia, a young man who is said to have been Uday Hussein's body double. Dominic Cooper, who played the power-obsessed Uday Hussein, wears a Rolex Day-Date in this film. Considering the time of filming and the historical background, it is likely to be the " Ref. 118238A ".
Christian Bale in "Vice"
*Source: https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
In the 1960s, Dick Cheney ( Christian Bale ), who had dropped out of college and worked as an electrician, was encouraged by his girlfriend, Lynn, who would later become his wife, to enter politics. As he studied politics under the unconventional Congressman Rumsfeld, Cheney distinguished himself and served as presidential advisor and Secretary of Defense. He eventually rose to the position of vice president in the George W. Bush administration that began in 2001, but on September 11 of that year, the terrorist attacks struck New York.
Vice (2018) is a biographical film about Dick Cheney, who was so influential that he was described as the "shadow president." The Rolex Day-Date (presumably Ref. 1803) is worn by Christian Bale, who gained nearly 20kg, shaved his head, and used special makeup to portray Cheney from his 20s to his 60s. Not only does the film faithfully portray the character, it also mimics the watch that Dick Cheney himself actually wore.
☞#8 Read Christian Bale's "Jaeger-LeCoultre" and "Rolex"
summary
What did you think?
As you can see, the characters in movies whose power and wealth depend on being "trusted" by others, such as politicians who need the trust of voters, mafia members who will be betrayed if they lose the trust of their comrades, and con artists who cannot fool anyone unless they are trusted, wear Rolex Day-Date watches.
*Source: https://www.rolexmagazine.com/
Many people think of the Day-Date as a watch that symbolizes power and wealth , but what creates that power and wealth is the trust and credibility behind it. In other words, the Rolex Day-Date expresses the idea that it creates trust and credibility.
If you wear a different watch, the people who trust you and gather around you will also change. By carefully selecting and wearing a watch that matches your purpose, rather than just "just because," you can connect with the people you want to connect with, which is what the film seems to suggest.
That's what I mean, "choice" is really important .
see you!