Page Dimensions

Approx. 8 1/8" x 10 7/8" (20cm x 27cm)

Story and Details

Rolex has long been affiliated with auto racing going back to the 1930s when an Oyster was strapped to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s wrist as he set land speed records. Today, Rolex is the official timepiece sponsor of Formula 1, Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. This 1968 ad speaks to a time when Rolex awarded watches to winners of the Daytona 500. Interestingly, even though the ad mentions “the 500”, assumed to be the Daytona 500, the imagery appears to be footage from the 1967 Daytona Continental race. And the two cars at the forefront are both famous Fords - a GT40 and Mk II (a Porsche 910 not far behind). You might think that’s not the only mixup… Is another error that the wrong watch model is pictured? Shouldn’t it be a Daytona? Not at all. In fact, I love how this ad shows a simple, Oyster Perpetual Ref. 1005. This ad is a great example of how a Rolex watch was viewed back then. They were all more or less on equal footing. That 34mm OP cost about the same as a Daytona back then. Today we see many pieces created by Rolex being coddled and relegated to special occasion jewelry. However, here we see the brand itself touting the watches as something you not only wear every day, but can beat up on, saying, “Any Rolex Oyster can take a Sunday punch, a douse in a grease can, or a steam bath.” With a racing pedigree like Rolex has, it’s no wonder their watches have been winning on Sunday and selling on Monday for a long time.