Page Dimensions

Approx. 9" x 11 3/4" (22cm x 29cm)

Story and Details

This is one of my favorite Rolex ads, and it has nothing to do with the bright "Pepsi" GMT Master that's front and center. Chuck Yeager might be the only man who can pull the spotlight away from one of Rolex’s most iconic pieces. Yeager retired a Brigadier General in the USAF with an impressive resume as a P-51 pilot in WWII along with numerous speed and altitude records. The P-51 "Mustang" he flew is pictured in the background of the ad. And you can make out part of its name, Glamorous Glen, after his wife. Chuck Yeager is probably most famous for being the first person to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947 at just 24 years old. Equally as impressive Yeager broke the sound barrier for the final time in his life on the 65th anniversary of his first barrier breaking flight at the age of 89 as a co-pilot in an F-15 Eagle. My first introduction to Chuck Yeager came at age 15 when I spotted one of Chuck’s books on display at a family friend’s business. It was a gift from Chuck along with a personal message referencing the time the two served together in the Air Force. For me, the man and the watch are not just two icons of aviation... In my opinion, they're THE two icons of aviation.