Star Of The Screen

How a watch brand and the world of cinema continue to enjoy a fruitful partnership over many decades

The love affair between Rolex and cinema began more than 50 years ago. As its prominence as a watch brand grew, so did its prevalence on the silver screen. Rolex watches appeared on the wrists of famous characters-think Sean Connery's James Bond in Dr No or Paul Newman's Oscarwinning turn as Eddie Felson in The Colour of Money.

Sometimes, a Rolex watch was used as a plot device to shed light on the motivations of a character-like when Tom Cruise tries to pawn his solid gold Rolex Day Date in Rain Man, referencing what we all know about the real world liquidity and value of a Rolex watch. Sometimes it made an anachronistic but all-the-more memorable appearance on screen, such as when Tony Curtis, playing a slave in ancient Rome accidentally kept his Rolex on in the cinematic classic, Spartacus. Offscreen, the prestige and value attached to the watch brand is such that Keanu Reeves gifted Rolex Submariners to the four members of the stunt team on John Wick 4 after filming wrapped.