According to Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires published earlier this week, Warren Buffett still ranks among the world’s wealthiest individuals. Though he places as the globe’s second richest man, his choice in a trusty timepiece is nothing less than the best. Warren Buffet, with a net worth of $62 billion, has worn the same 18k gold Rolex Datejust since the first day it was purchased. This is the same man that made his entire fortune through smart investments thus proving the genius behind investing in a luxury Rolex.

Warren Buffet’s career began by delivering newspapers as a little boy. He filed his first tax return at age 13, claiming a $35 deduction for his bicycle. After studying under value investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia, he took over textile firm Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 and built it into a financial powerhouse. Today, the Berkshire-Hathaway holding company is invested in insurance (Geico, General Re), utilities (MidAmerican Energy), and food (Dairy Queen, See’s Candies). Moreover, Buffet has non-controlling stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, and Wells Fargo while his insurance operations flourished in 2007.13,

In light of his actions, statements, and career success, it makes perfect sense that Warren Buffet would choose to wear an 18k Rolex Datejust. Of course, as the richest man in the world, he could afford any watch on the market. Certain luxury watches are sold for over $100,000 dollars, but such an expense and extravagance would not jibe with Buffet’s natural personality, as a tried-and-true Nebraskan. Instead, Mr. Buffett chooses to wear a quality and reliable watch with a reputation of precision and performance. In addition, the consistent donation of Rolex’s profits to charity and sporting events through the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation appears to be in perfect sync with Warren Buffet’s personal track record of charitable donations. Mr. Buffet permanently earmarked the majority of his Berkshire shares to charity in 2007 and 2008, largely to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an international organization aiming to increase access to healthcare and eliminating adverse poverty worldwide. The gift was valued at $31 billion on the day of announcement, but the donation will far exceed that sum so long as Berkshire shares continue to rise.

Mr. Buffett’s Datejust was introduced in 1945; the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust is Rolex’s main flagship model wristwatch and is the best selling luxury wristwatch in history. The Datejust carried a great deal of significance as it was launched by Rolex to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of Wilsdorf & Davis, the original name of the Rolex Corporation. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust was one of the first Rolex watch models to carry a date display on its dial and it was one of the first to use stored kinetic energy to have its movement accurately change. Today, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust is one of the most popular models among both men and women. People simply love its accuracy as a date displaying model. At midnight, the Rolex calendar automatically jumps to the next date. There is no better way to wake than knowing that your Rolex is by your side, ready to go, and giving accurate time. Since the richest man in the world wears a Rolex Datejust, shouldn’t you choose a Rolex wristwatch for yourself as well?

A victim of a flood of bad press in Hollywood, sexy American actress Tara Reid reveals her true taste and style when she wears and stays loyal to her Rolex Daytona. Actually, she stays loyal not just to a single Rolex Daytona, but to Rolex Daytonas in the plural because Tara Reid switches back and forth between the stylish gold Daytona and the sporty stainless steel Daytona. In addition, Tara Reid has been photographed wearing a Rolex Datejust Pearlmaster as well, demonstrating that she knows that different occasions often demand different Rolex watches. Famous for her roles in American Pie and The Big Lebowski, Tara Reid starting acting as a child, appearing in over one hundred commercials before she turned eighteen. As her Hollywood career took off, Tara Reid became seduced by the fast lane temptations of the movie star lifestyle. Eventually, she ended up going to rehab in Malibu at Promises and putting her life back together. Besides work on her new movie roles, Reid also has designed a clothing line with Ed Hardy designer, Christian Audiger, entitled Mantra, which will hit high-end department stores in 2009.

Despite discovering the courage to put her life back on the right track, Tara Reid has been savaged by the paparazzi and the tabloid media. Every little problem is magnified times a thousand while her positive qualities have been ignored. If you want to know the true Tara Reid, look at her choice in Rolex watches. From the beginning of her career, she has stayed loyal to the classic Rolex Daytona, whose popularity in Hollywood was ignited by the legendary Paul Newman. When Tara Reid had her Rolex watch stolen in 2005, her reaction to the crime showed her true colors. In the summer of 2005, Tara Reid was robbed at the Spanish isle of Ibiza’s airport on Sunday. Reid was holding her designer Balenciaga handbag containing $180,000 worth of jewelry, when a thief snatched it and ran away. Tara went crazy over the loss because the collection held great sentimental value to her. In the bag, Tara had her Rolex watch, plus her personal jewelry collection. “Before she had even managed to collect her luggage from the carousel an opportunist swiped her black Balenciaga handbag from the trolley,” The Mirror quoted the source, as saying. “In the bag Tara had her Rolex watch, which was of huge sentimental value to her, plus her personal jewelry collection. The police said the likelihood of catching the thief was slim,” the source added. Despite losing $180,000 worth of jewelry, Tara Reid’s first concern was the sentimental value of her Rolex watch. Loyal to Rolex since her first days in Hollywood, Tara Reid cared more about the personal meaning of the items than the monetary value. Such a beautiful response to a personal loss reveals the true quality of a human being. Tara Reid loves her Rolex Daytona because Rolex truly has become an important part of her style and her life.

Does Spiderman wear a Rolex watch? If he does wear a Rolex, would his choice be a Rolex Submariner? Across the world wide web, there have been strange pictures and veiled rumors that imply Spiderman does wear a Rolex Submariner, but only when he is wearing the black costume that was featured in the last film. Without question, Peter Parker does not come across as the Rolex kind of guy, simply on account that he barely can pay his rent. However, when he puts on the black suit and feels the alien confidence flowing through his body, it seems a Rolex fits right into his plans. What is the history of the black suit? According to the comics, it all began during the battle dubbed Secret Wars, when Spiderman found a strange alien machine. Reaching for the black sphere produced by the alien machine, Peter Parker’s arm and entire body became engulfed in black goo. The substance seemed to acknowledge Peter Parker’s thoughts and oozing over Spiderman’s body, fashioned itself into a new outfit. Now sporting a black variation of his original costume, Spiderman found that the suit not only augmented his abilities, it also possessed some powers of its own; the suit generated its own supply of webbing and could change appearances according to Spiderman’s thoughts. Returning to Earth, Peter Parker soon discovered that the suit had a mind of its own, and he eventually learned that the suit was actually a symbiotic life form that physically and psychically had bonded to him. Eventually, Spiderman was able to remove the black suit and move on with his life as a normal, everyday superhero.

When he wears the black suit, Peter Parker experiences the confidence he lacks in everyday life. In the film, when Peter Parker, played by actor Tobey Maguire, wears the black suit, Spiderman becomes intoxicated with his own power. A question that must be asked is why would fans associate the black suit with a Rolex watch. Rather than a negative connotation, there actually is a positive explanation for the connection. When a man wears a Rolex watch, he suddenly experiences a new sense of confidence and personal strength. Like a superhero, he feels he can achieve anything because he has a Rolex watch on his wrist. Moreover, it is fascinating that the black-clad Spiderman’s Rolex of choice is the Rolex Submariner, the same choice of James Bond 007. Excellent and affordable examples of these Rolex Submariners can be found on the Melrose Jewelers website. The Rolex Submariner is an athletic timepiece with the functionality of a sports watch and the presence of the traditional Rolex. An overwhelmingly masculine watch, the stainless steel case features a jet-black dial while the brushed stainless steel oyster bracelet adds sinewy strength to the design. The Rolex Submariner’s remarkable style makes it perfect for everyday heroes. In fact, it makes perfect sense that a superhero like Spiderman would choose to wear a Rolex Submariner, with or without the black suit.

For eight seasons in the 1980s, there was no cooler private investigator on television than Tom Selleck as Magnum P. I. wearing his classic Rolex GMT Master. Whenever the style of Magnum P. I. is talked about, fans and followers talk about his Rolex. However, the character actually did not start wearing a Rolex until the fourth season. For Seasons 4-8, Magnum wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT Master with the “Pepsi” bezel. The Rolex originally belonged to Magnum’s father. Magnum inherited the watch when his father died in the Korean War in 1951. However, in truth, the Rolex GMT Master did not appear until 1954.

In the early 1950s, Rolex was approached by Pan American Airlines. They inquired whether Rolex could produce a special watch that could display the time in two different time zones simultaneously. The request was because their pilots had to travel through multiple time zones. In response, Rolex came out with the first model of the GMT-Master in 1954. It had a special 24 hour hand and a bi-directional rotating bezel that were designed to give the time in any two time zones at the same time. Since it worked exactly as ordered, it soon was adopted by other airlines as well. The Rolex GMT-Master is a professional line of watches and part of Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection. Named after “Greenwich Mean Time�, it has become a popular part of the Rolex brand. Although its place has been taken over by its successor GMT-Master II, which features improved functionalities, the early models of the GMT-Master are still sought after by watch collectors all over the world.

Beyond his role as Magnum, Tom Selleck loved to wear Rolex watches in his everyday life and give them as presents. For the eighth and final season of Magnum P. I. (1980), Universal Studios gave him a bonus of $350,000, which he spent on lavish gifts, such as Rolex watches and $1000 bonuses, for the entire cast and crew of the show. Honestly, if I had seen a fellow cast or crewmember wearing a Rolex watch and all I had was a check for a grand in my back pocket, I would have felt a little disappointed. Then again, it is not about the size of the gift, but the gesture behind the giving. Still, it would have been nice if every cast and crewmember could have walked off the set with a Rolex on his or her wrist.

By playing the role of Magnum, Selleck gave up one of the greatest opportunities in modern film history . Tom Selleck’s contract commitment to the Magnum P.I. series famously cost him the role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which went to Harrison Ford instead. Selleck screen-tested for the Indy role, and was Steven Spielberg’s first choice, but he was unable to take the part because Magnum P. I. was due to start filming in March 1980, close to when Raiders was set to film. Ironically, the start of production on Magnum P. I. was delayed until December due to a writer’s strike, meaning that Selleck would have been free to play Indy after all! In the final season, the producers gave a nod to his sacrifice with the episode Legend of the Lost Art that parodied the film. Later, Magnum P.I. was named the number one detective series of all time by “The Sleuth” TV Network. Although Tom Selleck will not be reprising his role on the motion picture remake in 2011, he will forever be associated with Magnum P. I. and his Rolex GMT-Master.

In 2008, racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart celebrated his 40th anniversary as a brand ambassador for Rolex. Few commercial relationships last more than a few years, but Stewart’s has endured for four decades. As Sir Jackie Stewart says himself, he has been married to the same woman for 46 years and to Rolex only four years less. Stewart is hugely proud of his relationship with Rolex. It all started in May 1966 when Stewart bought his first Rolex in Texas on his way home from the Indianapolis 500. He bought it with his Indianapolis winnings and it was one of the first signs that he was starting to make it as a racing driver. He remembers: “It was a gold Day Date with a President bracelet which was pretty fancy for me to buy in those days. But the Rolex was a symbol of me thinking that I have got enough money to buy something this exclusive.” The first years of his racing career had been spent virtually penniless, clawing his way to the top, and he could not even afford to run a road car. The purchase of the Rolex marked the fact that those days were finally over: Jackie Stewart felt like he had arrived. By 1968, he had emerged as Britain’s top driver and one of the top five in the world.

To Jackie Stewart’s great surprise, Rolex’s Andre Heiniger approached him. He remembers: “He wanted to see if I would consider allowing them to use my photograph and likeness.” Stewart is not even sure how they knew he was a Rolex wearer. Rolex believed that Stewart, along with Arnold Palmer and Jean-Claude Killy, represented the cream of the crop: Sportsmen of that era who would endure.  At the time, Stewart was 18 months away from his first world championship, and there were no guarantees he would win one at all. He says: “It has often baffled me that they chose me that early in my career.” However, Andre Heiniger was no ordinary chief executive and he became a legend in the watch business. Still, it is a market phenomenon that Rolex considered a 28-year-old Jackie Stewart at the start of his winning period in 1968 an asset, and still does at the age of 68 when he has been there and done everything. Stewart says appropriately: “They see it as timeless. Timing is everything in life.” But the longevity of the relationship is still a mystery. When Stewart bought his first Rolex, he was a young man buying a high value product and then a young endorser of the product. Now he is an older man who connects with an older audience.

Jackie Stewart explains why the relationship continues to work to this very day: “Rolex has not changed. You can give me all sorts of excuses for wearing another watch, but if you wear a Rolex, whether it is a stainless steel GMT Master, which I wear a lot of, or whether you wear a platinum Day Date, it is a watch that everyone looks at and thinks it is a quality statement.” Stewart believes that the longevity goes even deeper than that: “With Rolex it is not just a question of winning, it is being successful because a winner can always be beaten. But if you are successful you rise above winning or losing.” Stewart says that Rolex’s long-term thinking is highly compatible to his own thought processes. That’s why his relationship with Rolex has lasted over 40 years.

The 2009 season’s first Rolex First-Time winner was named Sunday afternoon as South Korean star Jiyai Shin, a LPGA Tour rookie, won the HSBC Women’s Champions - and a $300,000 paycheck - by two strokes over 54-hole leader Katherine Hull. Shin overcame a four-stroke deficit on the back nine to take the lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race. Shin, 20, six strokes behind Hull at the start of the round and four back with nine holes to play, had an 11-under-par, 277 total to earn her first victory as a member of the LPGA Tour. “I’m very surprised and very happy,” said Shin, the Women’s British Open winner last August at Sunningdale. “I’m thinking, I had chance for top 10, not for win.” Shin broke a LPGA Tour record in 2008 for most wins by a non-member with three (considered unofficial for her LPGA career). Called the “Final-Round Queen” in South Korea, Jiyai Shin birdied the first four holes – opening with nine- and 12-foot putts, chipping in from 45 feet on No. 3 and adding a 15-foot shot – to put herself in position to take advantage of Hull’s back-nine meltdown. “I make it to the 15th hole, make a birdie. And Katherine, she at number 13, makes double bogey. I think she feels more pressure,” Shin said. “She start as the leader and I start tied for sixth. She looks at the score, she gets more, I think, big pressure. So I know the score, so I’m more set in my game. Just keep it on the fairway and greens.” With the win, Shin earned 150 valuable points to take the lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race with 194 points, ahead of Michelle Wie (80 points), Mika Miyazato (67 points), Vicky Hurst (45 points) and Stacy Lewis (30 points).

The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the first-year player on the LPGA Tour who scores the highest in a points competition in which points are awarded based on a player’s finish in an event. The points system is: 150 points for first; 80 points for second; 75 points for third; 70 points for fourth; and 65 points for fifth. After fifth place, points are awarded in decrements of three, beginning at sixth place with 62 points. Points are doubled in the major events and at the season-ending LPGA Championship. Rookies who make the cut in an event and finish below 41st each receive five points. The award is named after Louise Suggs, one of the founders of the LPGA. Suggs was an inaugural inductee into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, established in 1967, and later was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1979. She is also a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Rolex has been the proud sponsor of the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award since its inception. One of the cofounders of the LPGA in 1950, Louise Suggs is happy to see both the excellence of LPGA Rookie Jiyai Shin and just how far the LPGA has come since the beginning.

Showing the world that Rolex is the choice of the newest generation of real rock stars, singer Bill Kaulitz of the super hot MTV band Tokio Hotel wears a Rolex Yacht Master in gold and steel. Tokio Hotel is a German band founded in Magdeburg, Germany in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing. The quartet have scored four number one singles and have released two number one albums in their native country, selling nearly 5 million CDs and DVDs. In 2007, the band released their second German album Zimmer 483 and their first English album Scream that have combined album sales of over one million copies worldwide and helped win the band their first MTV Europe Music Award for Best InterAct. Recently, the band picked up the Headliner award at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Liverpool in 2008. At the very cutting edge of the modern music scene, Tokio Hotel is a powerful force in 21st century popular culture. Lead singer Bill Kaulitz leads the way, in terms of both fashion and attitude, and it is significant that he chooses to wear a Rolex watch. Such a choice reveals how Rolex never goes out of fashion no matter what the reigning style happens to be.

Revealing the extent of his popularity, Bill Kaulitz was immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin. His wax statue was unveiled on September 30, 2008. At 19 years old, Bill is now the youngest person to be duplicated by the Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin. In December 2008, Bill Kaulitz was named “Man of the Year #6″ by MTV News. When asked what his greatest wish in life is, Bill Kaulitz answered, “Freedom to no end and a life filled with music until eternity.â€� Bill Kaulitz displays his sense of freedom by choosing the Rolex Yacht Master as his personal wristwatch. Available for a great price at Melrose Jewelers in a variety of styles, the Rolex Yacht Master is the premiere sportsman’s watch with the versatility of a refined scale. In the midsize, the dusky silver dial features oversized luminous hour markers and an easy to read date display. Contrasting the dial is an impressive unidirectional rotating bezel in brushed 18K yellow gold w/ polished Arabic numerals, which stands out against the cool stainless steel. The Oyster bracelet in stainless steel & 18K yellow gold gives the sporty design an additional touch of luxury. The Two-Tone Yacht Master with a luxurious champagne dial features oversized luminous hour markers and an easy to read date display. Originally designed to meet the demands of the sailor, Rolex Yacht Master is the versatile choice for the sailor of the rock star when casual luxury is a necessity.

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (29 June 1911 in Jena — 1 December 2004 in Utrecht), the late father of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix, was an avid Rolex wearer and collector throughout his life. In April of 2007, Christie’s in Amsterdam auctioned this antique Rolex. Maarten van Gijn, Public Relations & Marketing Director of Christie’s in Amsterdam, mailed out the picture below at the time of the auction. Prince Bernhard’s antique Silver Datejust with a black dial and Oyster band is an excellent example of a late Twentieth Century professional class Rolex wristwatch. What remains intriguing is why the Royal family would choose to sell the Rolex watch as opposed to keeping the heirloom in the family and passing it down to one of the Prince’s many grandchildren.

A little background on the Prince: Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (29 June 1911 in Jena– 1 December 2004 in Utrecht), Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld, born HSH Count Bernhard Leopold Friedrich Eberhard Julius Kurt Karl Gottfried Peter of Lippe-Biesterfeld (later elevated thus to Prince), was Prince Consort to the late Queen Juliana, and father of 6 children with a multitude of grandchildren. Although his private life was rather controversial, Bernhard was generally regarded as a charming and popular figure by the majority of the Dutch for his performance as a pilot during World War II and his work during post-war reconstruction. The German-born prince helped found the World Wildlife Fund, becoming its first president in 1961. He helped found the Rotary International and was one of two founders of the international Bilderburg Group.

During World War II, the rugged and adventuresome Rolex side of the Prince Bernhard was displayed in full. In 1941, Prince Bernhard was given the honorary rank of wing commander in the Royal Air Force. He then trained as a pilot and gained his wings later that same year. From 1942 to 1944, Bernhard flew as a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and he would wear a Rolex watch when he flew. He also helped organize the Dutch resistance movement while taking a real and important role in the Dutch Armed forces. Prince Bernhard was also well known for his love for fast planes, fast cars and speeding. Naturally, such a love went hand-in-hand or wrist-in-wrist with wearing a Rolex watch. Apparently, Winston Churchill said that he only knew of one person who was having a great time during WWII, and that it was Prince Bernhard. Ultimately, it is a shame that Queen Beatrix did not pass down Prince Bernhard’s Rolex to his grandchildren and keep the tradition in the Royal family.

The New York Yacht Club presented its true colors when it hosted US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards luncheon. The club’s renowned Model Room was the setting for celebrating Terry Hutchinson’s (Annapolis, Md.) and Anna Tunnicliffe’s (Plantation, Fla.) 2008 competitive sailing achievements as family and friends, sailing dignitaries and members of the press looked on. Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s Vice President and Director of Communications Peter Nicholson awarded each winner with a specially engraved stainless steel and platinum Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master. Both sailors clutched their respective titles and stunning Rolex watches after four years spent on the shortlist of nominees. Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. since 1980, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognize the outstanding on-the-water competitive achievement of an individual man and woman in the calendar year just concluded.

Terry Hutchinson, a first-time winner, redefined himself as a well-rounded fleet racer after emerging from his stint as a first-rate tactician in the 32nd America’s Cup. The well-rounded sailor earned his spot as the 2008 Yachtsman of the Year because of his expansive repertoire of victories in a variety of classes, specifically TP52’s, Farr 40’s, and Melges 24’s. "This award is obviously an acknowledgement of a great year on the water," said the 40-year-old Hutchinson, a four-time Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) All-American and two-time College Sailor of the Year (’89 and ‘90) at Old Dominion University, who is a professional sailor by trade. "But I would be incredibly remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that it is a privilege to represent the bigger picture – the people I sail with and the teams on which I compete…. Every morning I get up and go to work doing something that I love. Being recognized is just icing on the cake."

Anna Tunnicliffe, also a first-time winner, was cited for her rise to number one in the world rankings and her gold-medal performance in the Laser Radial at the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Her excellent 2008 sailing resume made her the panel’s unanimous choice for the award. “I’m very, very excited,” said the 26-year-old Tunnicliffe, a three-time ICSA All-American (at Old Dominion University) and the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. “It’s a fantastic end to a great year.” A full-time sailor, Tunnicliffe has announced her intention to train for the 2012 Olympics. “Winning the Olympic medal was a dream, and branching out to other boats and expanding myself as a sailor is one of my goals. I want to win another gold medal for the U.S.A.”
 
 
 
 
 

First-rate examples of the Rolex Yacht-Masters the winners received can be found on the Melrose Jewelers site for a fraction of the usual cost. For the man in your life, the midsize SS Rolex Yacht-Master is the premiere sportsman’s watch with the versatility of a smaller scale. The large silver dial is subtly textured with oversized luminous hour markers and a Cyclops date display. The unidirectional rotating bezel is stunning in platinum while the polished and brushed stainless steel oyster bracelet completes the modern form. For the woman in your life, the Ladies SS Rolex Yacht-Master is the quintessential sports watch with innovative design and sophistication. A crisp platinum bezel rotates around a deep silver dial with luminous hour markers. With the luxurious elegance of platinum & stainless steel, the watch is both elegant and functional. As a sporty version of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust, the Yacht-Master is perfect for everyday and maintains the luxury of the Rolex brand. After all, you do not have to win the Rolex Yachtsman or Yachtswoman of the Year Award to wear a Rolex Yacht-Master with pride on your wrist.