Why did Cameron Diaz give Drew Barrymore a $1200 vintage 18-karat rose gold Rolex Oyster watch that had ‘I love you’ engraved on the case? Reported on the Celebrity Blog and other popular sites across the web, it turns out that Diaz had bought the watch for her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake’s 26^th birthday on January 31. However, the day before they were to celebrate, Timberlake broke up with Diaz. Heartbroken, Diaz held on to the expensive Rolex Oyster watch, but it reminded her daily of her lost love. Later, when Timberlake started dating Jessica Biel, the relationship enraged Diaz. The drama began on the Hollywood scene:

Us Weekly reported that Cameron Diaz went on a jealous rage following the Golden Globe Awards after witnessing her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake get flirty with Jessica Biel at the Creative Artists Agency-sponsored bash at Sunset Towers. “Cameron was across the room giving them the evil eye,” a source revealed. “It was like high school.” After attempts by Drew Barrymore to cool her down, the jealousy erupted like a volcano. “All of a sudden she just lost it,” one of the many witnesses told the tab. “She came up and started yelling at Jessica.” Another guest added, “She started saying all these nasty things to him about Jessica like, ‘What is she? Your new fu**ing girlfriend? Look at her!’

With her heart broken, the Rolex Oyster Cameron had bought for Justin only reminded her of the pain. Best friends with Drew Barrymore since Charlie’s Angels, Cameron gave the watch to Drew on her 32^nd birthday. Since Drew recently had split up with her lover Fabrizio Moretti, the drummer of the alternative rock band The Strokes, the two actors were able to commiserate together. A source said: “Cameron didn’t want the watch so she gave it to Drew.”  Although she initially offered to pay for it, Drew Barrymore eventually accepted the gift of the $1200 vintage 18-karat rose gold Rolex Oyster watch that had ‘I love you’ engraved on the case.

Justin Timberlake may have moved on to another beautiful Hollywood starlet, but he definitely lost out on a stylish timepiece. Diaz and Barrymore, who have become even closer since their breakups, have now made a pact to get back to their ‘date weights’. Cameron Diaz’s next boyfriend should be smart enough to stick around for the precious gift of a gold Rolex Oyster watch.

Known for wearing a Rolex while spinning records in the hottest clubs and venues in the world, DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) remains loyal to the wristwatch the stars. After DJ AM put up a picture of his burned vintage Rolex watch after the plane crash he miraculously survived with Travis Barker of Blink 182, the rumor on the web was that he was disillusioned with Rolex. This rumor has been shown to be false from two key perspectives: first, DJ AM simply wanted to show how bad the fiery crash had been by showing the damage to the Rolex he was wearing. Second, in his comeback performance with Jay-Z, DJ AM was seen wearing a Rolex Datejust.

On September 19, 2008, after having performed a college event with frequent collaborator Travis Barker of Blink 182, DJ AM and Barker were seriously injured when their Learjet crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. The two crewmembers and the two other passengers were killed in the fiery crash. Miraculously, DJ AM and Barker both survived with bad burns. Since the accident, their recovery has been inspiring.

Later, DJ AM posted a picture of his burned vintage Rolex on his Facebook page to let the fans see for themselves how intense the crash had been. There was a rumor that he was making a negative statement about his watch. In truth, DJ AM was showing that if even a quality Rolex was so badly damaged, it was a miracle that he and Barker were able to survive the crash. Once engaged to Nicole Ritchie, DJ AM has renewed his romantic connection to actor Mandy Moore after the crash. Although they recently had broken up, Mandy Moore rushed to DJ AM’s side. Known as an avid sneakerhead with a Nike named after him, DJ AM also collects Rolex watches. It has been rumored that Moore gave DJ AM a Rolex Datejust to replace the vintage Rolex destroyed in the plane crash.

On October 16, 2008, DJ AM played with Jay-Z at the Hollywood Palladium. Incredibly, less than a month after the crash, DJ AM overcame his visible scars and rocked out at the show. At his turntables, DJ AM was said to be wearing a new Rolex Datejust while spinning for Jay-Z. Like his Rolex watch, DJ AM is a performer of quality and precision, durability and strength. Today, DJ AM chooses to continue to celebrate life and roll with his Rolex Datejust.

There is a rumor flying across Hollywood that Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel played against the grain of his tough-as-nails reputation in a moment of extreme generosity and gave his $10,000 Rolex watch to rising star Orlando Bloom after the actor admired it. Was Ari Emanuel trying to steal Bloom away from agent Kevin Huvane at CAA? Did this classic moment between an agent and an actor actually happen or is it just more Hollywood hot air? 

To place everything in context, Ari Emanuel is the brother of President-Elect Barack Obama’s new Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, and a founding partner of the Endeavor Talent Agency. Emanuel is loyal to his Rolex Stainless Steel Oyster Turn-O-Graph Datejust with the Blue Dial. Mark Wahlberg is one of Emanuel’s biggest clients and the producer of HBO’s Entourage, which is based on his experiences as a star. Wahlberg based the character of superagent Ari Gold, played by Jeremy Piven, on Emanuel.

Like his agent, Wahlberg is a huge Rolex enthusiast, and he wears a Rolex YG-GMT-II with the famous Green Dial. Premiere clearly illuminated Mark Wahlberg’s history with his Rolex: “Wahlberg has barely touched his corned beef hash. He checks his watch, a gold, anniversary edition Rolex with a green face that he picked up in Vegas. “I bought one for Rhea too,” he says, only half joking when he adds, “I told her, ‘I got you something so you’ll let me play golf for a month without any kind of argument.’”

In the past, Orlando Bloom has worn classic Rolex watches in his photo shoots for magazines. In Bloom’s GQ shoot, the credit is as follows: Vintage watch (without band): Rolex. After seeing all the other Hollywood stars like Mark Wahlberg wearing Rolexes, did Bloom want one as well? It is clear that when Orlando Bloom bumped into Ari Emanuel at a gourmet restaurant, the actor admired Emanuel’s Rolex Datejust. Explaining the agent’s normal demeanor, his fan site states, “Emanuel commonly is referred to in Hollywood circles as being competitive, aggressive and, at times, obnoxious.”

When Orlando Bloom gushed over his Rolex Datejust, did Emanuel experience a moment of true generosity and give the actor his watch? On the other hand, was the superagent just trying like Ari Gold in Entourage to win over another major client to his agency? We may never know whether the Rolex giveaway happened, and, if it did, what was the story behind it? In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will hope it was a moment of true generosity when Ari Emanuel gave Orlando Bloom his Rolex Datejust with the Blue Dial.

A known Rolex collector and a generous boyfriend, John Mayer gave Rolex watches to both Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston when he respectively was dating them. In contrast, he did not give a Rolex watch to Cameron Diaz during their time together. John Mayer gave Jessica Simpson a Rolex Datejust Jubilee Men’s Watch with an Oyster Bracelet. She is wearing the watch in the paparazzi photograph. Later, when it came time to give a Rolex to Jennifer Aniston, Mayer gave the star a Ladies Oyster Datejust with black face and pink hour markers. When he dated Cameron Diaz before the Simpson and Aniston relationships, they reportedly had a passionate affair. However, she departed without a Rolex. Diaz has the right to be angry because Mayer even gave a Rolex Presidential to his well-known male trainer, Harley Pasternak.

John Mayer’s lapse in not giving a Rolex to Cameron Diaz may explain why Diaz was so angry with Jennifer Aniston, his latest on-and-off fling. On a slew of celebrity sites, the war between Diaz and Aniston is being updated on a regular basis. The feud began in April when Aniston started dating Mayer. It is possible that when Diaz saw that Mayer had bought Jennifer Aniston a Rolex Oyster Dayjust, she just could not take it anymore. Cameron Diaz must have thought to herself: “John Mayer gave Jessica Simpson a Rolex, and he gave Jennifer Aniston a Rolex, and all I got was a broken heart. After all, if even his trainer gets a Rolex, why wasn’t I given an expensive watch as well?” Luckily, Diaz makes enough money from her movies to buy herself an entire collection of Rolex watches.

When he is not buying Rolex watches for his celebrity girlfriends, John Mayer buys Rolex wristwatches for himself. In the picture, John Mayer wears his favorite Rolex from his extensive collection which is pictured below and the specific description is as follows: Rolex Daytona Stainless Steel, White dial with luminous hour markers, 44 jewels, and a Stainless steel Oyster bracelet with flip-lock clasp. Strangely enough, when O.J. Simpson was ordered to turn over his Rolex Submariner to the Goldman family, all John Mayer wanted to talk about when he was leaving his 30^th birthday party was Simpson’s Rolex. Clearly, Mayer loves Rolex watches, but he does not know them well enough to realize that Simpson’s watch was a $125 fake.

Ultimately, John Mayer should stick to his merry-go-round of celebrity girlfriends and continue to give them Rolex watches. The gift of a Rolex temporarily made both Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston happy. In fact, John Mayer should resolve a past mistake and give Cameron Diaz a Rolex as well. Diaz clearly deserves to wear a Rolex and maybe the gesture would help to heal her broken heart.

Instead of promoting her own line of expensive wristwatches, Paris Hilton chooses to wear a Rolex wristwatch from her extensive Rolex collection. Together with watchmaker Pascal Savoy, Paris Hilton introduced a jeweled watch line at the Baselwood 2007 fair. Although she took initial photos wearing her watches, Paris refuses to wear the wristwatches out on the town. Whether the town is Hollywood or New York, Paris announced that she prefers wearing a classic timepiece like a Rolex. She would never abandon her Ladies’ Rolex.

 To avoid being tacky, Paris Hilton chooses to wear a Rolex and not her own line of wristwatches and diamond jewelry. After all, Paris understands that Rolex and class practically are synonymous in High Society. As the Kern Valley Sun recently wrote: “Who are these “Rolex Cowboys”? According to the Animal Welfare Institute, among them are Paris Hilton . . . and other Forbes 400 trillionaires” (November 23, 2008). For a century, Rolex wristwatches have represented the height of quality and precision. As a socialite, Paris Hilton does her best to maintain a certain image. While she was dating Good Charlotte lead guitarist Benji Madden, Paris often was photographed with a Rolex Daydate on her wrist. She clearly was influenced by Benji’s passion for Rolex. In picture after picture, Benji could be seen wearing a Rolex wristwatch, including a Rolex Datejust and a Rolex Day Date Presidential.

Called a “marketing genius” by Hayden Panettiere (the star of Heroes), Paris has always understood the key role in fashion of diamond jewelery and expensive watches, and she knows Rolex is the height of fashion. Even in a tough economy, Paris refuses to let down her Rolex standards. In the Paris Hilton Biography on TV.com, the writer describes her laissez-faire attitude at the Baselwood Fair: “Paris was in town to promote her new line of watches. As well as forgetting where she was, she also admitted she snubs her own line of watches in favor of watches by Rolex”. Paris Hilton is a marketing and fashion force only to a certain point: No matter what is at stake, she rolls with her Rolex. 

The prestigious Davey O’Brien award, named after the famed TCU (Texas Christian University) football player, includes a $10,000 tuition scholarship and a Rolex watch.  Tim Tebow was the winner in 2007 and former winners include Troy Smith of Ohio State University, Vince Young of the University of Texas, and Jason White of Oklahoma University.  This year’s contenders will likely include Graham Harrell of undefeated Texas Tech University (TTU), Colt McCoy of the University of Texas (UT), and Mark Sanchez of the University of Southern California (USC) .

The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback award, in its own words, “recognizes champions on the field..and encourages promising athletes’ academic and career success through scholarships and support.”  So what exactly is this “support”?  In Tim Tebow’s case the scholarship was $10,000 and the “support” was an engraved trophy and a Rolex watch!  In a time where both Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo were accused of accepting gifts while playing college sports should we really be giving college football players Rolex watches?

The NCAA and BCS have been under a lot of heat for using the BCS bowl series (Rose Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sugar Bowl, etc.) as a way to generate more tv advertising revenue and ticket sales versus using a traditional playoff system like in the NFL.  Pete Carroll, head coach of USC, is furious about this as his USC Trojans went undefeated several years back, only to not make it to the BCS Championship college football game. Joe Paterno, head coach of Penn State University, and Charlie Weis, head coach of Notre Dame University have also spoken out about this.  So does giving out Rolex watches as gifts to players only fuel the fire?

Ultimately, it may just be that a Rolex watch, in particular, is really the only appropriate gift in this instance.  The Davey O’brien award, for example, is designed to commend a player for his leadership, accuracy, and enduring character.  No other watch brand but Rolex is so devoted towards it accuracy and quality of its product.  In fact, almost all other watch brands have resorted to using generic watch movements, over the years, whereas Rolex still uses hand-made movements after nearly 100 years of manufacturing.  Rolex even donated a significant amount of money to Oklahoma State University, another BCS Championship contender, to help develop out a watch-making school at OSU and Rolex is the only watch brand that gives away 100% of its annual profits to charity every year, essentially operating the company like a non-profit.  These ideals fit hand in hand with those of the BCS and NCAA and the Davey O’Brien award.

After all, can we really be that upset with Tim Tebow receiving a Rolex?  Tim Tebow could have joined the NFL last year but stayed with the Florida Gators to try and take them to a SEC and BCS championship.  In addition, he has made missionary trips to the Philippines, visiting schools, churches, and hospitals to help the poor and disabled find hope in their lives.  Religious beliefs aside, it seems like he is indeed a selfless person and, if anyone deserves a Rolex because of his character, it is none other than Tim Tebow of the BCS Championship-contending University of Florida Gators.

Daniel Craig chooses to wear a Rolex Submariner 6358, even to interviews for the new Bond film Quantum of Solace. When playing James Bond in the film, however, Daniel Craig wears an Omega. Now what exactly is going on here?

With Quantum of Solace predicted to rake in over $60 million dollars on opening weekend, the producers of the new James Bond may not be worrying about the maverick approach of the new 007, Daniel Craig. Then again, maybe they should be listening to the wisdom of their chosen star and honor a great legacy.

Why is Daniel Craig a maverick? Although James Bond wears an Omega in the new films, Daniel Craig chooses to go against the grain of his producers and wears a classic Rolex Submariner 6358 to his interviews and in his personal life. Since Ian Fleming wrote in the original novels that his character James Bond wears a Rolex and Sean Connery always wore a Rolex Submariner 6358 in the early classic films, Daniel Craig pays tribute to these cultural icons by wearing a Rolex. At a recent GQ photo shoot, the entire wardrobe was styled for Daniel Craig, except for one key element: “Watch by Rolex, Craig’s own.”

In addition, at a recent Current.com interview, the writer described Daniel Craig’s entrance like this: “As 007 walks into the room, his charming smile breaks for a second – his right arm is dangling in two black slings. “My shoulder was at the doctor”, he jokes, offering his left hand (adorned with an old Rolex). “Sorry!” And The Daily Mail in the UK commented on the lifestyle choice of the new James Bond: “Daniel Craig owns a version of the original Rolex Submariner worn by Sean Connery in Dr No.”

Even if Omega named their new watch after James Bond and was willing to pay a bundle for the product placement, maybe the producers should respect the awareness shown by their star of the true legacy and history of their character. Throughout his time as 007, Sean Connery was equipped with the Rolex Submariner, which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and Ian Fleming clearly chose Rolex as the watch worn by his creation. “Daniel Craig likes to tell a story about his watch. It is a Rolex Submariner 6358, an exact replica of the one he remembers Sean Connery wearing in Goldfinger.” (Empire Magazine). Now is the time for the producers of James Bond to follow the lead of their star and honor the legacy of Ian Fleming and Sean Connery — Give 007 back his Rolex.

Who is wearing Rap Star Wiley’s Rolex? What about Tupac Shakur’s Rolex? Rap star Wiley is helping to make wearing Rolex watches popular again with his single “Wearing My Rolex” that is now #2 on the UK Singles Charts. The last rapper to make wearing a Rolex watch so popular was Tupac Shakur who wore a gold and diamond-encrusted Rolex Day Date President until the day he died. Rappers Jay-Z, T.I., Outkast, Nas, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West have also been seen wearing Rolex President watches although Notorious B.I.G. wore a Two Tone Rolex Datejust (18k/SS).

In 1993 Tupac Shakur was shot in a robbery and what some feel to be an attempted murder by rivals Sean “Puffy” Combs a.k.a. P. Diddy and others affiliated with Bad Boy Records. Although the robbers stole $35,000 of diamond and gold jewelry, they left Tupac’s diamond-encrusted gold Rolex Day Date Presidential. Some feel this was out of respect for a man’s watch. Luxury watches have long been considered part of the 3-part American dream: owning a nice house, a nice car, and a luxury watch. Wearing a Rolex is considered to be part of one’s manhood and thus taking away one’s manhood is considered to be unethical, even in the world of crime and murder. It is purported that, today, Tupac Shakur’s Rolex President has been officially retired and buried with his body as he would have wanted.

So now that Tupac has passed away, who is Wiley and why is he “Wearing My Rolex”? He may be doing in just to follow in the footsteps of Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z and other famous rappers because wearing a Rolex and rapping about it has almost become a symbol for music success. Credited as the Godfather of Grime music, Wiley has come a long way from his roots as a DJ. Described as “grime-meets-electro,” the single Wearing My Rolex was released under Asylum/Atlantic Records. Wiley has several projects lined up in 2009 alone, including another single entitled Summertime.

At the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards of 2008, Italian windsurfing legend Alessandra Sensini and British two-time previous winner sailor Ben Ainsile took home top honors at the stunning La Quinta de Jarama in Madrid, Spain. Along with the award of a circular silver trophy, each winner was given a personalized gold Rolex wristwatch. The well-deserving winners of the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year titles outlasted an impressive list of nominees.

A windsurfing pioneer nominated twice in the past, Alessandra Sensini has won three Olympic gold medals. When asked if she was surprised, Sensini put her hand to her heart as she held her new Rolex gold watch and said, “I was surprised. To win the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is an incredible feeling.” With a gold medal at the World Championships and a silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, Sensini’s achievements in her sport this year, despite being 38 years old, are nothing less than astonishing. Like the Rolex watch she won, Alessandra Sensini is a true classic who continues to break new ground. As she said, “I can never say never! I feel like I can still grow, stay motivated inside and compete at a high level.

In the men’s division, Ben Ainslie, Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor with three gold medals, now has a gold personalized Rolex wristwatch to add to his collection. Beaming with pride, Ainslie said, “The ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year Award is a massive honor. For any sailor, it’s huge.” After Ainslie won a third straight gold medal in the Finn class at Beijing, IOC President Jacques Rogge described his accomplishment as the equal of the eight gold medals of American swimmer Michael Phelps and the world record of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt when he clearly said, “Whatever they do is fantastic, but whatever Ainslie does is equally fantastic.” With such a solid endorsement, it makes perfect sense that Ben Ainslie now wears a personalized gold Rolex wristwatch as the 2008 Rolex World Sailor of the Year.

Overall, it was nothing less than an incredible night where the world’s sailing elite celebrated the very best of their sport. The feeling of the 2008 Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards was summed up by HM King Constantine, ISAF President of Honor, when he declared: “This is the one night of the year that we the world governing body of sailing and you our guests marvel, celebrate and award those who are the heroes of our sport.” And what greater award could be given to Alessandra Sensini and Ben Ainslie than the personalized gold Rolex wristwatches, which they received. The circular silver ISAF trophy will stay in the trophy case, but the personalized gold Rolex proudly can be worn and displayed year round.

Pictures suggest that Barack Obama has been wearing his TAG-Heuer Carrera Series 1500 Two Tone Divers watch since about 1995 until 2007 when he was gifted a chronograph watch from the Secret Service.  At the same time it seems John McCain wore his Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air King, part of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust line, since about 1985. So why would these two presidential hopefuls, who could probably afford any watch made by man, choose these two particular Rolex and Tag Heuer watches?  What exactly do the Rolex Air King and Tag Heuer 1500 stand for and represent today in American society?

The Rolex Air King wristwatch was first launched at the watch fair at Basel Germany in 1957.  John McCain’s Rolex Air King features the marking “Precision” on it showing it has a screw-down crown and perfectly-sealed case back ensuring waterproofness. It is hence accurate and trustworthy.   It is also labeled an “Oyster Perpetual” wristwatch as seen on its dial.  Hence it has a self-winding movement and can be labeled as a somewhat generic luxury watch.  Overall, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual line including John McCain’s Rolex Air King is the best selling line of Rolex watch and of all luxury watches ever produced by man.  John McCain’s Rolex Air King can hence be considered a symbol of tradition, heritage, and conservatism.

What’s interesting to analyze is that, while some may feel John McCain’s Rolex Air King was one of the cheaper watches available on the market, at the time he most likely purchased it, circa the mid-80’s, the United States was recovering from an oil crisis and a war with Iran.  Whereas the Rolex Air King sells for about $4200 new or about $2300 used from discount luxury watch sites such as Melrose Jewelers, http://www.melrosejewelers.com/category/mens_rolex_airking.htm, today in 2008, it sold for about half that price in 1985 which, adjusted for inflation was actually more like $12,000 today.  Hence the question could be asked, “Would you vote for a man wearing a $12,000 Rolex watch?”

With Barack Obama, on the other hand, his Tag Heuer Carrera series 1500 retails for about $1900 and in the mid-90’s when he likely purchased it cost about 2/3rds of that price.  Inflation and economy-adjusted, the watch cost about $1200 in 2008 dollars.  Hence the reality is that Barack Obama’s watch may have cost 1/10^th of that of John McCain’s.   Now do you still think John McCain is wearing his Rolex Air King because he is the President of the masses?  Today America will make that decision, who will we, as hard-working Americans, support? Has Barack Obama somehow made frugality sexy? People are more apt to buy a hybrid Honda Civic then a Mercedes-Benz.  They are also more likely to share their cheap habits openly with their friends and family.  In 2008 the Rolex Air King and Tag Heuer Carrera are now equally priced and one thing is for sure, both these watches were carefully chosen as symbols of American freedom, tradition, and justice and Americans and citizens worldwide will be purchasing many of both for years to come.