Vintage Rolex Advertisements: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisements – a Large collection

Having operated in the watch industry for more than a century, Rolex is the world’s most well-known luxury brand, distinguished from its competitors through portraying and clever marketing.

Rolex is seldom compared with other watch brands because the brand has worked extremely hard at portraying it as a brand that has no real competitors, or no equals. There’s Rolex, and then there’s the rest.

And to a great extent, Rolex has succeeded in this, since there have been reports that have shown that Rolex has a 100% recognition all over the world, whereas other brands are far from that number.

But Rolex hasn’t just achieved its prestigious reputation through clever marketing, but by creating top-quality products and never compromising on anything regarding the production process. 

Looking back in time, it’s clear that a lot of things have changed. But what’s particularly interesting is that there are a lot of things that actually haven’t changed. What does this mean? Well, if you look at many of Rolex’s old models, and then look at that current model today, say the Submariner or the GMT-Master, you can see that while they are indeed different, the modern watches are distinctively recognized and live and breathe the heritage of Rolex, since Rolex is very shy and modest in developing and building upon its historic and iconic models.

As such, the modern versions of old models are indeed improved and refined, but the core design of the watch is one that is instantly recognized, and this is also something that you’re going to see in these vintage Rolex advertisements.

To take a trip down memory lane and explore Rolex’s past, we’ve gathered the top vintage Rolex advertisements. Not only will this allow us to understand what Rolex’s focus was on promoting its products at this time, but we’ll also be able to discover how the design of the watches have evolved, and we’ll also see some prices in the vintage Rolex advertisements which are extremely interested to look at since, price-wise of luxury watches, a lot has happened.

Some of the vintage Rolex advertisements in this article, you may be able to recognize since they’ve become icons and seen huge success. Others, you may never have seen, and some, you’ve definitely never seen, since the vintage Rolex advertisements in this article stretch far back all the way to the 1940s and even further than that.

Through these Rolex ads, you’ll be able to see just how much has changed over the years, and how much Rolex has changed as a brand, while at the same time, how little they’ve changed, keeping its vision and the idea of being far superior all other.

Everyone who is passionate about watches and horology tends to be passionate about vintage watches and history. Vintage watches have skyrocketed in popularity, especially among collectors, and this is because vintage watches carry a rich, individual history that modern watches don’t have in the same way. The signs of aging also add appeal and charm to the watch.

So, if you are a watch nerd like we are, you’ll love this list of vintage Rolex advertisements even more, because these ads will show you watches in perfectly mint condition, which today have aged and become ”vintage watches”, thus allowing comparison between vintage and mint condition Rolex watches.

Vintage Rolex advertisements

Vintage Rolex advertisementVintage Rolex advertisement
Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement  Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

 

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Advertisement

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

 

Vintage Rolex Ads

 

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1974 Ad. Datejust Chronometer, Jubilee Bracelet, John Newcombe – All champions have one thing in common: Timing. One timepiece is uncommonly right for champions. The dazzling speed in court coverage, the precision ground stroke, the flawless timing. These elements of John Newcombe’s championship style. A style matched by his choice of timepiece: the 18kt. gold Rolex Datejust, an impregnable, self-winding, 30 jewel chronometer with the exclusive Jubilee bracelet. $2625.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1973 Ad. Day-Date 30 Jewel Chronometer, Oyster Case, Peter Revson – Racing to win the World Championship makes a man conscious of quality. No one knows world racing circuits better than Peter Revson. His formula 1 Mclaren is a triumph of style, reliability and precision. Just like his Rolex wristwatch. The classic Day-Date in 18kt. yellow gold is a 30 jewel chronometer with matching President bracelet, and day and date available in 23 languages. Also in 18 kt. white gold and platinum.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1973 Ad. Day-Date Watch, Lady Datejust, Mr and Mrs Jackie Stewart – They know what makes this watch so unique. The Oyster case: It’s carved from a solid block of 18kt. gold or surgical stainless steel. The rotor self-winding crown: So accurate that each one is individually certified as a Chronometer. The patented winding crown: It screws down onto the case to form as firm a seal as the submarine hatch after which it was patterned. The crystal: Diamond-cut to match its case precisely and fitted in such a way that it actually grips more tightly under pressure. We take it as the highest sort of compliment when a man like Jackie Stewart picks Rolex as the watch he wants his wife to wear.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1978 Ad. Oyster Perpetual Day-Date Watch. President Bracelet Paul Bocuse – Legion d’Honneur, Prix du Meilleur Ouvrier France. Paul Bocuse may well be the premier and most influential chef in all the world. He brings a wealth of joy to the palate, a wealth of pride and precision to a demanding, often hectic profession. It is worth noting that his timepiece is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date with matching hidden clasp President bracelet.

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1959 Ad. Explorer Oyster Perpetual Watch. Waterproof, self-winding, 25 jewel chronometer movement. Rolex is timing explorations of the universe by the Royal Society of London.

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads
Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads
Pan Am flies with Rolex. Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertisement.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Leaders of the industry know the value of time. President Mundy 1 Peale wears a Rolex.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Split-Second time… Rolex time. Motor racing calls for split-second timing – but accurate timing is important in many other aspects of our daily lives too. And that is why so many of the worlds great men wear Rolex watches like the superb Rolex Cosmograph illustrated here. Vintage Rolex Cosmograph advertisement.

Vintage Rolex Ads

Vintage Rolex Ads
You’re not ready. If you disagree, you can visit an Official Rolex Jeweller. Rolex Day-Date Vintage Rolex advertisement.
Vintage Rolex Ads
If you shipped out on the Skate, the Shark, or the Nautilus, you’d recognize this face. Rolex Submariner Vintage Rolex advertisement.
Vintage Rolex Ads
The Rolex Submariner: a salty watch.

Vintage Rolex Ads

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1956 Ad. 6565 Oyster Perpetual Chronometer, Chrysler New Yorker. Speeds over 100 mph. Climax of Operation Punishment. Style 6565 25 jewels, waterproof, self-winding chronometer. Testing of time.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1979 Ad. Benvenuto Cellini Watch Collection. Rare, limited edition of the very finest examples of the goldsmith’s and the watchmaker’s art. Sculpture you wear.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1983 Ad. Datejust Chronometer, Roger Penske Race Car – Every critical piece, from the crank to the rods, from the shaft to the bushings, is handmade starting from solid metal which has been x-rayed and dynamically tested to detect the slightest flaw. Pictured: The Rolex Datejust Chronometer in stainless steel with matching Jubilee bracelet. Also available in steel and 14 kt. yellow gold, and 18 kt. yellow gold. Penske’s  performance machines.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1983 Ad. Datejust Chronometer Stainless, Roger Penske, Rick Mears – To a driver like Rick Mears, time is a measure of success. He comments on the Penske attitude: It all boils down to reliability. The car has to run right. And I’ve got to drive right. You can’t win without reliability. Rolex. World headquarters in Geneva. Other offices in Canada and major countries around the world.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1983 Ad. Day-Date Chronometer, Arnold Palmer. Masters of style. It’s more than championships in the Masters, the US Open, the British Open, the Ryder Cups or the Player of the Year awards.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1981 Ad. Day-Date Chronometer 18kt Gold, Charlton Heston – Equally extraordinary. By any measure, Mr. Heston is an extraordinary man. And he wears an extraordinary watch. The ultimate in handcrafted perfection. The famous Oyster case is carved step by careful step from a solid block of gold or stainless steel. Rolex sets the standard for durability the world around. And its style stands unequaled. Mr. Heston has found fulfillment in his search for perfection. It’s a process we understand entirely. Pictured: Day-Date Chronometer. In 18 kt. gold with matching President bracelet.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex Day-Date Yehudi Menuhin 1980 Ad. Watches. Stock Number: 05404. If all he could do was play the violin, that surely would be enough. He will play with one favorite violin for a year or so, and then change to another. But one instrument that he never changes is to be found on his wrist. It is an 18ct. gold Rolex Day-Date. It is an 18ct. gold Rolex Day-Date.  That such a man as Yehudi Menuhin should choose a Rolex above all others as his personal timepiece is, surely, all the satisfaction we could ever ask.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1980 Ad. Explorer II Superlative Chronometer, Jean-Claude Killy – Three-time Olympic gold medalist in the same year. self-winding, officially certified superlative chronometer in stainless steel with matching bracelet A luminous red hour hand points exact time on a fixed 24-hour bezel. Robust and versatile, Rolex Explorer II meets your need for timekeeping integrity in high mountain skiing. Choice of Jean-Claude.
Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1978 Ad. Lady-Datejust Watch 18kt Yellow Gold, Virginia Wade – The hands. Lady-Datejust in 18kt. yellow gold Oyster case, with 28 jewel chronometer movement and 18kt. yellow gold hidden clasp bracelet. $3,250. Other Rolex ladies Oyster watches in stainless steel, and stainless steel and yellow gold, from $595. The Rolex crown. For the winners of our time.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1974 Ad. Oyster Perpetual Chronometer, A. J. Foyt – One Second, Mr. Foyt. The more valuable a man’s time, the more he appreciates the value of this watch. The Oyster Perpetual Superlative Chronometer Day Date. In 18 kt. gold with matching bracelet $2,950. One Second, Mr.Foyt. The more valuable a man’s time, the more he appreciates the value of a Rolex.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1973 Ad. Oyster Perpetual Superlative Chronometer, Antal Dorati – Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra. Oyster Perpetual Superlative Chronometer Day-Date. In 18 kt. gold with matching President bracelet. The Classic of Time. In the 1920’s, Antal Dorati first began composing and conducting in Europe. And Rolex was the finest watch in the world.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1979 Ad. Watch. Madrona Wood Dials. In 18 karat yellow gold watches for men and women. Each with a hidden clasp bracelet. Mans Day-Date. Ladys Datejust. Also available with genuine birch and walnut dials. A Rolex for Christmas certainly raises your spirits. These remarkable Rolex watches feature real madrona wood dials in 18 karat yellow gold watches for men and women. Each with a hidden-clasp bracelet.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1986 Ad. Watch Club Membership Bromberg’s 150th Anniversary. 2 years to pay. No interest. Own the world’s finest timepiece. Gold President, Stainless Steel Submariner, GMT Master II, Gold Lady President.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex Watches Hess & Culbertson watches 1980 Ad. Christmastime by Hess & Culbertson watches. President Watch. Lady’s stainless steel Oyster Watch. Rugged man’s stainless steel Oyster Watch.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1958 Ad. Zephyr Oyster Perpetual Watch, Bruce C. Forbes. Leaders of industry know the value of time. Rolex Zephyr. 14k gold, waterproof, Oyster case with matching modern gold dial: rotor self-winding perpetual 25 jewel chronometer movement.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1958 Ad. Zephyr Oyster Perpetual Watch, James M. Kennedy. Chairman of the Board Revere Copper and Brass Inc. 14kt gold Zephyr, waterproof, Oyster case, 25 jewel chronometer movement.

 

Vintage Rolex Ads
Rolex 1958 Ad. Zephyr Oyster Perpetual Watch, Style 6582, Douglas DC-7C. Ask the finest jeweler for this 25 jewel, waterproof, self-winding wrist chronometer, 14kt gold diamond-cut bezel.

Note:

Millenary Watches is not affiliated with Rolex S.A. or any of its subsidiaries, nor endorsed by them. All logos, brand names, and more are the property of its owners.

These vintage Rolex advertisements have been scanned from old newspaper copies and other printed material since they are vintage advertisements, and thus enables the distribution of Rolex ads online. Only for informative and educational purposes.

Image credit to Rolex and the respective owners. Contact us for any credit.

4 thoughts on “Vintage Rolex Advertisements: A Trip Down Memory Lane

  1. You should mention/credit where you ‘found’ the majority of these images.

    1. Hi!
      The images have been compiled from Google. If you have shared some of them, we would be happy to credit you!

      Kind regards

  2. Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it.

  3. Appreciate this post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *