80's Advertising Pamphlet showing Rolex Submariner with Red Seconds Hand?

[baumare]

Looks like they applied a different minute hand and that they cut away part of the hour hand so you can see the R of Rolex, maybe done after the photo was taken by the graphic dept.

[springer]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

In a strange twist of fate I spotted this old advert offered for sale on a local auction site and immediately recognized it as the controversial image that started this thread. After a tough bidding war (was that you Springer?) I snagged it and it arrived today in the post.



after close inspection and hi-res scanning I have 3 key take aways...



1. The hand in "my" add looks more golden than red. Conclusion: Rolex, for reasons only known to themselves changed the red hand for a gold hand (or vice versa) before retaking the image.
2. The minute hand is still inconceivably thick. Question: why would Rolex do this?
3. The hour hand seams to be missing a chunk. Question again: Is it possible that this is the result some kind of rodent infestation back in the day that Rolex never went public with

We will probably never know the answers to these questions but that's what makes this hobby so exciting

Nice try. Sorry to disappoint you, it was not me.

[Juhuatai]

Originally Posted by baumare

Looks like they applied a different minute hand and that they cut away part of the hour hand so you can see the R of Rolex, maybe done after the photo was taken by the graphic dept.

The cut away is pretty common in photos. It’s due to some reflection or glare. I forget exactly what but I’ve seen it quite a bit, my guess is just the angle that it was taken at caused that.

[TuRo]

100% then not a red hand, and I think 1675-David's cat had something to do with the see-through part of the hour hand Merc circle, as it did with its ear earlier ! - scroll back in the thread for that rather spooky, (not the usual lug) photo!!!

[koronet-kid]

I've seen an original copy of this brochure it does not look like a reflection the second hand is bright red, it may indicate direction Rolex then took with the Yacht-master.

[1675-David]

Both images side by side, the one from the original post and one of the original advert cut out of a magazine that I won on a local auction site in a hot bidding war with someone I suspect was Springer despite his strenuous denials. Although at first glance the same image when we look closer not only are the second hands a different colour (one red-ish and one gold-ish) They are also a different shape, the red-ish one widening towards the tip instead of tapering towards the tip. More evidence of the second hands being swapped during the photoshoot. I think there could be more to this story than meets the eye...and don't get me started on that freakishly thick minute hand and that half eaten hour hand. Are we entering a Rolex Area 51 here?

[Filipão]

Those two pictures are totally different.

Look at the cyclops' reflection.

[1675-David]

Originally Posted by Filipão

Those two pictures are totally different.

Look at the cyclops' reflection.

OMG Filipão! You are right!! This is getting spooky

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

OMG Filipão! You are right!! This is getting spooky

I am sure they've noticed the redish hand and picked up another shot from the photoshoot to correct it.

[TuRo]

S h a p e s h i f t ing....

[1675-David]

Originally Posted by TuRo

S h a p e s h i f t ing....

…ish

[springer]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

Both images side by side, the one from the original post and one of the original advert cut out of a magazine that I won on a local auction site in a hot bidding war with someone I suspect was Springer despite his strenuous denials. Although at first glance the same image when we look closer not only are the second hands a different colour (one red-ish and one gold-ish) They are also a different shape, the red-ish one widening towards the tip instead of tapering towards the tip. More evidence of the second hands being swapped during the photoshoot. I think there could be more to this story than meets the eye...and don't get me started on that freakishly thick minute hand and that half eaten hour hand. Are we entering a Rolex Area 51 here?

I find your continued accusations directed at me inappropriate and childish. Stop it please.

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by springer

I find your continued accusations directed at me inappropriate and childish. Stop it please.

His comments read pretty clearly as humour to me. Lots of silly banter on this thread.

[Dan S]

It's the thread that refused to die. ;-)

[Filipão]

Oh, c'mon, we all share the same passion!

"Peace and love"...

[1675-David]

Originally Posted by springer

I find your continued accusations directed at me inappropriate and childish. Stop it please.

John, I'm sorry for offending you in such a crass and ruthless manner and promise here and now to dedicate all the time and effort required to repair our tattered relationship. Just 2 things before I go moping off into the sunset.

1. no more angty DM's
2. it's not a red hand!

[Singhalager]

Originally Posted by springer

I find your continued accusations directed at me inappropriate and childish. Stop it please.

it is lighthearted thread please

[77T]

Originally Posted by springer

I find your continued accusations directed at me inappropriate and childish. Stop it please.

Well I’d like to know who won the prize announced in post 42?

Not throwing stones, genuinely interested.


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[Ferdelious]

It is a red hand, I had one on old Sub




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[1675-David]

Originally Posted by Ferdelious

It is a red hand, I had one on old Sub




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Amazing!!! AND a red date!!! Super amazing!!!

[swaini3]

Originally Posted by Ferdelious

It is a red hand, I had one on old Sub




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That's a good one.

[springer]

Originally Posted by 77T

Well I’d like to know who won the prize announced in post 42?

Not throwing stones, genuinely interested.


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No one answered correctly. Notice the two red hands in the upper right corner. One would be the all red 24-hour GMT hand from the late 1960s and next to it is a red Yacht-Master hand. This lot of various hands came from a watchmaker's stash about 15 years ago.

[ViaCorrado]

I can’t believe this will be my first post [edit: after lurking for almost a decade!], but I actually know what’s going on here (not from firsthand experience; I was a kid when this ad was made… but I have done photo retouching work professionally). Anyways these ARE the same picture, it’s just that the one with the “red” hand has been cleaned up by someone likely not that familiar with the watch. Probably some junior ad agency staff. You can tell they’ve edited out most of the cyclops reflection, so that it appears more readable. I think they likewise saw the reflection on the seconds hand and interpreted it as meant to be red (probably because the GMT hand on the nearby watch is red) so they punched that up. That’s all, no great mystery ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[springer]

Originally Posted by ViaCorrado

I can’t believe this will be my first post [edit: after lurking for almost a decade!], but I actually know what’s going on here (not from firsthand experience; I was a kid when this ad was made… but I have done photo retouching work professionally). Anyways these ARE the same picture, it’s just that the one with the “red” hand has been cleaned up by someone likely not that familiar with the watch. Probably some junior ad agency staff. You can tell they’ve edited out most of the cyclops reflection, so that it appears more readable. I think they likewise saw the reflection on the seconds hand and interpreted it as meant to be red (probably because the GMT hand on the nearby watch is red) so they punched that up. That’s all, no great mystery ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Only mystery in your post is why would Rolex approve this ad if it is not correct with the red hand or, why would they approve an ad with extensive reflections to make something appear to be what it is not. For me, with an extensive background in photography, the hand is red in the ad and not a reflection, whether it was originally red when the photo was taken or colored red later by an ad agency it is red and not a reflection.

But, until the next episode of Mad Men is broadcast, we'll probably never know. Oh wait, I just heard Mad Men was cancelled!

[dannyp]

Ok, here’s a conspiracy theory for you all:

A look back at this ad some time in the late 80s was the inspiration for the YM line (originally intended to replace the Sub). The red hand. The name. The timing. It all fits.

In reality, though, I doubt the hand is red. While Rolex has certainly done one-offs for its adventurers (think of Sir Ben’s titanium YM), I don’t see doing an extra one, with no movement, for the photo shoots. Back then, the goal was to feature watches that jewelers could sell, not create hype around for their lack of existence.

Now, what this ad can put to test is the question about the YM’s “legitimacy” in the lineup. Until today, I’d not known that was the name of an official regatta timekeeper long before it was applied to a watch.

[Tavli3]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

Both images side by side, the one from the original post and one of the original advert cut out of a magazine that I won on a local auction site in a hot bidding war with someone I suspect was Springer despite his strenuous denials. Although at first glance the same image when we look closer not only are the second hands a different colour (one red-ish and one gold-ish) They are also a different shape, the red-ish one widening towards the tip instead of tapering towards the tip. More evidence of the second hands being swapped during the photoshoot. I think there could be more to this story than meets the eye...and don't get me started on that freakishly thick minute hand and that half eaten hour hand. Are we entering a Rolex Area 51 here?

Another reason these are the same watch look closely at the lower right lug. See the shade lines at the top and then at the bottom half also notice the little white dot on the bottom half. The lines and the dot are exactly the same. I would say impossible to do with two different watches.


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[ViaCorrado]

yep, it is clearly the same watch…

springer is correct: it isn’t just reflections playing tricks, the hand IS red in the advert shared by the OP (though as I said before, this is almost certainly the work of the same editor who cleaned up the cyclops, and I believe unintentional… there was a reflection on the seconds hand to begin with and they dialed up the saturation of red thinking they were “fixing” the image)

[TuRo]

So, cutting to the chase it isn’t a Red hand then… in the same way that a photo of me photoshopped to look like Paul Newman is not Paul Newman.