Since winning his Golden Globe award, the Rolex Daytona has come to symbolize success for Jason Bateman across the proverbial board. In the first big thriller of the summer of 2009, Jason Bateman has a key supporting role in the Russel Crowe film State Of Play. As a television actor, Jason Bateman is best known for his role as Michael Bluth on the television sitcom Arrested Development, as well as his role on Silver Spoons as a child actor. In the twenty-first century, Bateman’s television career has been on a soaring trajectory. In 2005, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, for Arrested Development. Since taking off on the small screen, Jason Bateman has found success on the big screen. In the Diablo Cody smash hit Juno, Jason Bateman’s character wears a Rolex Daytona. In The Kingdom and Mr. Magrorium’s Wonder Emporium, Jason Bateman expanded his range to include big screen comedy an action-adventure. In fact, he starred with and played opposite A-list actress Jennifer Garner, a well-known Rolex fan, in both The Kingdom and Juno. In Juno, Jason Bateman’s character wears a stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with the white face and the classic triple dial. In addition, Jason Bateman has been photographed wearing what looks practically like the same Rolex watch in his everyday life.

So, which came first — the Rolex in the movie or Jason Bateman’s own personal Rolex? Did the studio give Jason Bateman the Rolex Daytona he wore in the film or did the director see the actor’s watch and decide to give one to the character in the film? In truth, Jason Bateman wore the Rolex watch before he was cast in the film, and even before he was awarded the Golden Globe award for his central performance in Arrested Development. The stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Rolex Cosmograph Daytona has always been the right choice for both the man and the ultimately Jason Bateman’s character in Juno. In Hollywood, Jason Bateman has been enjoying a happy family life with his wife, actress Amanda Anka (daughter of singer Paul Anka). They wed in Malibu, California, in 2003. Their first child, Francesca Nora Bateman, was born on October 28, 2006. In the picture of Jason Bateman wearing the stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in his regular life, he is holding his beautiful daughter. In such a picture, the presence of a Rolex Daytona provides a bubble of security for both the father and the child. For Jason Bateman, the Rolex Daytona Cosmograph has come to symbolize both his success as an actor and as a human being. If a Rolex means the ultimate in quality, then you must be a quality actor when you are chosen to play a character that wears a Rolex watch. Taking the vision one step further, by wearing the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, Jason Bateman has created a lasting image of his ongoing success both in life and on the silver screen. By winning the Golden Globe, Jason Bateman showed that the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona on his wrist truly represents the driving heart of his success.

In a time when Las Vegas is reeling in a tough economy, casino developer Steve Wynn has discovered newfound success by replacing the Wynn Art Gallery at Wynn Las Vegas with a state-of-the-art Rolex shop. When you think of museums in Las Vegas, you imagine museums dedicated to the history of neon, the entertainer Liberace and the evolution of the pinball machine. Following the sign of the times, highbrow culture in Las Vegas has given way to high-end shopping with the decision by Steve Wynn to convert a gallery at his Wynn Las Vegas resort into a Rolex shop. As a true hotel magnate with money to spare, Steve Wynn remains enthusiastic about collecting fine art. The Wynn Gallery showed the casino owner’s private collection of Monets and Picassos. When the grand hotel first opened, Steve Wynn hoped the Wynn gallery would provide a sense of highbrow legitimacy and culture to his new casino. After all, the Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club (known simply around the town as the “Wynn”) is a AAA five diamond, Mobil five-star, and Michelin five-star casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip. The $2.7 billion dollar resort became upon opening flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. Located directly across the famous The Strip from the Fashion Show Mall, the resort covers over 215 acres and has 4,750 rooms.

Although the Wynn opened to tremendous raves and generated bundles of cash, the Wynn Galley, which charged an entrance fee at first, closed because of poor ticket sales. Attendance was meager at just 12,000 visitors a year, reflective of a general disinterest in art by both the local populace as well as the 40 million tourists traveling to the city each year. The artwork from the former gallery is now scattered around the resort. After all, since Steve Wynn owned the vast majority of the work, what else could the Casino Developer possibly do with his impressive collection of 20th Century masterpieces? Would he put the art in storage or hang it in his private mansions? No, after such publicity, Steve Wynn knew his only choice was to keep the art hanging at the resort as a symbol of taste and high culture. In response to the decision to close the gallery and move the art, Steve Wynn has kept silent in public, However, Vanity Fair art critic Dave Hickey commented on the failure of the gallery scene in Las Vegas: “We were just wrong. I thought there would be more support from the middle class and there wasn’t. Nobody in Vegas is particularly interested in cosmopolitan culture.”

Although Steve Wynn has kept silent about closing the Wynn galley, he has been talking up a storm about the state-of-the-art Rolex shop that took over the gallery’s prime location. Steve Wynn boasted last year that the Rolex shop he replaced the art gallery with grossed $16 million in sales the first year. When describing his honeymoon trip to Las Vegas and his stay at Wynn, John B. Holbrook, the founder of an writer behind the highly-respected Rolex Reference Page, wrote excitedly about the Rolex shop: “After doing my photo shoot at Wynn & Company, I headed over for a shoot at the Wynn’s Rolex boutique. The Wynn has one of the world’s only (just 2 others world wide) free standing, Rolex-only retail stores. It was amazing! Their selection was unequalled from any other Rolex counter I’ve visited. I got to try on some amazing examples that I’d never seen “in person” before.” Although Holbrook saw and even tried on some of the Rolex watches, it is essential to note that he did not but anything at the Wynn Rolex store. Unfortunately, the prices were just too high. An anonymous blogger wrote in The Rolex Forums: “After staying at the Wynn this weekend and making SEVERAL visits to the Wynn Rolex store and not buying anything, I can tell you that they have BY FAR the best Rolex selection anywhere in the US, and a pretty friendly and knowledgeably staff.”

Once again, the Rolex enthusiast loved the store, but did not actually purchase a watch. Why would he not buy a Rolex watch at such an amazing store? Simply put, the prices of Rolex watches at the store are as high and expensive as the hotel itself. Luckily, you can visit the Rolex store at the Wynn and check out the luxury Rolex watches without taking out your credit card. Later, when you get back to your computer or return home, you can venture onto the Melrose site with your newfound knowledge and love of Rolex watches. On the Melrose site, you can find the highest quality Rolex watches backed by a rock-solid guarantee for well less than half the cost of the watches at the Wynn Rolex store. After all, in the end, you do not have to be a casino magnate like Steve Wynn to wear a luxury Rolex watch on your wrist. Every Rolex enthusiast deserves to have the ability to buy a Rolex watch!

On the cover of Barry White’s autobiography that was entitled, Barry White: My Everything, the man they simply called “The Maestro” wears a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date Presidential. During his lifetime, Barry White always wore his Rolex Day-Date Presidential in yellow gold because it symbolized his incredible success story from the streets of Los Angeles to the biggest arenas and performance halls all over the world. Barry White also was known as “the Walrus of Love,” a nickname that encompassed his size, his deep voice and his reputation as one of R&B’s most romantic singers. Born September 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, Barry White was raised in Los Angeles. He immersed himself in the local music scene while still very young, playing piano on Jesse Belvin’s hit, “Goodnight My Love” at the age of 11. At 20th Century Records, Barry White’s first album was 1973’s “I’ve Got So Much To Give,” which lived up to its title and went gold, and featured the #3 Billboard single, “I’m Gonna Love Ya Just a Little More, Baby”. Using his own success as a springboard, Barry White had an idea for a concept album. His lifelong dream had been to write and produce soul music for a full orchestra. The brass at 20th Century Fox were skeptical to say the least. Soul music performed by an orchestra? After some convincing, however, the Love Unlimited Orchestra was a reality. Barry White’s distinctive, smooth bass voice was backed by the Love Unlimited Orchestra on their debut album, “Rhapsody in White”, which went gold from the strength of a #1 Billboard single called “Love’s Theme”, a slickly-produced soul song that signaled the beginning of the disco era. For the next five years, from 1974 to 1979, there was no stopping the Barry White train and his astonishing hit parade, as he became the chosen voice of the love song in classic soul.

During the 1980s, Barry White’s fortunes waned as the hits suddenly stopped, but in the 1990s his career was revived, thanks in part to appearances on the television shows Ally McBeal and The Simpsons. In 1999, Barry White made a big comeback with “Staying Power”, an album that highlighted the best tradition of soul music where the focus is the singer and the song. For this inspiring effort, Barry White received recognition at the 2000 Grammy Awards when he won his first two awards for best male and traditional R&B vocal performance. After suffering a stroke, Barry White passed away on July 4, 2003. Katharine Denton, Barry White’s girlfriend at the time of his passing, says the Singer showered her with presents “including a Chow, a Rolex and a Lexus”. After all, Barry White knew how to spoil his love with only the very best. Barry White always will be remembered for a career that took him from the ghetto to international success that was symbolized by his Rolex Day-Date Presidential. Incredibly, the Walrus of Love and the Lover of Rolex had 106 gold and 41 platinum albums, 20 gold and 10 platinum singles, with worldwide sales in excess of 100 million. At the time of his death, Barry White was a pop culture icon whose name was synonymous with intimate mood music. With the Rolex Day-date Presidential in yellow gold, Barry White chose a luxury watch that mirrored his own success. The 18k Men’s Rolex Day Date Presidential is the most famous high-end wristwatch made in history. This watch continues to be the most popular among CEO’s, movie stars, and those requiring the absolute best in life. As many say, “You haven’t made it until you have a Presidential.” Without question, Barry White, the Maestro and the Walrus of Love, made it to the very top of the music world with his classic love songs, his incredible baritone voice, and a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date Presidential on his wrist.

A fault-free stadium jumping performance by America’s Buck Davidson on My Boy Bobby could not earn him the $80,000 first prize and the Rolex Datejust at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Sunday, as the overnight leaders duplicated his achievement in the striking new stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park. The most prestigious equestrian title in North America went to Australia’s Lucinda Fredericks aboard Headley Britannia. The Australian Champion leaped into first place Saturday at the competition with a perfect cross-country trip and refused to give up her edge to become the first mare to win the event. Lucinda Fredericks, whose husband, Clayton, was the Rolex victor two years ago, logged 32.3 penalties to beat the winner of last week’s dressage phase, Bettina Hoy of Germany on Ringwood Cockatoo. “It would have been a lot easier to nip down the road to Badminton,” said Fredericks. “It took a lot of effort, organization and understanding to get her here but I really look forward to coming back.” The Australian rider and the 16-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare she owns with her husband Clayton, motored around the cross country course yesterday, and completed the event as one of only three to finish on their dressage score of 32.3. They took home $80,000 for their effort and a spectacular Rolex Datejust luxury watch. In addition, Lucinda Fredericks was the first Australian woman to ever win the event, and Headley Brittania was the first mare to ever win as well. “She’s a little household name now,” said Fredericks about her beloved mare. “She’s taken everyone’s heart and performed so well. Right after I jumped the first cross pole, I turned around to Clayton and said, ‘she just feels great,” said champion Lucinda Fredericks. Bettina Hoy, whose Australian husband Andrew Hoy was the 2006 Rolex winner, dropped to second after accumulating time penalties on cross-country, and stayed in that spot. She finished on 38.4 penalties.

American Buck Davidson finished with 40.2 in penalty points, and he had to be content with third place. Buck Davidson’s placing with My Boy Bobby earned him the Pinnacle Cup as the highest-placing U.S. rider. Still, in light of his spectacular final day performance, third place felt like a bitter pill to swallow for the American competitor. Taking the loss with a breath of good cheer, Buck Davidson said, “I’m proud of both my horses, they were fantastic.” Some, however, questioned whether the jumping route was tough enough. Fifteen of the 35 starters yesterday had neither time nor jumping faults, which is an unusually high number for a 4-star-rated event. “When I walked the course, it looked a little easier than it has in years past, but I wasn’t sure whether it was actually easier or I was on better jumpers than I had been,” chuckled Buck Davidson, 33, of Pennsylvania. His previous best finish in the event was fourth place, and he had hoped to win the overall event this year and receive the prize of a Rolex Datejust on his wrist. A capacity crowd of 15,000 watched the final segment of the competition in a new stadium built for next year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be held at the park. Overall, the reaction to the new stadium, supported by the sponsorship of Rolex U.S.A., was nothing less than big thumbs up. If you have been confused (like most of us non-horse owning people) about the details of this premiere event in equestrian sporting, examine the description below that has been provided by the event sponsors at Rolex. After all, Melrose does not just deliver the latest Rolex news; we also provide an education and a look into the amazing array of Rolex-sponsored events.

Explanation of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event
Courtesy of Rolex

DRESSAGE on the first day of the competition tests the gaits, suppleness and obedience of the horse through a series of prescribed movements. While judging the Dressage Test on the first day is based on specific criteria understood in detail only by experienced judges and riders, it is basically an evaluation of beauty of movement and obedience. Anyone can judge these characteristics and the spectator’s opinion often agrees with the judges. The number of competitors may require that Dressage be held over two days but it remains the first competition day.

The CROSS-COUNTRY test on the second competition day proves the speed, stamina, courage, boldness and jumping ability of the horse and the rider’s knowledge of pace and use of the horse across country. Horses jumping over obstacles designed and constructed to represent what might be found on uncharted grounds, virtually flying over ditches, leaping up and down banks, dropping into and galloping through water prove examples of athletic prowess, and trust between man and animal, that can be seen in no other sporting event. While the rider walks the course beforehand, the horse does not see any of the course until it leaves the start box.

JUMPING in an arena on the third day of competition provides the final test of the horse’s athletic ability, conditioning and training. The Jumping Test in a stadium arena on the third day is again simply a matter of jumping the obstacles cleanly. Its significance is that it comes the day following the test of cross-country jumping at speed and clearly illustrates the horse’s willingness to listen to its rider. It must now move at a more sedate pace and not touch the obstacles, which are not solid and will fall down. A single rail knocked down can make the difference between winning and finishing far down in the placings.

It was a hat trick for Europe on the first day of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event where the winning rider receives a Rolex Datejust. The Netherlands’ Tim Lips and his 1996 Dutch gelding Concrex Oncarlos came away with the top score of 42.0 penalty points. Currently following Lips are Great Britain’s Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest with 45.2 penalty points and Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt and Navigator with 46.7 penalty points. “I knew that if Oncarlos was relaxed he could do a really good job,” said leader Tim Lips. “It’s great to be on the top rather than in the end. I’m really happy to be in the lead at the moment.” Competitors at this year’s event noticed many of the improvements to the Kentucky Horse Park, including a new stadium that officially opened yesterday. “I just think that the whole place is spectacular,” said Oliver Townend. “Next year it’s going to be absolutely phenomenal to be here. That stadium is a massive atmosphere. It’s going to be seriously daunting for horses and riders.” Both the Rolex riders and fans were blessed with a beautiful Kentucky day to kick off the 2009 event. The weather conditions clearly contributed to the excellent opening scores. Still, Oliver Townend smiled when he commented, “It’s a great start, but I think we all prefer to do the press conference on Sunday night.” Naturally, a great finish always tops a great start.

As the only four-star event in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the premier competition for the top horses and riders in eventing. Past winners include U.S. Olympic Medalists David and Karen O’Connor, and the highest placed American after the first day is Jolie Sexson in fourth place on her Killian O’Connor. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has been named one of the Top 10 Festivals and Events for Spring 2009 by the Kentucky Tourism Council. While attracting crowds in excess of 100,000, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event also features an International Sponsor Village and Trade Fair with more than 150 booths and various exciting demonstrations. “We are proud to continue our commitment to providing outstanding entertainment as well as world-class equestrian competition,” said Event Director Jane Atkinson. “”This year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event promises to be the biggest and most exciting ever,” said Jane Atkinson, Executive Vice President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the event. “With a brand new stadium and other improvements to the Kentucky Horse Park, spectators can expect an unprecedented experience.”

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money and a chance at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The winning owner is awarded $80,000 and the winning rider receives a classic Rolex timepiece. Although the identity of the Rolex timepiece is kept under wraps, this year on the Rolex website the company has linked their Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event page to the Rolex Datejust. Introduced in 1945, the Oyster Perpetual Datejust was the first wristwatch to feature a date display, clearly visible with a special magnifying Cyclops lens. The height of precision, the self-winding Oyster movement in the Rolex Datejust is entirely engineered and manufactured by Rolex. Like the prize horses in the Rolex Kentucky Three-day Event, the Rolex Datejust is robust and reliable, and the Oyster movement guarantees long-term high performance and quality. Reflecting upon the demands for precision and performance placed on the participants of the Kentucky Three-Day Event, it makes perfect sense that the winning rider would receive a Rolex Datejust luxury timepiece.