4 Rolex watches named after Hollywood stars, from Avatar director James Cameron’s Sea-Dweller and Clint Eastwood’s GMT Master, to Sean Connery’s James Bond Submariner and the Paul Newman Daytona

Jan 19 , 2023

Sean Connery’s James Bond character and Clint Eastwood have Rolex watches named after them. Photos: United Artists, Rolex, EPA, Sotheby’s

Imagine being so famous that Rolex timepieces get named after you! That’s what happened to Avatar director James Cameron and his Sea-Dweller, while Clint Eastwood became synonymous with his GMT Master

Paul Newman made the initially unpopular Daytona so famous that it once sold for US$17.8 million, while Sean Connery started the trend of James Bond wearing Rolexes, with his Submariner

While there are plenty of Hollywood actors who love glamming up with luxurious Rolex watches, like Mark Wahlberg, only a handful of celebs in history have brought attention to certain limited editions and special models – and had the honour of the timepiece getting named after them in return.

Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona. Photo: Phillips

From million-dollar Hollywood director James Cameron to the legendary Clint Eastwood and the late Sean Connery, here are four stars who have their names stamped on different types of Rolex editions and how these historic moments came to be …

1. James Cameron: Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea “Cameron” D-Blue

Oscar-winning director James Cameron loves deep sea exploration. Photo: A Company Films

The famous Oscar-winning Avatar director has a great love for ocean exploration and even once mentioned that he made Titanic so he could use the movie production to fund his dive into the actual wreckage of the famous ship, per British Media.

In 2012, he took his love for the sea an extra mile further and set out on an expedition for a record-breaking dive into the deepest part of the Mariana Trench.

Rolex Deepsea 2022 44mm model in Oystersteel. Photo: Rolex

To help with his almost sci-fi-like mission, Rolex specially designed a watch for Cameron that was built to handle the massive pressure of the ocean, per Swisswatch Expo.

After Cameron successfully resurfaced from his solo dive, Rolex released the special edition into the market the same year, naming it the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea “Cameron” D-Blue Watch in honour of his expedition.

The timepiece’s dial is a symbolic dark blue-to-black gradient mimicking the depth of the ocean. The “Deepsea” is written in bright green, which refers to the colour of Cameron’s submarine, states the article.

The watch is engineered with large luminescent hour markers, is waterproof and can withstand a depth of 3,900 metres, per Rolex’s website.