Marlon Brando Rolex GMT Master From Apocalypse Now...

...Profiles In Coolness...

Marlon Brando

The Wild One

The Greatest Actor In History

An Amazing Life with Rolex Keeping His Time

1924-2004

Marlon Brando is considered by many to be the greatest actor that ever lived. In his amazing career he won two Academy Awards. One for Best Actor in the 1954 movie "On The Waterfront" and in 1972, another for Best Actor in "The Godfather."

Not only was Marlon Brando a pioneer of cool, but he was also a lifetime Rolex wristwatch wearer. In this article we will see him wearing three different Rolex watches.

The Fugitive Kind (1960)

All The Crazy Moonphases

John Goldberger, the author of 100 Superlative Rolex Watches pointed out that in the 1960 movie, The Fugitive Kind, starring Marlon Brando and Joanne Woodward, that Marlon Brando mentions his Rolex Moonphase 6062. John also points out that he thinks the watch is a chronograph, but I can't see it well enough to tell. I definitely see the moonphase on the dial of the watch when Marlon hands it to Joanne.

John Goldberger pointed out to me in an email "I think this is the first Rolex advertising in the movies, because I bet the original book or script by Tennessee Williams didn't exist with the words Rolex Chronometer."

Update: In a follow-up email, John mentioned "Tennessee Williams wrote the script for The Fugitive Kind in 1937, at which time Rolex had NEVER made a Moonphase of any kind. This means that in 1960, the screenplay authors added the words Rolex Chronometer as well as the description for the Moonphase. Also the description is too precise for the knowledge of a film-maker, and the supreme irony is that the model was out of production in 1960!!"

The Godfather (1974)

Don Vito Corleone

In this next photo taken in 1975 we see Marlon Brando sporting his Coke GMT Master on an Oyster bracelet.

In the photo below, Marlon Brando is pictured with his secretary, and he is wearing his Rolex GMT Master.

Superman

In 1978 Marlon Brando played Superman's father Jor-El in Superman: The Movie.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Rolex GMT Master

In this next set of photos we see Marlon Brando wearing his Rolex GMT Master in the movie Apocalypse Now. Apocolypse Now was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and Marlon Brando played Colonel Walter Kurtz. Notice his Rolex GMT Master is missing its bezel. The following set of photos were taken by Mary Ellen Mark from Apocalypse Now.

In this next photo, taken toward the end of Marlon Brando's life we see him wearing a two-tone Rolex GMT Master on a Jubilee Bracelet.