A new book on the late Paul Newman tells the story of how one of the world's greatest actors escaped the pressures of Hollywood by sitting behind the wheel of a race car.

As with most things he attempted in life Newman excelled at it. Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman is an illustrated history of Newman's racing career both as a driver and team owner. His interest in racing began while preparing for his role in the movie, Winning, in 1968 and blossomed into several championships competing in the Sports Car Club of America.

The actor also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing second in 1979, and in 1995 at the age of 70 he became the oldest driver to be part of a winning team in a major sanctioned race, winning in his class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, capping his long association with the Rolex model of that name.

The book features a foreword by Mario Andretti and many first person remembrances from those who raced against him and admired him, along with many previously unpublished photographs documenting his career at the track. Newman's personal car collection including Porsches and Ferraris is also featured.

Project X Designs, a new London-based Rolex customizer, has already won some high-profile fans including James Bond himself - Daniel Craig. Project X, which also produces its own Limited Edition Rolex designs in small runs, began with a custom Submariner and Daytona a few months ago which have nearly all sold out. Two new Daytona models have just been released. Founder Daniel Bourn, 37, also launched the London Watch Company in 2003 which specializes in building collections of vintage "investment grade" Rolexes for private clients. Bourn is actually a former investment banker who developed an "obsessive compulsion" for collecting rare, modern and vintage luxury watches and decided to change careers.

Bourn launched Project X Designs (PXD), which has offices in Hanover Square, London W1, out of a desire to "provide a service to clients who appreciate the history and allure of original manufacturers' brand name – guaranteeing maximum performance with minimal maintenance – but who seek the individuality that contemporary high volume production does not offer." It's an aesthetic that appeals to celebs like Kanye West - The Classicist reported on his blacked-out Rolex earlier this year - and Craig, a diehard Rolex enthusiast as we noted last year, who owns PXD's custom Submariner.

PXD offers two distinct services via its website: the first, a bespoke service which, like a bespoke suit, tailors a new luxury wristwatch with unique features to the clients' own personal specification. For example, a leading Formula One Racing Team have commissioned a special Daytona - carrying the company logo on the reverse together with the details of the race victory - for each of its Grand Prix winning drivers. Ex Bond actor Roger Moore also has a bespoke watch in development from PXD. The second element of PXD is the introduction of collectible limited edition (runs of 24) customized Rolex watches inspired by the retro styling of the classic Rolex models from the past.



The bespoke customization service offered by Project X Designs is the 'backbone' of the site whereby watches can be tailored to suit the clients' demands. At present there are 18 Rolex models to choose from and 19 options ranging from different straps to DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) blacked-out watch cases at £1,650. Clients may choose as many of the bespoke options as they wish - more options are in development and will be added to the site in the future. The super-cool DLC Daytona pictured above from the new series is priced at £10,750 or about $17,500.

UK watch customizer Pro-Hunter has come out with a beautiful bespoke version of the classic Rolex Daytona with a PVD coating, red numbers on the bezel and red sub-dial hands. Pro-Hunter, "adept at improving upon the original with taste, style and a unique flair," will only produce less than 100 pieces at about $29,000 each with a waiting list of up to one year. The Red Bezel Daytona Mk II as it's called pays homage to the Rolex golden years of the 1950's and the 1960's as well as models popularized by the late, great Paul Newman. Pro-Hunter, as the name suggests, started out catering to the Rolex-loving hunting community that congregates at England's country houses, and evolved into designs for "smart and exclusive timepieces that are practical and pleasing to the eye".

[via Duncan Quinn]

Rapper, producer, designer, and tastemaker Kanye West could obviously have any watch in the world. The one he chose is a customized all-black Rolex Submariner by Swiss firm Black-Out Concept (above), on a black nylon NATO spec strap. Kanye made a decision a while back that Rolex would be his signature watch brand, but he wanted to add his own twist; Black-Out's version was perfect. "It looks hard, it looks really cool," he explained in naming the watch one of his 10 style essentials. "It's a new take on a classic watch." He also likes the fact that they take a Rolex and literally "paint it black" (coat it, actually).

Black-Out Concept was founded in 2007 by Fabrice Letellier in Geneva. An avid watch collector, racecar driver and all-round exotic car enthusiast with the means to indulge his passions, the idea was born when Letellier had some of his supercar collection given a matte black treatment, i.e. blacked-out. Next he decided to do the same with his Rolex, and soon some of his fellow car and watch aficionados followed suit. Obviously there was a market for it. Letellier contracted with one of Geneva's best watchmakers to perfect the black out process for timepieces, which is done using two low-friction, scratch-proof finishes used by the military, PVD and DLC (diamond-like carbon).

Black-Out also creates customized blacked-out cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin; the Black-Out package on the latter (see the gallery) costs about $40,000. They do customized matte black motorcycles as well built on a Harley-Davidson base, blacked-out Vertu Ascent cell phones - basically anything you can think of that would look better in all black. In addition to the Submariner they also black out several other Rolex models, including the GMT II, Daytona, Milgaus, and Deepsea, as well as other brands like Panerai, Bell & Ross and Audemars Piguet. Letellier has his own high-end watch brand in the works as well.



Of course, Black-Out aren't the only ones to offer blacked-out Rolexes; we've written before about Bamford & Sons' $30,000 PVD Daytona and other models, as well as Jacques Picard's $18,000 DLC Deepsea. (No, we don't know who thought of it first.) Black-Out doesn't actually sell watches, however, they customize yours at a cost of €5,000, or about $7,000, which includes Fed-Ex'ing to and from Geneva, and a set of three different straps including the NATO. So you can in fact get the look of the far more expensive models for much less - if you pick up a used Submariner in the $5,000 range - yet still have a watch that's every bit as exclusive, not to mention Kanye-approved. You can contact Black-Out's U.S. representative Christian Ginet at blackoutconcept@mac.com for more info.

One of the world's finest collections of rare vintage and classic Rolex watches will take place in Milan in March. The collection, amassed by Italian Rolex enthusiast Davide Blei, is not the largest Rolex collection in the world but may well be the finest, on account of its unprecedented level of quality and exclusivity.

Blei acquired only "exquisite, rare and unique" examples of Rolex models, stressing quality over quantity and buying only the very best. The auction will be conducted by the newly formed Patrizzi auction house, and a preview is being held at Asprey in London next week.

The highlight of the sale is a pink gold "Stelline" Oyster Perpetual Chronometer with star indexes, estimated at $ 260,000 – $320,000.
Another standout is this stainless steel "Paul Newman" Cosmograph Daytona with white dial, black subdials and applied gold indexes, estimated at $58,000 – $87,000.

[Patrizzi via Hodinkee]

Last spring we told you about a super-cool custom Rolex Daytona from London-based Bamford & Sons. Now the bastion of top-drawer British style has come out with a new version of the classic sports watch, designed as an homage to vintage Ferraris with a red dial.

The new Daytona (right) is treated with a military grade, scratch proof PVD coating over the stainless steel case and bracelet, though it is not flat black like the previous Bamford model. Only 25 examples of the Ferrari red watch are being produced at a price of $23,000 each, available by special order from Bamford's London flagship in Sloane Square.

In addition to its special limited edition pieces, Bamford is now offering customers a bespoke dial color matching and customization service on classic Rolex models such as the Submariner, GMT, Explorer II, Sea Dweller and Milgauss.

[via JustLuxe]

The other day we reported on the world records set at Antiqorum's recent $8.5 million Rolex auction, where the top-priced timepiece fetched $248,000. At Sotheby's Important Watches auction on April 23, however, that record was shattered by the sale of an ultra-rare 1971 "Albino" Rolex Daytona that formerly belonged to rock & roll icon Eric Clapton. Eclipsing its pre-sale estimate of $100,000 - $150,000, the Daytona went for a whopping $505,000 including buyer's premium.

Though the total proceeds from the Sotheby's sale, $6,588,451, were far less than Antiquorum's, the Clapton sale set a record for the Daytona and was the second-highest price ever achieved at auction for a Rolex watch. This model is known as the "Albino" because both the background and subsidiary dials are in a monochrome silver color, as opposed to the usual contrasting variations found on more common examples.

The second through fifth highest prices paid at the Sotheby's auction were all for Patek Philippes, ranging from $445,000 - $217,000. The sixth highest was also a Rolex, a so-called "James Bond" 1959 Submariner, which brought in $211,000.