A few months ago, Rolex, a brand synonymous with luxury in the watch industry, presented a patent application that provided a peek into the problems with thefts and falsifications it was facing when it came to its most famous models. In the application, the company revealed that it wanted to use NFT chips and blockchain authenticity certificates to identify its products.
In all likelihood, the story of Keanu Reeves’ watches (which has a happy ending) probably reinforced how much the brand needs to do something about the issue.
John Wick’s Rolex. The incident occurred several years ago when Reeves was filming John Wick 4. When he finished shooting, the actor bought himself a Rolex Submariner worth $9,000 to celebrate the occasion with the engraving “2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five,” along with his name.
In December 2023, someone broke into Reeves’ home in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles and stole various pieces of expensive jewelry, including the exclusive Rolex.
Breaking into Reeves’ house. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time someone had broken into the actor’s home. In 2014, someone robbed the house two times in three days. The first time, Reeves confronted the intruder in the library. Meanwhile, the second time, a member of the cleaning staff found a perpetrator in the pool.
But there’s more. Early last year, Reeves sought a temporary restraining order against a man that reportedly accessed his property at least six times between November 2022 and January 2023. In one case, the purported stalker left behind a backpack that contained a DNA testing kit, which he supposedly planned to use on Reeves to demonstrate that they were related, according to the solicited restraining order.
An unexpected discovery in Chile. The most recent develop takes us to Santiago, the capital of Chile, where police recovered three watches belonging to Reeves, including the Rolex Submariner from the film and two other models that authorities described as “valuable.”
As it turns out, police found the watches and other expensive pieces of jewelry while they were raiding four homes. According to CNN, local authorities worked with U.S. officials to establish a connection between the watches and the robbery at the actor’s home. A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the robbery.
Cinematographic irony. Media outlets haven’t stopped pointing out a curious fact about to the Reeves’ watches these past few days: how similar it is to the plot of the John Wick saga, where the actor’s character begins his vengeance after someone robbed his home (and killed his dog).
Besides that trivial detail, Reeves apparently isn’t sure whether he’ll return as Wick in future movies. The reason? Primarily age. Although the actor says his heart wants to do it, Reeves recently joked in an interview that his knees might not be able to withstand another movie because of the physical demands required of the character.
Submariner: the epitome of luxury on your wrist. This Rolex model is an icon in the watch industry and one of the first references for diving watches that actually worked. Launched in 1953 and designed specifically for divers, the watch turned in a symbol of innovation for being waterproof up to 330 feet under water (later expanded to 1,000 feet) and its durability in extreme conditions.
Its timeless design, one-way rotating bezel to measure immersion time and its readability under water have turned it into a standard in both the business and the fashion worlds. In fact, before Reeves, the model has been associated with many other historical and cultural figures, from James Bond to underwater explorers and other celebrities. It’s a symbol of technical excellence and style, both of which continue to make it one of the most recognized watches in the world.
In some cases, as you can see, excessively.
Images | Lionsgate, Rolex
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