Every Rolex watch tells a story. James Cameron’s Rolex Submariner watch tells the story among him, his film Avatar and his life.
James Cameron, a film-director, a screenwriter and an explorer, represents the pinnacle of film-making. His film Titanic won 11 Oscar Gold Awards, one of the most awards ever. Avatar broke the world’s highest box office record in history. As for film-making, exploration or travel, Cameron selects his plans carefully, and he only accepts the challenge when he knows it can push the limits to another possibility. For Cameron, a Rolex watch symbolizes the enduring quest to discover the unknown. His Rolex Submariner watch has accompanied him for more than 20 years. He went through many tests and adventure activities with his watch, and now it has found its new home in the Amazon.
He wrote the outline of Avatar in 1995 based on the ideas when he was in college at the age of 19. Ten years later, he began to make the film. On his 59th birthday, he accepted a interview at home in Los Angeles. He reviewed his early career and took out the 1970s’ painting to tell his inspiration on Avatar. Cameron once did blue-collar work for a period. Before being a director, he made posters for films. He still lived in a small department in California, and he often painted alone there. He painted a tall, sexy blue girl and imagined the figure would be a role in his film in the future. During the preparation of Avatar, he collected reference materials on aboriginal culture and found many native tribes faced many difficulties. Avatar’s success reminded him realize his broader responsibilities for native tribes, then he started to devote into helping the native tribes. He made a good friend with Ropni, the chief of the Kayapo tribe. Ropni gave him some great gifts, things that had great meaning to him including making me one of the Kayapo people with a naming ceremony. In their culture, these are treasured things. In return, Cameron gave his Rolex Submariner watch to him.
His Submariner diving watch has been accompanying him since Cameron bought it. During shooting the film Terminator 2, his Submariner watch was his wrist and witnessed many thrilling scenes. I was wearing it the first time I saw the Titanic for real through the porthole of a submersible, and I was wearing the same watch when I in formal suits got the Oscar for directing Titanic. The watch he is wearing today is the same model that he sent to Ropni. Cameron said, “When I look at it, I think of all the things my precious Submariner went through.”
