#43. Tick Tock and Couture. Rolex and Pauline Trigère

Pauline Trigère coat and dress ensemble for Rolex ad

Rolex chose ambassadors who embodied timeless style. Pauline Trigère became one such ambassador, appearing in a series of ads both by herself and alongside other iconic figure.

One of the first appeared in 1959 featured Trigère with Commander Edward Whitehead. Whitehead, a World War II veteran later became an executive at Cadbury Schweppes. Known for his refined style and diverse passions—fox hunting, sailing, skiing, and gourmet cooking—Whitehead was dubbed “the most alluring man in the world,” a title later echoed by Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign. The ad, which also highlighted his Rolex, reads:

“Commander Edward Whitehead imports his Schweppervesence from England. Trigère, her renowned designing effervescence from France. They both wear Rolex watches.”

The message underscored Rolex’s association with achievement and sophistication.

Another memorable Rolex ad featured Pauline herself, with the caption:

“MY NAME IS TRIGÈRE, I HATE TIME.”

In the ad, she admitted she seldom wore a watch to avoid reminders of her perpetual lateness—but when she did, it was a Rolex. The ad concluded: “If you would like to guard your precious moments, then only a very fine watch will do. My watch is Rolex.”

Throughout the 1960s, additional ads featured Trigère and Rolex watches, one such campaign, showcased Pauline’s hands, one wrist with her pin magnet while the other with a Rolex watch.

Three more ads featuring Trigère garments made from Orsi Fabrics. “The Trigère Tempo… timed by Rolex,” showcased models wearing Trigère’s luxurious designs paired with Rolex timepieces. One ad presented a full-length wool coat, another featured a black dress with rhinestone details, and a third showcased a dramatic wool cape and matching dress with a metallic fabric border. The ad’s caption read: “Precious borders: dramatic ‘wild rice’ tweed. Great coat, edged with the many-shade brocade of its dress. Thirty-one diamonds circle the face of the gold Rolex.”

These ads solidified the connection between Trigère’s high-end fashion and Rolex’s legacy of quality and distinction. I was thrilled to have discovered these vintage ads, especially the wool coat and dress ensemble with metallic trimmings, which I later discovered during one of my museum visits [HERE]. Can you identify all the different Rolex watches here? Please comment below!

More photos from the Rolex and Pauline Trigère ads can be found in my upcoming book on Pauline Trigère and Instagram: JessicaRabbit888.