American actor, writer, director and stand up comic Louis C.K. appeared on Conan recently wearing what looks like a Rolex Explorer Reference 1016, a departure from the Submariner he usually wears for television appearances. As the story goes, the Submariner was a gift from fellow comedian Chris Rock for C.K.’s help with comedy writing. The story was told to Jerry Seinfeld on an episode his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Louis C.K. was born in Washington DC, then moved with his family to Mexico before returning to the US at age seven to settle down in Boston with his family. His parents would eventually divorce and he and his three sisters were raised by his single mother. His career in standup started in Boston in 1985, when he bombed for the first time. He wouldn’t take the stage again for another two years, but by 1989 he was opening for Jerry Seinfeld and living in Manhattan. His comedy career took off in the nineties and by the end of the decade he was writing for television and directing independent films.

In 2006 his show Lucky Louie premiered on HBO. A sitcom based on a realistic approach to family drama filmed before a live studio audience, the series was canceled after only one season. In 2009, he developed Louie for FX. He wrote, directed, edited and starred in this series, cutting pieces of his standup into hilarious scenes written to reflect the events of his actual life as a divorced father living and working in Manhattan. Louie ran through 2015, with no decision as to whether it will come back after a hiatus. C.K. has also worked to develop other comedy series for television, including the Zach Galifianakis led comedy, Baskets.

As far as watches go, C.K. has been seen wearing the Chris Rock Submariner Date for his show and photo shoots. It is said that the watch is inscribed with the words “Thanks for the help, Motherfucker” as a hilarious token of gratitude from Rock. C.K. has also been seen wearing other watches, most recently the 1016 Rolex Explorer. His appearance on Conan, a show he used to write for, has garnered attention due to the political nature of his comments. It has also piqued the interest of watch collectors due to the Explorer model on his wrist.

The Explorer 1016 was manufactured from the 1960s through the 1980s and features a beautiful and legible display. This understated Rolex model is a favorite amongst collectors, based in part on its simplicity and classic 36 millimeter case diameter. While the watchmaker is known more for the bells and whistles on other models, like the Cerachrom bezel on the new Daytona or the innovative complication of the Sky-Dweller, the Explorer rounds out their professional collection as the least complicated and most symmetrical professional model.

For more information on the 1016 model, check out this report from Hodinkee’s Ben Clymer published in GQ a few years back. Check out the Rolex Submariner on the watchmaker’s official website.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *