I AM BATMAN
We are rarely, if ever told; that we each have a super hero, deep down inside, of our hearts. All of us have wonderful potential, to discover in our pursuit of happiness. I can never retrace, where exactly my entrepreneurial spirit started. All I know, is that it has driven the entire course of my life.
I had to quickly begin, to think outside of the box, and simply power through all of my limitations. For one, I grew up in extreme poverty and psychological torment, due to finances. Malnutrition was my day to day. All bare necessities and essentials, became an after thought. At a young age, I accepted that it was my life, and I would be grateful for the little that I did have. No matter what.
Nothing could rain on my parade. Even in the rain and storms; I saw sunshine. I looked for the good in all things, and I was just happy to be alive. The 1970's and the 1980's was a crazy time in New York; where I am from. My family migrated from another country. This was all very shocking. They never showed Harlem and the Bronx on television. Not like this.
I looked up to Batman, and the Ninja Turtles. In my universe of thought, they all worked together to save lives. I used to walk from the train station on 181st, and St. Nicholas, past Broadway towards Fort Washington; to see the comic books, from outside the windows. Right next to the news paper stands, there were coffee vendors, in converted hot dog carts. Some sold roasted nuts. Some had bagels and muffins. All a completely new world for me. An aspiring rapper, inspired by LL COOL J, and VICO C.
Batman?is a?superhero?appearing in?American comic books?published by?DC Comics. The character was created by artist?Bob Kane?and writer?Bill Finger, and debuted in?the 27th issue?of the comic book?Detective Comics?on March 30, 1939. In the?DC Universe?continuity, Batman is the alias of?Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American?playboy,?philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in?Gotham City.?Batman's origin story?features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents?Thomas?and?Martha?as a child, a vendetta tempered with the ideal of?justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a?bat-inspired?persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with?supporting characters, including his sidekicks?Robin?and?Batgirl; allies?Alfred Pennyworth,?James Gordon, and?Catwoman; and?foes?such as the?Penguin, the?Riddler,?Two-Face, and his?archenemy, the?Joker.
He had a car, a motorcycle and a private jet, mini. His utility belt had all kinds of surprises. He was educated in the greatest Universities, but was also street smart. He was a humble giant, who walked among the people, whom he helped and protected each night as a philanthropist, by day. He was my savior. And he cared about me. He never forgot his losses, as a child. His experiences molded his character, as a human being. Beyond his curse, he became the gift of the abandoned and the innocent.
I educated myself over the years. College taught me how to learn, and how to then teach, the little I gained, along the way. College taught me to show up, every single day and be on time. I was never the brightest, but I cheated. I sat in the front row, in the middle in the middle; like in the movie theaters. I raised my hand for every single question that I had. I participated. I recorded all of my classes, in my digital voice recorder. I was not afraid and I did not allow myself to be ashamed in any way.
I did every homework. I wrote everything on the board. I wrote every slide and power point; especially when I didn't have to. I made my own illustrations. I took every extra credit. I joined every workshop. I took every practice test, and every quiz or exam. I may not have passed most of them. But, I tried my best every single time. The school had no choice but to respect my drive and my motivation. If I was not in class, I was working and studying on campus, at the library. I wrote everything down. Then I typed everything up; and I printed it. I kept all my failed exams, and re studied them, to learn; anything that I may have missed. From there, I wrote my own way to teach myself, how to retain what I had processes. Best of all, I could teach others with similar learning disabilities. My gift, continued to give.
Rolex SA?(/?ro?l?ks/) is a British-founded Swiss?watch?designer and manufacturer based in?Geneva, Switzerland.[3]?Founded in 1905 as?Wilsdorf and Davis?by?Hans Wilsdorf?and Alfred Davis in?London, the company registered?Rolex?as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became?Rolex Watch Co. Ltd.?in 1915.[4][5][6][7]?After?World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of the unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered?Montres Rolex SA?in Geneva as the new company name (montre?is French for clock or watch); it later became?Rolex SA.[3][5][8][9]?Since 1960, the company has been owned by the?Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.[6][10][11]
Rolex SA and its subsidiary?Montres Tudor SA?design, make, distribute, and service wristwatches sold under the Rolex and Tudor brands.
I had to make more, with less for my entire life. If life and success was a Rolex; I personally identify, more with Tudor. My absolute favorite brand. What it represents to me, is the potential of growth. In a way, it is a bridge towards Rolex; and what I would use as motivation, to achieve my goals in both life and in business.
There are similar models offered, in each range, and for very different price points. The discipline would have to be the same, or perhaps even greater. I would have to start my collection on training wheels, only to develop the muscle required to achieve bigger goals.
It started with the Daytona Speciale, for me. It grew quickly in popularity and in pricing. I could not keep up, and the markets are ruthless. It eventually flew past my hands. I had the goal, written down and clearly defined in my dream board. But, the timing was not on my side; at that time.
The Batman, became my new motivation force. I read a little about it, here and there and like Kevin O'Leary, I had not attached it to a business goal; just yet. Kevin's theory and method, is a little different from mine. What Kevin would do is, buy himself a new watch, for his at the time, new collection; every time he closed a major business contract. Great idea. But, my range is on a broader perspective. Kevin is a scope. I am a lazer.
I aimed to achieve small business goals. At each interval; I would buy a different model, to add to my collection. There are several versions that I want as part of this collection. It is my 2023 time traveler collection. They are all, when combined, less expensive than my Daytona.
Kane conceived Batman in early 1939 to capitalize on the popularity of DC's?Superman; although Kane frequently claimed sole creation credit, Finger substantially developed the concept from a generic superhero into something more?bat-like. The character received his own?spin-off?publication,?Batman, in 1940. Batman was originally introduced as a ruthless vigilante who frequently killed or maimed criminals, but evolved into a character with a stringent moral code and strong sense of justice. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any?superpowers, instead relying on his intellect, fighting skills, and wealth. The 1960s?Batman?television series used a?camp?aesthetic, which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his darker roots in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating with the 1986?miniseries?The Dark Knight Returns?by?Frank Miller.
They are all GMT II. One is Batman. The other is black, with an amber bottom. One is both, blue on top, and amber at the bottom. That combination model, also comes in a white bezel. I have all in my collection. In that same sequence, I plan to acquire each one.
In a way, like Lego building blocks. To help me along the way. I want the Tudor versions, first. Then my goal is complete. I looked into more expensive; higher end offerings but, the emotional connection is just not there. This brings me back to my childhood, and it is the reason I place a higher value on it. I am not concerned about the pricing, because my aim is to keep it and pass it down to my son. He will be required to never sell it. It has now become a part of me.
Many times in life we see that less is more. We have the capacity to grow and learn each day. To most people, this may just be a piece of technology. After all, our smart devices tell both the time and the date. To me, this is more than a piece of jewelry. I can honestly care less about the social/political statement of "success". Blah, blah, blah.
This is a gift for myself and it represents deeper understanding, and a deeper part of me. I believe in broadcasting my dreams. This is a goal I set out for myself some time ago. I gave myself time to grow into my decision; to pursue it. I also did not want to make it a money thing. This is unlike my car collection, where we at times hunt a specific model, with specialty features. This was far greater than that.
I do not know, what exactly compelled me, to add this to my family's heritage. But, it reminded me of so many parts of my childhood. I imagined, that some day, maybe Bruce W. would pass my up at the coffee cart; as he picked up his news paper. Maybe I would be lucky and he would wave at me. I looked up; above the roof tops, to see if I saw Spiderman. In fact Peter Parker would have been just fine. In my dreams, and in my imagination, Batman was real. After all I was living proof. I am from New York City.
Montres Tudor SA, or simply?Tudor, is a Swiss watchmaker based in?Geneva, Switzerland. Registered in 1926 by?Hans Wilsdorf, founder of?Rolex, the brand remains a sister company to Rolex; both companies are owned by the?Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. Tudor was initially known for watches produced for the?military?and?professional divers. From the 1960s to 1980s,[3]?several navies issued Tudor Submariners to their divers, including the?US Navy SEALs?and the?French Marine Nationale.[4]
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For a young kid, full of dreams, I asked God to let me see him at least one time; some day. I would not tell anyone he was Batman. I would just nod, and wait for him to give me a thumbs up. Looking back, right across the street it the movie theater, where my parents took me to see the movie with Michael Keaton, as well as the theatrical release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
When I left the theaters, my dad let me wear his leather jacket. I jumped on street lamps, and garbage cans on the way home. The flaps opened, as my wings, when in mid air. My Dad was my jet pack at first, then he transformed into my Batwing. I hurt his back, jumping on his shoulders. We would walk to my fathers station wagon. And drive home.
The goal of any premium brand, product or service is to create, or make these emotional connections. Buying the Batman, quickly became more than a watch, or a physical/ material item. I was not meant to be put in a safe, or re sold for an inflated price; for a profit. This Rolex experience is a very personal process. I rather wait, and buy it new from a dealer. I am not into the second hand, resale market.
The process can be intimidating for most but, we must also learn not to take things, so personal. I think that it adds, to the magic of getting yourself a nice gift; of a time piece. If your aim is to flip it, and sell it; you kind of ruin it for the rest of us. I am not here to judge; but it takes a bit away from the dreams we all have to, one day get one.
DC has featured Batman in?many comic books, including comics published under its?imprints?such as?Vertigo?and?Black Label. The longest-running Batman comic,?Detective Comics, is the longest-running comic book in the United States. Batman is frequently depicted alongside other DC superheroes, such as Superman and?Wonder Woman, as a member of organizations such as the?Justice League?and the?Outsiders. In addition to Bruce Wayne, other characters have taken on the Batman persona on different occasions, such as?Jean-Paul Valley?/?Azrael?in the 1993–1994 "Knightfall" story arc;?Dick Grayson, the first Robin, from 2009 to 2011; and?Jace Fox, son of Wayne's ally?Lucius, as of 2021.[4]?DC has also published comics featuring alternate versions of Batman, including the incarnation seen in?The Dark Knight Returns?and its successors,?the incarnation?from the?Flashpoint?(2011) event, and numerous interpretations from?Elseworlds?stories.
The older I become, the more things in my life, are about the meaning I give to them. Its not just buying the Rolls Royce for my Dad. Or the family vacations; maybe an exquisite painting. I am not into things. The experiences, mean so much more to me. Success to me is not just, buying trinkets. We can all buy things, here and there and hoard them in storage. My question to you is. How much love can you keep in your heart?
The?Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date GMT Master?is part of the?Rolex?Professional Watch Collection. Designed in collaboration with the now defunct?Pan American Airways?of the United States for use by their pilots and navigators, it was launched in 1954.[1]
The Tudor trademark was registered in 1926 by Swiss watchmaking company?Veuve de Philippe Hüther?on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex watches. In 1936, Wilsdorf took it over and went on to found the company Montres Tudor SA in 1946.[5]
Tudor's purpose was to offer a more affordable watch than Rolex while maintaining Rolex-like quality. Tudor watches were originally equipped with off-the-shelf?movements?paired with Rolex cases and bracelets, allowing Tudor to provide reliability and quality while achieving its price goals.[6][7]
Tudor debuted its Oyster collection in the mid-forties, featuring a waterproof Oyster case previously exclusive to Rolex.[3]?In 1952, Tudor released its first self-winding model, the Prince, which used a Rolex self-winding mechanism.[3][8]?Twenty-six Tudor Oyster Princes were included in the?British North Greenland expedition?of 1952-1954.[9]
The adoption of the Oyster case and self-winding rotor facilitated Tudor's move into the production of tool watches. The?French Navy?was involved in field research for a Tudor diving watch;[10]?from the 1960s to the mid 1980s, Tudor tool watches were supplied to the French Navy in bulk without bracelets[3]?so military-issued straps could be used instead. Tudor launched its first diving watch in 1954, the Oyster Prince Submariner, waterproof to 100 metres, which increased to 200 metres in 1958.[11]
Over the years the Submariner line adopted various features such as the "big crown" and "snowflake hands" (which have been reintroduced in for Tudor's current catalogue).[11]?In 1964, Tudor began producing an Oyster Prince Submariner specifically for the?US Navy.[12]?1957 saw the launch of the Tudor Advisor, which incorporated an alarm complication,[13]?the first Oyster model to amplify sound. Later in 1969 this was changed to a more ‘traditional’ alarm case with an external case back to increase its volume.[14]
In 1970, Tudor released its first?Chronograph, the Oysterdate, with a manually wound?Valjoux?mechanical calibre 7734 and cam chronograph function. The second series, introduced in 1971, was nicknamed "Montecarlo" because its dial resembles a roulette wheel. The third series, Oysterdate "Big Block", debuted in 1976, was the first Tudor chronograph to introduce a self-winding movement.[15][16]?The Tudor Monarch collection launched in 1991 and the Tudor Hydronaut in 1999.
From inception. I felt in my heart that it was made for me. And there is no clear reason why. For a thinking man, such as myself; I am constantly auto analyzing myself. I am constantly teaching, because I am constantly learning. This is a goal I had for myself, during this process. I wanted to share this small bit of joy with all of you.
I look at the world, in a very special an unique way. I am always trying to see how I can hyper connect. I look at the understanding of eCommerce and the markets as a whole, and for some unknown variable/ reason; I found myself in this dial. I feel in love as soon as I laid eyes on it. It took me months to figure our why. I knew right then and there, that I could use this as motivation to grow my career and my businesses.
In my youth, I may not have had the power to change my circumstances or the elements around me; that composed my life. I did understand, that I had been born with the gift to choose, how those things could, or would impact me. I chose to look for the greater good, in all things. I saw the future clearly, and full of my very own success. Most importantly, I began to respect the process. I knew that it would not be overnight.
I decided to work hard each and every single day, to better myself and my situation. I started to collect cans and glass bottles to save up for my breakfast, and my comic books. I started small with newspapers, which also had comic strips. And I basically grew from there. I used to help the "super" clean the building and throw out the trash. I recycled things. Eventually I found toys, in the garbage that I cleaned up and kept for myself.
Once all cleaned, and refurbished; I gave them to my little brother. At the time, it was all I had. Baseball cards, with gum grew into comic book cards; with all my favorite super heroes. Each collection was another goal; and all of my goals only added to my dreams. I guess a part of me, is still driven in the same way. I love the hunt/ process above all else. The end goal is not my end game. I enjoy every single step of the way.
As I challenge myself, with this new business venture, I am equally excited to achieve all of my clearly written, and defined goals; for this business venture. At every step of the way, there is a watch waiting for me, as part of my goal. This goal, is only step one.
God bless you all. "Thank you for becoming a part of my dream".
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One of the most iconic characters in popular culture, Batman has been listed among the greatest comic book superheroes and fictional characters ever created. He is one of the most commercially successful superheroes, and his likeness has been licensed and featured in?various media?and merchandise sold around the world; this includes toy lines such as?Lego Batman?and video games like the?Batman: Arkham?series. Batman has been adapted in live-action and animated incarnations, including the 1960s?Batman?television series played by?Adam West?and?in film?by?Michael Keaton?in?Batman?(1989),?Batman Returns?(1992), and?The Flash?(2023),?Val Kilmer?in?Batman Forever?(1995),?George Clooney?in?Batman and Robin?(1997),?Christian Bale?in?The Dark Knight?trilogy?(2005–2012),?Ben Affleck?in the?DC Extended Universe?(2016–present), and?Robert Pattinson?in?The Batman?(2022).?Kevin Conroy,?Diedrich Bader,?Jensen Ackles,?Troy Baker, and?Will Arnett, among others, have provided the character's voice.