The author with Sir Jackie Stewart at the Laguna Seca raceway during the Pebble Beach week wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT in yellow gold with cerachrom bezel (photo courtesy Tom O’Neal / Rolex)

“If you’re wearing a Rolex, you’re wearing something special,” Sir Jackie Stewart said as we sat and talked on a sunny day in Carmel Valley, California during the Pebble Beach automotive week. Behind us, the highly engaging event called The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering formed the backdrop.

A happy Sir Jackie Stewart in a 1955 Maserati 250F Monoposto at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (photo courtesy Tom O’Neal / Rolex)

However, this fascinating congregation of food, wine, people, and some of the world’s most expensive and interesting cars faded well into the background as the man known as the Flying Scot began to tell stories, some of which you can experience for yourself by watching the video below.

There are very few people who can boast both the allegiance to a sport and to a sponsoring brand that Stewart has exhibited over the last 48 years. From the moment he decided he wanted to buy his first Rolex in 1966 − after almost winning the Indianapolis 500 at his first attempt − through to the present day, he has remained true to his favorite watch brand, Rolex. And it to him.

Sir Jackie Stewart explaining the finer points of car appreciation at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (photo courtesy Tom O’Neal / Rolex)

Though he is arguably the most important figure in the history of motor racing, Stewart is one of the most humble, likable, interesting and modest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Being of Scottish descent myself, I particularly appreciated his consistent humor, which specifically made fun of some of the Scots’ more widely known traits.

If you would like to hear more of the motor sports-related topics from this interview, please visit Roads & Rides’ YouTube channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab24GJzdXMc and be sure to check out www.roadsandrides.com for interesting automotive-related video stories.

With special thanks to Rolex, Robert Angelo of Roads & Rides, and The Quail.

For more on our coverage of the 2014 Pebble Beach car week, please check out Pebble Beach Classic Car Week 2014: The Enthusiast Collector Goes To Car Heaven and A Touch Of Switzerland In Pebble Beach: Hispano-Suiza And Rolex, as well as The Jaguar Lightweight E-Type: Iconic Automobile History Reborn. If you are into stunning classic cars, you might also want to see Quill & Pad At The Mythic Mille Miglia, Reflecting On The 2014 Mille Miglia, and Snapshots From The 2014 Mille Miglia.