Your Rolex story

[topcat30093]

Hi I have had a fascination for watches since I was a teenager. I can remember
begging my Mom to buy this watch and that watch from the club books that she had. But one day I remember watching a TV programme called "Jim Will Fix It" and I was memorised by the Rolex that Jimmy Saville had on his wrist, it was a gold DAYDATE, which just seemed to hang from his arm. From that moment that was the watch I wanted, I use to watch the programme just to get a glimpse of it - sad or what. The same could be said for the singer Barry White, who also had the same style watch.
For the next 20 years I continued to buy watches, during this time, I bought two Submariners and one Seadweller.
Then about 6 years ago as I was walking passed an AD I saw a second hand yellow gold DAYDATE, I couldn't believe it, and my finances were ok at the time so I bought it. I had now fulfilled a lifetime ambition.
But I didn't keep long, because six months later, after a bit of haggling with the manager from the same AD I bought a new one. Which had the polished & heavier links.
For the next five years I cherished that watch, but I still kept on buying watches- always from the AD as buy now we had struck up a good customer relationship.
I bought from him a Brietling, which a year later I part exchanged for a S/S Submariner.
It was during this time that he showed me, what changes Rolex had carried out to the DAYDATE. I was certainly impressed. As I was with the new S/S GMT Master 2.
So several months later and after a lot of discussion between us, at the end of last year, I part exchanged my old DAYDATE and Submariner for a new DAYDATE and GMT. I am absolutely delighted with both watches.
Though the DAYDATE will always be my favourite watch. I think that the improvements that Rolex have done to the GMT have made it a stunning watch.
And like many of us Rolex fanatics, I believe that they will carry out these improvements to the rest of the sporting range.
I wait in anticipation for Basel World 2008 to see what new watch they launch to celebrate their centenary year.

[Darkangel]

Hi I have had a fascination for watches since I was a teenager. I can remember
begging my Mom to buy this watch and that watch from the club books that she had. But one day I remember watching a TV programme called "Jim Will Fix It" and I was memorised by the Rolex that Jimmy Saville had on his wrist, it was a gold DAYDATE, which just seemed to hang from his arm. From that moment that was the watch I wanted, I use to watch the programme just to get a glimpse of it - sad or what. The same could be said for the singer Barry White, who also had the same style watch.
For the next 20 years I continued to buy watches, during this time, I bought two Submariners and one Seadweller.
Then about 6 years ago as I was walking passed an AD I saw a second hand yellow gold DAYDATE, I couldn't believe it, and my finances were ok at the time so I bought it. I had now fulfilled a lifetime ambition.
But I didn't keep long, because six months later, after a bit of haggling with the manager from the same AD I bought a new one. Which had the polished & heavier links.
For the next five years I cherished that watch, but I still kept on buying watches- always from the AD as buy now we had struck up a good customer relationship.
I bought from him a Brietling, which a year later I part exchanged for a S/S Submariner.
It was during this time that he showed me, what changes Rolex had carried out to the DAYDATE. I was certainly impressed. As I was with the new S/S GMT Master 2.
So several months later and after a lot of discussion between us, at the end of last year, I part exchanged my old DAYDATE and Submariner for a new DAYDATE and GMT. I am absolutely delighted with both watches.
Though the DAYDATE will always be my favourite watch. I think that the improvements that Rolex have done to the GMT have made it a stunning watch.
And like many of us Rolex fanatics, I believe that they will carry out these improvements to the rest of the sporting range.
I wait in anticipation for Basel World 2008 to see what new watch they launch to celebrate their centenary year.

I love the daydate too I hope to own it one day,I know it will come. Same here,waiting and watching what will rolex come out for their 100th bdae

[charlieiii]

For the past week I've been constantly aware that my Seadweller isn't on my wrist. It's in New York for service, for the first time in the 10 years I've owned it. I'm writing this to deal with Rolex withdrawl pangs.

I've been the keeper of my great grandfather's turn of the century gold pocket watch since I was a young child. (It's branded by a local jeweler but has a Patek Phillipe movement.) A few times a year I would open the back and marvel at the works.

10 years ago, after several years of struggle and sacrifice to start a small business from scratch, I was making a significant amount of money and about to attend my first trade show, as a vendor. The booth was going to be minimal, even lame. I had some reletively large customers to impress who would be meeting me for the first time.

To liven up the booth I let my girlfriend dress like a tramp and flirt with the customers, which everybody loved, including her. The thing I did to look more established was literally dash out of my shop to a local dealer, a few days before the show, and buy a Rolex.

I gave myself about 20 minutes to choose one. I didn't know very much about Rolex except by reputation. I was a little bit familiar with the Submariner, which I passed on because of concern the bubble would be vulnerable in my shop full of fabrication tools. I settled on the Seadweller because it appeared to be the toughest, most laid-back, Rolex in the dealer's case.

At the show most of my small customers didn't notice the watch, which was for the best. The big customers all noticed and it seemed to have exactly the influence I was hoping for. Wearing a Rolex also reinforced values I wanted to promote in my own products--build quality backed by brand integrity.

Charlie

P.S. When I turned in the watch for service the dealer offered me a loaner. I declined. Wouldn't that be--infidelity?

[Darkangel]

Hope you dun miss your SD that much...haha

Anyway,I really thank everyone for contributing to this thread and telling us your wonderful stories. PLease keep it coming!

[nola_tarheel]

I bought my first Rolex yesterday -- Gold and SS Jubilee Bracelet Lady Date-Just with silver, 10 diamond dial.

I've played around with the idea of buying a Rolex for about 10 years, on and off; and, during that time, purchased an Omega Constellation (2001) and a Bertolucci Vir (2005). The odd thing is, I was not even thinking about buying a new watch until I was doing some computer research Friday afternoon, and one of my searches hit on an article on Rolex's continual problems with knock-offs. That lead to me looking at the Rolex website, just for fun. Then, before I knew it, I was leaving my office early so I could make it to the nearest authorized dealer before they closed at 6:00 pm.

I went home and "slept on it," and found myself buying my Rolex by noon Saturday.

I don't know what took me so long to take the plunge - I love it! I even slept in it last night! My husband, practical man that he is, agrees that it was a good purchase. This morning he told me he thinks he would like a Submariner for his birthday in April!

Love this forum site by the way!!!! Fun to see what other owners have to say.

[Darkangel]

I bought my first Rolex yesterday -- Gold and SS Jubilee Bracelet Lady Date-Just with silver, 10 diamond dial.

I've played around with the idea of buying a Rolex for about 10 years, on and off; and, during that time, purchased an Omega Constellation (2001) and a Bertolucci Vir (2005). The odd thing is, I was not even thinking about buying a new watch until I was doing some computer research Friday afternoon, and one of my searches hit on an article on Rolex's continual problems with knock-offs. That lead to me looking at the Rolex website, just for fun. Then, before I knew it, I was leaving my office early so I could make it to the nearest authorized dealer before they closed at 6:00 pm.

I went home and "slept on it," and found myself buying my Rolex by noon Saturday.

I don't know what took me so long to take the plunge - I love it! I even slept in it last night! My husband, practical man that he is, agrees that it was a good purchase. This morning he told me he thinks he would like a Submariner for his birthday in April!

Love this forum site by the way!!!! Fun to see what other owners have to say.

Hey....first of all,WELCOME HERE!

And congrats on your latest purchase,don't worry it won't be the last of it. Hahaha...

[mal9]

Rolex is the watch I have always wanted. The last couple years I've bought a dozen or more watches, but it was always the Rolex that I kept thinking about. I went into an AD a couple days ago wearing a Steinhart Ocean 1. I beelined to the Panerai. The sales person commented I must want a Panerai since I was already wearing a Rolex. I just laughed. I showed her the Ocean 1 which received favorable comments. She got out a Sub and a Panerai and I looked them over. The Rolex fit as if it had been sized for me already. Then she offered an excellent discount! As I compared the Sub and the Ocean 1, I kept thinking how well the Ocean 1 was made, how nice the bracelet was, and that it was bigger and that I didn't need another watch just like it. But then I thought the differences in them both was exactly what I was looking for. All my watch purchases have been in the 42mm range and bigger. The Sub is not small, but it is not overbearing. The salesperson realized it was the Rolex that "spoke to me". I bought the Sub and have not had a moments regret or buyers remorse. I didn't even have to think up any excuses to justify buying a watch this expensive, matter of fact it was so easy I'm thinking about a second one now.

[whineglass]

My first sight of the Submariner was in a rolex catalogue in 1966, my pocket then was not deep enough, in the meantime I had a used GMT and a new Explorer, I then saw a Submariner [no date] in the AD window, and as my 60th birthday was drawing near, I went in and bought it, took me 40 year's, but the wait was well worth it.

Can anyone beat waiting 40 years!!!!

Regards

Barry

Not quite,Barry...you beat me by one year!.I bought my first Rollie,a Sub no date on the "never-never"(Lay-by) in Jo'burg SA in 1969.There was a jewellers store just down the street(Eloff for any ex-pats!) from where I worked and I would leave drool on the display windows quite regularly.The object of my lust being that damn seductive subby.Actually,having said that, I've always considered them as very masculine so,as a male, perhaps seductive is not the right word!Anyway eventually I lost the fight against the dreaded buyers-remorse syndrome and bought it.Took me from memory(fading fast) about a year to pay off.Man! talk about sweet agony.I would make a fortnightly payment like clockwork(NPI),enduring the ache of "separation" approximately 25 times.I felt a bit like a Jail-bird must feel when his wife or G-F comes to visit with no conjugal rights!.I still have the old boy who looks in a lot better shape than me incidentally, but wear it very seldom now as I have several other watches( 2 more rollies,longines,ulysse nardin,vintage patek).It will always be special to me as it is a tangible reminder of my youth and the best days of our lives.(except for that agonising courtship of course!).

[Overkill]

I'm 21 years old now, I was 20 when I got mine. I always wore and loved G-shocks, I had 4 different ones: a Baby-G when I was 12, and two black ones (one of which would you tell the barometric pressure and temperature, etc...), and the last one was this G-510D which was a gift from my girlfriend at the time (I was 18):


I always saw my dad's Submariner on his wrist or on his night stand, and I loved the way it looked. All I knew was that it was an expensive watch, and that it would be a long time before I would even have the right to consider a watch of that kind.

One day, about a year ago, I got tired of wearing G-shocks and though it was about time to move onto something a bit more classic/prestigious. I went to the local mall here in Cairo and started looking around, but wasn't really happy with what was available. Only one watch kind of grabbed my attention, and even then I didn't like it 100% but it was nicer than my G-shock. The Tissot PRC-200:



So I went home that day, pulled the PRC-200 up online and checked it out. Then I showed a picture of it to my dad, told him how much it cost, and that I wanted to buy it...

To my great surprise... he laughed at me and at the PRC-200, and told me how I was growing up and that it was about time I started wearing "real" watches. He simply took his Submariner off his wrist and handed it to me... I couldn't believe it. I refused at first, but he insisted. It's mine now! :)





My dad says he doesn't really have a need for a watch like that, and that he's happier seeing me wear it than wearing it himself. I never take it off, and I love it!

[Darkangel]

Great wrist shot I have to say...also another cam pro here;)

Congrats on the sub!