A quick search of my posting history will reveal a lost soul searching for answers and possibly a watch. What follows is the abbreviated and sarcastic version of the last two years.
Many thanks to all WUS members who have answered many questions and offered much advice.
Special thanks to markh58 who didn’t sell me a glycine airman when I reached my highest level of frustration and almost walked away from luxury watches and bought every entry level watch I could find.
More thanks to to my wife who wanted me to own a fine watch and possibly grow up just a little bit. Also thanks to my brother in law who bought my grail watch and forced me to look at it everyday for a week during our vacation. What a ..........
For our our fifteen year anniversary I bought my wife a new diamond ring and a little side dish of David yurman. She wanted to buy me a Rolex. I said, “no way” after all my Velcro watch band and digital masterpiece were glistening in the sun. However, I did start researching watches and eventually picked up a little glycine sub combat goldeneye just to dabble in automatic watches.
At at this point I assumed my life would continue on but fate had other plans. I began reading, researching, and considering the “one watch” and how great it would be to have something for all occasions that would last a lifetime.
My one watch quickly became the explorer ii 40mm polar dial. What I also quickly learned was that buying a watch for 5-6 grand without trying it on was not for me. Multiple times I came close to pulling the trigger but couldn’t. Then my brother in law bought the 42mm polar dial and wore it proudly everyday for a week on vacation. Clearly, I was not meant to own the explorer ii because who buys the same watch as their brother in law. Not this cowboy!
Searching for the perfect watch is quite daunting. And if we are honest there is no such thing as the perfect watch. I tried on breitling, Tudor, omega, and of course through many trips to AD’s only one Rolex. The very first trip I made to a dealer almost two years ago I tried on the explorer ii watch but didn’t buy it because I hadn’t researched Rolex watches at the time and to be quite honest didn’t care about them!
I can only compare the search for “one watch” as the search in college for the perfect girlfriend. Who will look great everyday, be fun to hang out with, and not leave you when you puke on Saturday night. I never found her but the watch doesn’t have legs so I’m guessing it’s stuck with me.
Throughout the process my mid life crisis heated up as my frustration at living two hours from the nearest dealer and half the watches I wanted to try on never being in stock. I replaced the watch with other activities: I built an outdoor kitchen myself, bought a new truck, and two pairs of rod Patrick boots. By the way if you haven’t tried RP’s boots I highly recommend them. Unbelievable. Anyway the watch kept coming back.
This summer I was able to narrow down the search to the black bay steel and omega planet ocean. Love the look of the bb steel but not the bracelet and the planet ocean is just stunning. I don’t have one negative thing to say about it. BUT last Saturday my father in law called from the AD near him and they had the OP 39 rhodium dial watch. They also had the planet ocean and down the street I found another dealer with a bb steel. Fate made her play and I was ready.
Tuesday i left at 4am, drove 4.5 hours for a 45 minute meeting then turned around and drove 3.5 to see the final 3. It was the first time I’d seen the OP 39 in person and if I didn’t like it I was buying one of the others both of which I tried on several times. The rest is history and I’m now a one watch guy because I haven’t seen the goldeneye since Tuesday. Couldn’t be happier with the purchase and feeling great about waiting out several impulse online buys. Unlike the college girlfriend this catch was definitely better than the chase.
sorry for the photo sizes. I’m struggling with the technology.
Many thanks to all WUS members who have answered many questions and offered much advice.
Special thanks to markh58 who didn’t sell me a glycine airman when I reached my highest level of frustration and almost walked away from luxury watches and bought every entry level watch I could find.
More thanks to to my wife who wanted me to own a fine watch and possibly grow up just a little bit. Also thanks to my brother in law who bought my grail watch and forced me to look at it everyday for a week during our vacation. What a ..........
For our our fifteen year anniversary I bought my wife a new diamond ring and a little side dish of David yurman. She wanted to buy me a Rolex. I said, “no way” after all my Velcro watch band and digital masterpiece were glistening in the sun. However, I did start researching watches and eventually picked up a little glycine sub combat goldeneye just to dabble in automatic watches.
At at this point I assumed my life would continue on but fate had other plans. I began reading, researching, and considering the “one watch” and how great it would be to have something for all occasions that would last a lifetime.
My one watch quickly became the explorer ii 40mm polar dial. What I also quickly learned was that buying a watch for 5-6 grand without trying it on was not for me. Multiple times I came close to pulling the trigger but couldn’t. Then my brother in law bought the 42mm polar dial and wore it proudly everyday for a week on vacation. Clearly, I was not meant to own the explorer ii because who buys the same watch as their brother in law. Not this cowboy!
Searching for the perfect watch is quite daunting. And if we are honest there is no such thing as the perfect watch. I tried on breitling, Tudor, omega, and of course through many trips to AD’s only one Rolex. The very first trip I made to a dealer almost two years ago I tried on the explorer ii watch but didn’t buy it because I hadn’t researched Rolex watches at the time and to be quite honest didn’t care about them!
I can only compare the search for “one watch” as the search in college for the perfect girlfriend. Who will look great everyday, be fun to hang out with, and not leave you when you puke on Saturday night. I never found her but the watch doesn’t have legs so I’m guessing it’s stuck with me.
Throughout the process my mid life crisis heated up as my frustration at living two hours from the nearest dealer and half the watches I wanted to try on never being in stock. I replaced the watch with other activities: I built an outdoor kitchen myself, bought a new truck, and two pairs of rod Patrick boots. By the way if you haven’t tried RP’s boots I highly recommend them. Unbelievable. Anyway the watch kept coming back.
This summer I was able to narrow down the search to the black bay steel and omega planet ocean. Love the look of the bb steel but not the bracelet and the planet ocean is just stunning. I don’t have one negative thing to say about it. BUT last Saturday my father in law called from the AD near him and they had the OP 39 rhodium dial watch. They also had the planet ocean and down the street I found another dealer with a bb steel. Fate made her play and I was ready.
Tuesday i left at 4am, drove 4.5 hours for a 45 minute meeting then turned around and drove 3.5 to see the final 3. It was the first time I’d seen the OP 39 in person and if I didn’t like it I was buying one of the others both of which I tried on several times. The rest is history and I’m now a one watch guy because I haven’t seen the goldeneye since Tuesday. Couldn’t be happier with the purchase and feeling great about waiting out several impulse online buys. Unlike the college girlfriend this catch was definitely better than the chase.
sorry for the photo sizes. I’m struggling with the technology.